The prius of the sky [Blueprints for a Miracle]

I AM SITTING IN THE COCKPIT of one of the most extraordinary airplanes in the world. It's a two-seat trainer called the 330LE, made by Extra Aircraft but fitted with an electric motor by Siemens, a huge company not known for aviation. I pull my feet clear of the control pedals just before the pilot turns the thing on. The propeller immediately spins into transparency. And yet it's so quiet that we could easily converse without headsets. That's the first sign that this plane is powered by electricity.