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Electra Completes Grass Field Takeoffs With Less Than 300 Feet

The manufacturer’s hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) design goes airborne at neighborhood driving speeds through the use of blown lift propulsion.

Friday, July 19, 2024 at 12:41 PM ET

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Electra’s hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) demonstrator lifts off from a grassy field. [Courtesy: Electra]

Key Takeaways:

Electra's hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft, the EL-2 Goldfinch, successfully demonstrated its short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities by lifting off from a small grassy field.
The Goldfinch features a hybrid-electric propulsion unit that charges its batteries in-flight, eliminating the need for external charging infrastructure, and produces low noise (55 dB).
Utilizing blown lift technology for ultra-short takeoffs, the aircraft has attracted significant interest from all branches of the U.S. military and secured over 2,000 commercial pre-orders, with full-scale certification targeted for 2028.

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Electra, the developer of a hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft capable of getting airborne from soccer field-sized spaces, this week completed a set of successful test flights—taking off from a field.

The manufacturer’s EL-2 Goldfinch, which first flew in May, got its first off-runway action when it lifted off from a grassy area smaller than 300 feet near a company facility in Manassas, Virginia.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.