Electric aeroplanes have been busy breaking records. On July 10th Airbus's E-Fan, piloted by Didier Esteyne, became the first twin-engined all-electric aircraft to cross the English Channel. At least, that is the firm's version of events-for about 12 hours earlier, Hugues Duval, another Frenchman, had made a round trip from Calais in his twin-engined Cri-Cri electric plane. Airbus discounts Mr Duval's flight on the grounds that he was towed aloft by a conventional plane. Meanwhile, Pipis-trel, a Slovenian producer, was prevented from turning up to show off its single-en-gined electric trainer because Siemens, which supplied the motor, refused permission for it to be used over water.
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