18 July 2024
+VIDEO Hybrid-electric. Blown lift. eSTOL. These are what makes Electra’s EL-2 Goldfinch new aircraft different. And it’s more than just a concept. Electra’s demonstrator aircraft has just completed short field takeoff and landing tests taking just 150ft ground roll.
The flights took place on a grass field near Electra’s facility in Manassas, Virginia, USA, and demonstrate the eSTOL (electric Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft’s ability to operate from air strips smaller than 300ft.
The aircraft flew a series of takeoffs and landings from a grass area and demonstrated the maximum performance climb-out of 32 degrees that would be used in many military missions. It also required no charging infrastructure as the batteries are charged in-flight by the hybrid propulsion system.
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Military missions are one of the uses Electra is proposing for its production aircraft, a nine-seater that can carry people of cargo up to 2,500 lb in weight.
“The Electra eSTOL technologies increase the number of available landing sites by orders of magnitude relative to traditional fixed wing aircraft while providing for higher cruise speeds, lower costs, and lower noise than vertical lift solutions,” said JP Stewart, Electra’s Vice President and General Manager.
“These first flights from a field demonstrate the beginnings of this strong capability that we will continue to develop.”
In addition to the grass operations, the test campaign includes acoustic data collection to validate the low noise output. The aircraft achieved operations of under 55 decibels at 500ft overflight, a sound level comparable to human conversation.
Electra’s EL-2 Goldfinch eSTOL technology demonstrator requires no charging infrastructure as the batteries are charged in-flight by the hybrid propulsion system
At typical cruise altitudes, the aircraft will be inaudible over background noise. Later flights will progress to even rougher and more confined areas as the test programme continues.
Electra is developing the production aircraft which will carry 9 passengers or 2,500 pounds of cargo up to 500 miles while still providing the STOL, austere operations, and low-noise capabilities. Aircraft certification and entry into commercial service under FAA Part 23 regulations is targeted for 2028.
Electra’s hybrid-electric propulsion with turbogenerator charging the battery, which feeds eight electric motors. Image: Electra
The company says its blown-lift design with eight electric motors to significantly increase wing lift, allows the eSTOL aircraft to take off and land in just 1/10th of the space needed by conventional aircraft.
