Skydiver Peter Salzmann Sets Guinness World Record with First Electric Wingsuit Flight.
Peter Salzmann achieves a record-setting flight. (Video: Guinness).
Born in Australia, Salzmann developed a passion for BASE jumping, a sport where participants leap from fixed objects such as buildings, bridges, and cliffs rather than from airplanes. While some BASE jumpers prefer to use wingsuits to glide further from their jump sites, many are experimenting with electric propulsion systems to achieve higher horizontal speeds and longer flight durations.
In 2017, Salzmann collaborated with BMWi, a division of BMW that specializes in electric propulsion. Together with BMWi, Salzmann created a device that is mounted under the chest and powered by an electric motor. At first glance, the machine resembles a tiny submarine, but the carbon wings of this device can rotate at an impressive speed of 25,000 revolutions per minute.
The suit provides him with thrust to reach a maximum speed of 299 km/h.
With a 7.5 kW motor, each propeller compresses and expels air at a higher pressure, providing thrust that Salzmann can use to accelerate and gain altitude. The device operates on a 50 V lithium-ion battery, which can be activated by a control button on the left wing of the wingsuit.
When Salzmann jumped from a helicopter at an altitude of 3,000 meters, the suit provided him with thrust to achieve a maximum speed of 299 km/h. In contrast, a conventional electric motor typically produces speeds only one-third of that. The thrust generated by the electric motor for 15 minutes not only allowed Salzmann to soar over mountain peaks but also earned him a Guinness World Record for completing the first flight using an electric wingsuit.
