Electra’s hybrid-electric technology demonstrator aircraft has established the new design’s short takeoff and landing (STOL) credentials in test flights conducted in April and early May. The two-seat EL-2 Goldfinch aircraft took off in less than 170 feet and landed with a ground roll of less than 114 feet. The performance target for the aircraft is to be able to operate from spaces shorter than 300 feet.
The flights with the blown-lift design were conducted at Manassas Regional Airport and Warrenton-Fauquier Airport in Virginia, with pilot Cody Allee at the controls. The longest flight lasted 1 hour 43 minutes, and the EL-2 reached an altitude of 6,500 feet and flew as slowly as 25 knots during takeoffs and landings.
“The aircraft handling at low speeds has been exceptional and is matching our analysis well, building confidence in the predicted capability of the nine-passenger product design,” said James “JP” Stewart, Electra’s vice president and general manager. “We’ll continue to develop technologies, including the ‘thrust-by-wire’ flight control system, to allow us to fly even slower on approach and further improve STOL takeoff and landing performance in the ongoing test campaign.”
Electra’s engineering team is using data from the EL-2’s flight test campaign to complete the design of the planned nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft it aims to bring to market in 2028. The start-up aims to certify the unnamed model under FAA Part 23 regulations and plans to start flight testing a full-scale prototype in 2026. It is expected to have a range of around 435 nm and operate at speeds of up to around 174 knots.
The blown-lift architecture uses eight electric motors to boost lift from the wing, enabling what would be unprecedented STOL performance. This involves an aerodynamic effect in which—by increasing the flow of air over the wing—the lift is generated at a much slower airspeed than with conventional airplanes.
This week, Electra appointed Buddy Sessoms as product chief engineer for the program. His role is intended to focus on customer applications for the aircraft, which could include passenger transportation, freight services (with a 2,500-pound payload), and emergency medical support flights. Sessoms has three decades of experience in product development with Piper Aircraft, Eclipse Aerospace, Sensenich Propellers, and Pratt & Whitney. At Piper, he held a leadership position in developing the M600 and M700 aircraft.