Electra.aero Nabs $1.9M Army Contract for Electric Aircraft Testing

The manufacturer’s flagship, hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft requires only the space of a soccer field to launch and touch down.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 03:54 PM ET

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A technology demonstrator of Electra’s nine-passenger, hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft takes flight. [Courtesy: Electra.aero]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Army has contracted Electra.aero to test its hybrid-electric Short Takeoff and Landing (eSTOL) aircraft, which can take off and land in a soccer field-sized space, for logistics operations in challenging environments.
Electra's eSTOL utilizes innovative blown-lift technology for ultra-short takeoffs (150 feet) and a hybrid-electric distributed propulsion system with an in-flight recharging turbogenerator, eliminating the need for airport electric chargers.
The nine-passenger aircraft is designed to offer extended range, higher payload capacity, and lower operating costs compared to eVTOL alternatives, and will be certified as a fixed-wing aircraft to simplify pilot requirements.
With over 2,000 commercial preorders, the eSTOL is expected to begin deliveries in 2028 following certification.

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The U.S. Army will soon begin experimenting with an electric aircraft that needs only a soccer field-sized space to take off and land.

The Army on Thursday awarded a $1.9 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to Electra.aero, the manufacturer of a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) design, to perform powered wind tunnel testing.