Electra’s EL-2 Goldfinch eSTOL Aircraft Completes First Test Flights

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(23/11/23)
 Electra’s EL-2
Goldfinch, a hybrid-electric, ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL)
aircraft, completed its first test flights earlier this month.

The two-seat Goldfinch eSTOL technology
demonstrator is a blown lift aircraft that uses
distributed electric propulsion and a hybrid-electric propulsion
system.

The aircraft uses eight electric motors to significantly
increase wing lift and enable ultra-short takeoffs and landings
while dramatically reducing noise and emissions below those of
conventional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

“The Goldfinch completed an all-electric test
flight on 11 November and a hybrid-electric flight on 19 November,
both piloted by Cody Allee, from the Manassas Regional Airport in
Virginia. The first hybrid flight lasted 23 minutes, reached an
altitude of 3,200 feet, and covered a distance of approximately 30
miles,” said Electra’s Vice President and General Manager JP
Stewart. “We’re looking forward to further expanding the envelope
of this aircraft and demonstrating the full capability of
Electra’s technology.”

Electra is developing a nine-passenger version of
the aircraft for commercial and government markets that will be
able to take
off and land with ground rolls as short as 150 feet and fly at
speeds of 200 mph for distances of 500 miles.

The company says that it currently
holds pre-orders from more than 30 customers for over 1,700
aircraft, totaling more than $6 billion in backlog.

Electra will
develop a prototype of a full-scale pre-production eSTOL aircraft
under a previously announced strategic funding partnership valued
up to $85 million with the U.S. Air Force AFWERX Agility Prime
Program. Certification and entry into commercial service under FAA
Part 23 regulations is targeted for 2028.

“The aim of Electra is to fill a gap in air travel
between 50 and 500 miles, where most trips today are made by
automobile. The key to saving time is to operate close in, which
means getting in and out of small spaces quietly and safely, while
still being fast enough to cover long distances,” said Electra
founder and CEO, John Langford. “Electra will be able to take you
from downtown Manhattan not only to Kennedy Airport, but to
Washington, DC. It will bring air service to thousands of
communities where air travel today is not a practical or
affordable option. It also opens vast new opportunities for
middle-mile cargo logistics.”

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