Every Bulletin story and press release covering Electra.aero eSTOL, newest first.
41 items
Completion of the G-1 milestone paves the way for the G-2 phase, in which Electra will define the EL9's means of compliance.
NASA-backed research has explored how electrification could deliver additional efficiency gains while remaining compatible with existing airline operations.
Newly granted patents protect propulsion integration, power management and pilot interface systems for the nine-passenger EL9 Ultra Short aircraft.
A long-term agreement between the two companies supports certification plans and advances development toward commercial service in 2028.
The move advances the nine-passenger aircraft into formal certification following years of engagement with FAA policy and standards teams.
The company has added hangar and office space in Virginia and expanded its Swiss centre, supporting the growth of its hybrid-electric EL9.
The $1.9 million award backed further testing and evaluation of hybrid-electric propulsion systems for Electra’s EL9 ultra-short takeoff and landing aircraft.
Using a 20 per cent scale model of the EL9 wing, recent tests have demonstrated lift coefficients greater than 20 , which is around seven times greater than the range typical of unblown wings.
More than 2,200 EL9s have been pre-ordered by commercial and defence operators due to the aircraft's hybrid-electric Ultra Short capability.
Electra has over 2,100 orders for the EL9 from 52 operators worldwide, representing more than $8 billion in market value. The first test flights are planned for 2027, with service entry anticipated in 2029.
Honeywell’s compact fly-by-wire (cFBW) flight control computers are augmented by electronics, rather than manual controls. The computer for the aircraft’s flight controls is about the size of a paperback book.
The EL-2 Goldfinch aircraft took off in less than 170 ft and landed in under 114 ft ground roll, the aircraft reached an altitude of 6,500 feet, and it flew as slowly as 25 kts on takeoff and landing.
Two new contracts will enable powered wind tunnel testing to advance Electra's novel aerodynamics database for use in performance analysis, simulator, and control law development, and a conceptual study for the Navy.
The two-seat Goldfinch eSTOL technology demonstrator is reckoned to be the world's first blown lift aircraft using distributed electric propulsion and a hybrid-electric propulsion system.
Testing of the hybrid-electric system took place at Electra's propulsion development facility in Switzerland. The system uses high-power battery packs and a turbogenerator to power eight electric motors and propellers.
Electra is consolidating Airflow's eSTOL business under the Electra brand. It will integrate Airflow's highly experienced team, backlog of letters of intent and strategic partnerships into its own activities.
Electra's eSTOL aircraft can operate from spaces as small as 300 x 100 feet using its patent-pending distributed electric propulsion and blown lift technology. Funding will help develop its flight control system.
Electra is collaborating with Bristow Group to develop its hybrid eSTOL, with the companies cooperating on technical developments and certification to meet the needs of customers, the FAA and EASA.
Current computational methods can predict some limited blown lift flow fields in three dimensions, but NASA's involvement will enable the fast, trusted, low-order methods needed to rapidly evaluate design choices.
The electric motor-driven propellers will blow air over the entire span of the wing and its flaps, allowing takeoff and landing at speeds below 30mph, while cruising at high-speeds of 200mph.
Powered lift will enable the Electra aircraft to operate in and out of space currently used for parking garages, helicopter terminals, docks, or barges, linking in to major airport hubs.
