NASA’s Leading Edge Asynchronous Propellers Technology (LEAPTech) project is part of an initiative to develop a more efficient, electric-powered plane.
An image of the proposed wings for LEAPTech has been circulating around the Internet lately because they look awesome, to say the least.
A total of 18 small engines sit along the 31-foot wingspan in order to lift and propel the plane forward.
The propellers, which are all electric, are powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries, each with the individual ability to be operated at various speeds.
Don’t get too excited, however, because NASA is just now entering the testing stage for the wings, which will take place over the next few months.
A modified truck called the Hybrid-Electric Integrated Systems Testbed (HEIST) will drive upwards of 70 mph across a dry lake bed in California in order to test the wings. LEAPTech’s final goal will be 200 mph with a maximum electric-powered reach of 230 mph, Popular Science reports.
