Anne Lavrand of Electravia sends news that Jean Luce Soullier’s speed record set last September has been ratified by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI). He now holds four FAI world records, and Ms. Lavrand’s total climbs to five, including the speed record set by Hugues Duval flying the MC15E twin electric Cri-Cri down Le Bourget’s main runway at 283 km./hr. (175.46 mph) during the 2011 Paris Air Show.
Jean Luc Soullier’s record-setting MC30 Luciole with new cowling, perhaps a contributor to low drag and new straight line speed record. “Flames” were perhaps a whimsical post-flight add-on
| SUB-CLASS | TYPE OF RECORD | PERFORMANCE | DATE | CLAIMANT | STATUS | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAL1E | Speed over a straight course | 189.87 km/h | 2012-09-29 | Jean Luc Soullier (BEL) | ratified – current record | 16638 |
| RAL1E | Altitude | 2366 m | 2012-02-27 | Jean Luc Soullier (BEL) | ratified – current record | 16497 |
| RAL1E | Distance over a closed circuit without landing | 50.13 km | 2012-02-27 | Jean Luc Soullier (BEL) | ratified – current record | 16496 |
| RAL1E | Speed over a closed circuit of 50 km | 136.4 km/h | 2012-02-27 | Jean Luc Soullier (BEL) | ratified – current record | 16495 |
Soullier hit 189.87 kilometers per hour (117.72 mph) in his Colomban MC30E on September 29, 2012, claiming the RAL1E sub-class record for speed over a straight course, and now “owns” all four records in that class, limited to single-place landplanes with movable controls and electric power.
These are impressive achievements, all set with brushed, Lynch-type electric motors, a relatively simple approach to electric flight, and supplied by Anne Lavrand’s firm Electravia, headquartered in Sisteron, France.
Congratulations to all concerned. For the rest of us, these are records that could be challenged with reasonably low cost aircraft and a truckload of dedication – as shown by Jean Luc over the last several years.