Electra first showed off its zero emission eSTOL (electric Short Take Off and Landing) aircraft concept back in 2021. After a proof-of-concept prototype that exceeded nearly every initial promise, the company seems to have a surprise, $9 billion hit on its hands!
Electra claims it was founded to provide affordable air travel without airports, emissions, or noise. The goal was to build an aircraft that could deliver on the promises of eVTOL aircraft but at significantly reduced cost. The more familiar shape and ability to use a number of commercially available components helped to address the cost aspect of that equation. And, after two years of development and rigorous ground testing, Electra’s first piloted technology demonstrator aircraft, the Goldfinch EL-2, took to the skies in late 2023.
The EL-2 proved that the electric drive Electra concept could, in fact, quietly take off from “airstrips” just 100 feet long, and do so with a fraction of the noise of a similar, conventional ICE-powered aircraft – and a fraction of the cost of a modern eVTOL.
$uccessful test flight
After the success of its first prototype, Electra scored a raft of orders, culminating in the company’s 2000th aircraft pre-order in February of 2024, following agreements with JSX, Surf Air, JetSetGo, Charm Aviation, and LYGG.
Since then? Despite the company being relatively quiet, press-wise, the orders have continued to roll in – and the aviation startup is reportedly now sitting on more than $9 billion (US) in pre-orders, outselling anything else in the eVTOL world.
The production version of the Electra will be powered by eight electric propellers placed along the leading edge of the wing, which has large flaps hanging from the trailing edges to create a “blown lift” aerodynamic effect. Think of it like a Formula 1 Formula E ground effects package with the reverse goal, in that it works the same way but pushes the vehicle up instead of pulling it down. On the Electra, the blown lift effect is projected to be powerful enough to lift the aircraft at speeds of just 35 knots (about 40 mph).
Blown lift explainer
By blowing air over the wing and large flaps with an array of electric motors, our Ultra Short aircraft multiplies the amount of lift the wing makes at very slow speeds. With this technique, we can take off and land at speeds as slow as 35 knots, which only takes a few vehicle lengths to achieve. The key is in the accelerated airflow forming a thick jet sheet coming off of the trailing edge of the wing, making the wing act virtually larger than it physically is. In climb and cruise, we reduce blowing and stow the flaps for ultra-efficient operations.
The production plane (as well as the concept) use a compact turbine generator to send power to a small-ish onboard battery pack, which then sends electricity to each of the 8 prop motors. Electra says its turbogenerator supports up to 100% sustainable aviation fuels today, and can be modified to burn bio- or synthetic-fuels with minimal engineering lift.
The final version will be able operate from airfields as small as 300 x 100 ft (90 x 30 m), or about one-tenth the length of a standard airport runway. That means that, even if these eSTOL aircraft don’t open up quite as many spaces for air travel as eVTOLs, do, they’ll still be extremely flexible – and more than capable of operating from the roofs of many existing buildings and parking structures.
USAF Electra eSTOL concept
And, of course, the Air Force wants one.
NOTE: in response to some of the comments, I want to point out that the Electra is capable of sustained, electric-only powered flight and uses the genset for remote operations/extended range. I should have made that clearer. This is arguably more EREV than EV.
SOURCES | IMAGES: Electra; via Avionics Int’l, New Atlas.
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