Electra Plans Ultra STOL Commuter Airliner

[MIflyer]

Virginia, USA-based Electra.aero has raised US$115 million in funding to develop its EL9 Ultra Short aircraft into pre-production and certification.

The company is developing its aircraft, the EL9 to be capable of taking off and landing in just 150ft, about 10% of the space required by similar-sized conventional aircraft.

The 9-passenger EL9 combines blown lift technology with hybrid-electric propulsion to achieve VTOL-like versatility with fixed-wing safety and cost advantages. The aircraft can operate from compact spaces and unimproved surfaces including grass fields, parking lots, and repurposed heliports.

They have accepted 2200 orders for the aircraft.

 

[hw97karbine]

Our hybrid-electric propulsion system uses a combination of a turbogenerator and battery packs to power the aircraft's electric motors. The turbogenerator is sized for cruise, while the battery boosts power for takeoff and landing. This way, the turbogenerator can be small and always operates at its most efficient operating point.
This reduces fuel burn and lowers maintenance cost. Operators can choose to charge the battery in flight via the turbogenerator or re-charge on the ground where charging infrastructure is available. However, charging infrastructure is not required. The turbogenerator supports up to 100% sustainable aviation fuels and future use of eFuels or hydrogen for zero-emissions flight.

Some detail from the manufacturer's page