Electra.aero has unveiled the test vehicle for its hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft described by the company as “the world’s first blown lift aircraft using distributed electric propulsion, which enables the airplane to take off and land in very short spaces.”
According to a press release the two-seat piloted TD aircraft showcases the Electra eSTOL technology at full scale and will be flown this summer in an extensive flight test program to track performance and inform the design of Electra’s 9-passenger production aircraft.
“In the three years since we founded Electra, we’ve designed our eSTOL aircraft, validated our blown lift technology with a sub-scale demonstrator, and run a fully integrated test of our 150-kilowatt hybrid-electric generator at full scale,” said John S. Langford, Founder and CEO of Electra.aero. “Now we’re ready to test the entire system with this technology demonstrator aircraft.”
Electra says it plans to fly a prototype of the 9-passenger production aircraft in 2025, with certification and entry into service in 2028 under FAA Part 23 regulation. Electra has designed the eSTOL aircraft so that hydrogen or battery-electric propulsion systems can be used in the future when those technologies are commercially viable.
The company also reports it currently holds letters of intent from more than 30 customers for over 1200 of its 9-passenger production eSTOL aircraft, totalling more than USD 4 billion in market demand. Electa recently won a USD 30 million U.S. Air Force funding award as part of a larger USD 85 million funding effort.
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(Image: Electra.Aero)