Electra has conducted the first urban demonstration flight of its hybrid-electric EL2 technology demonstrator in downtown Charleston, operating in an ultra-short takeoff and landing configuration. The flight showcased operations from a highly constrained urban site, with targeted takeoff and landing rolls of about 150 ft or less, using a blown-lift wing and hybrid-electric propulsion.
The Charleston event forms part of a wider public demonstration campaign intended to validate operations from “Ultra Short Access Points” in urban and peri-urban environments. In recent trials with Surf Air Mobility and Virginia Tech, the EL2 operated from a drone runway, a closed access road and a grass field on the Virginia Tech campus, confirming very short-field capability.
Previous test flights at Manassas and Warrenton included takeoffs in under 170 ft and landings in under 114 ft, with low-speed operations around 25 kt, climbs to 6,500 ft and an endurance flight lasting 1 h 43. Data from the two-seat EL2 is being used to de-risk and refine the design of the planned nine-passenger EL9, which is aimed at entry into commercial service around 2028–2029.
Electra reports approximately 2,200 preorders for the EL9, representing a potential order book of about $9 billion, as it targets advanced air mobility and short-haul regional markets using fixed-wing ultra-short takeoff and landing rather than pure vertical flight.