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Electra.aero, Inc. announced that it has completed the first series of public demonstrations of the Ultra Short aircraft made in partnership with Surf Air Mobility Inc.
The demonstrations took place at Virginia Tech and was to showcase how blown lift and hybrid-electric propulsion together enable takeoffs and landings in 150 feet or less. The aircraft will be able to land at Ultra Short Access Points, which are planned to be built at novel airstrips and campus areas.
The locations at Virginia Tech where the demonstration took place include:
A 300-foot by 75-foot paved surface for small unmanned aircraft systemsAn access road on a closed test-bed campus research facility
A grass field at The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center
Electra believes that the demonstrations are another step toward advanced air mobility and it could lead to thousands of potential new routes once its flagship EL9 Ultra Short aircraft enters commercial service in 2029.
"These demonstrations showcased breathtakingly short takeoffs and landings and pinpoint landing capabilities with the power to transform aviation as we know it," said Marc Allen, CEO of Electra. "It's a great credit to our amazing teammates and partners that we are now demonstrating these capabilities in real world, non-airport environments."
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Surf Air Mobility is currently creating a platform to enable the launch of new electrified aircraft, using existing nationwide commuter scheduled flight network, and proprietary SurfOS software. Once the platform is certified, EL9 Ultra Short could potentially leverage it to expand its market share.
"What Electra demonstrated at Virginia Tech was a first glimpse of how air travel will work in the near future," said Eric Paterson, executive director of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute. "It was a practical demonstration of how the EL9 can integrate into everyday environments, proving it works where it needs to."