The Electra STOL (short take-off and landing) aircraft features eight electric props along the front edge of its wings. To help achieve the blown lift effect – which results in lift off at relatively low speeds of 35 mph (56 km/h) along a short runway – the aircraft sports large flaps at the rear edge of the wings.
The eight small-diameter, five-bladed propellers along its wing run on quiet electric motors, fed by a big enough lithium battery pack to allow fully-electric takeoff and landing, and quiet flight over populated areas. Electra promises just 75 decibels at a distance of 300 ft (91 m).
In August 2025 Electra demonstrated at Virginia Tech take off and land using an airfield that’s one-tenth the size of a standard runway demonstrating “blown lift” aero and hybrid-electric propulsion capabilities. Power for take-off is provided by onboard batteries, with the system switching to a small turbogenerator for cruising or topping up the batteries while in the air.
The company has been test flying the two-seat EL2 prototype since at least May 2024, but the flights at Virginia Tech – in partnership with Surf Air Mobility – represent the first series of public demonstrations.
Though the prototype did take-off and land utilizing a 300 x 75-ft (91 x 23-m) paved surface at the expansive Blacksburg campus, the EL2 showed off its flexibility by tackling other surfaces too. These included an access road in cooperation with Virginia’s Department of Transportation, and a grass field at the university’s Corporate Research Center.
The company has notched up more than 2,200 orders from over 60 operators around the globe, and is looking to start commercial flights of the EL9 Ultra Short nine-passenger aircraft by 2029.
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