Electra EL9

Posted by Hermit-hawk@reddit | WeirdWings | View on Reddit | 7 comments

Source: Hybrid Aircraft That Needs Just 150 Feet of Runway to Take Off Is Now Part Skunk Works

Instead, Electra focuses on designing a small plane that can take off and land from pretty much everywhere, including (or especially) on and from unprepared surfaces – kind of like a helicopter, without actually being one. This should make it ideal to reach remote locations where no prepared runways are available.

At its core, the EL9 is a hybrid aircraft that makes use of a turbogenerator that can run exclusively on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), or if need be on upcoming eFuels and even hydrogen, and an undisclosed number of battery packs that are there to power the aircraft's motors. The packs will be capable of recharging both on the ground, in the usual fashion, and in the air by using the turbogenerator.

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BucketsMcGaughey@reddit

Those are three completely different aircraft. Is this some AI nonsense?

Hermit-hawk@reddit (OP)

It seems the first and the third and renders of the expected final version, the second one seems photos of a test in an already existing airframe. Please check the link for more images and info.

pdf27@reddit

First one is a CAD render of an old design, second one is their flying testbed, third one is the most recent design for the production aircraft I've seen in the public domain.

Thanks for confirm and add more info to my comment, such a great community here.

Nope, it has a gas turbine plus generator in the tail. Batteries are for boost to give really short take-off in a CS-23 fixed wing aircraft. And that article is pretty poor - several things I know are wrong.

Oh yes, and only one of those photos is of the EL-9.