A manned aircraft powered by Panasonic's "Oxyride" dry cell batteries flies at Okegawa Airport in Saitama on July 16. In collaboration with the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Panasonic succeeded in their world's first manned flight, cruising 269.22 meters (883.26 feet) in the air with 96 dry batteries, the company said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2006)