World's largest electric plane takes 28-minute first flight

May 29 (UPI) -- The world's largest all-electric aircraft took off from a Washington state airstrip for its first flight, staying in the air for 28 minutes, the plane's makers said.

The eCaravan plane, a modified Cessna Caravan 208B, was created by a collaboration between engine company magniX and aerospace firm AeroTEC. It took its first flight Thursday in an event that was livestreamed on Facebook.

The companies said the electric plane is more environmentally friendly and costs less to operate than its fossil fuel-powered counterparts.

"As the world's largest all-electric aircraft, this first flight is a significant milestone in disrupting the transportation industry and accelerating the electric aviation revolution," magniX said in announcing the flight, which took off from an airstrip in Moses Lake.

A smaller plane with a magniX electric engine took its first 15-minute flight in December 2019.