The announcement, made this week, did not disclose the amount of the investment from Lockheed Martin Ventures—the venture capital arm of Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:LMT)—but Electra says it is part of its Series A funding round.   

About the Aircraft

Electra is one of dozens of urban air mobility (UAM) companies looking to launch in the coming years. By 2040, analysts project the market for global urban and regional advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft will be valued between $250 billion and $1 trillion.

Electra claims its eSTOL aircraft can operate from spaces as small as 300 feet by 100 feet, using its patent-pending distributed electric propulsion and blown lift technology. 

Unlike its competitors in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft space, Electra is focused on hybrid technologies.

“Hybrid-electric propulsion will influence every aspect of aviation,” said John S. Langford, Electra founder and CEO, in a statement. 

A small turbine-powered generator also recharges the batteries mid-flight, eliminating the need for new ground-charging infrastructure. 

Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, said it’s that hybrid focus that led to his company’s investment. 

“Electra’s technical approach to sustainable aviation is differentiated, and we are excited to see this concept mature,” Moran said in a statement “…Hybrid-electric aircraft have the potential to deliver operational and environmental advantages over other aircraft, including increased payload and range without gambling on battery improvements.” 

The quieter and more environmentally friendly aircraft is currently being designed to transport up to 1,800 pounds of cargo or move seven to nine passengers up to 500 miles. 

Electra also says its aircraft can operate in a variety of environments, ranging from busy urban areas to remote landing strips, and fly missions ranging from on-demand intracity flights to medical missions, cargo transportation, scheduled passenger service, and beyond.

The company says it plans to begin flight testing a full-scale, hybrid eSTOL technology demonstrator aircraft later this year, and hopes to get FAA approval in 2026 under Level 3 multiengine type certification, low-speed (max operating speed less than 250 kts) airplane, under 14 CFR.

Looking Ahead

As Electra works toward flight testing, it is also working in partnership with the U.S. Air Force under a contract the two entities signed in June as part of its Agility Prime initiative to explore new and developing technologies for military use.

Additionally, in July, NASA awarded a contract to Electra under the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program to mature its eSTOL development.

The post Lockheed Martin Invests in eSTOL Startup Electra appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Aerospace company Electra Aero has begun working with the FAA Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation (CECI) and the Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) to define the certification path for its electric short-takeoff-and-landing (eSTOL) aircraft.

The company has hired industry veteran Randy Griffith as its director of certification. Griffith led the certification of the Eclipse Jet, HondaJet HA420, Mooney M10, Aerion SST, and Zunum ZA10.

“Having taken several aircraft from concept through certification, he knows what it really takes to get the job done and we are excited to have him on our team,” Electra CEO John Langford said of Griffith.

About the Aircraft

Electra expects FAA approval in 2026 under Level 3 multiengine type certification, low-speed (max operating speed less than 250 kts) airplane, under 14 CFR.

The aircraft is designed to carry up to seven passengers and a pilot as far as 500 miles. It will serve:

• Urban and regional air mobility markets
• Sustainability-focused airline operations
• “Middle mile” cargo logistics
• Air ambulance services

All aircraft developments have unique design features or approaches that require special considerations, including:

• Special conditions
• Equivalencies
• Exemptions
• Unique means of compliance.

The company says the aircraft configuration and technologies minimize these special considerations.

Electra has been accepted into the FAA Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovations (CECI) early engagement program to work together with CECI and the aircraft certification office to evaluate these special considerations, define a specific certification plan and develop key documents like the compliance checklist.

“The certification of any aircraft (eVTOL, eSTOL, or CTOL) must be treated with great respect to exceed expectations of the public’s trust in the aircraft OEM and the regulator,” JP Stewart, Electra’s program manager said in a statement.

“The key to a cost- and time-efficient certification is the early engagement of stakeholders to identify and mitigate risks while changes to improve safety can be efficiently made. We’ve started this engagement early in the design and look forward to working with the FAA and other stakeholders to develop the safest aircraft in this class.”

Demonstrator Planned

In 2022, Electra plans to begin flight testing a full-scale hybrid eSTOL tech demonstrator. It will carry two people, take off and land in distances under 150 feet, and use a 150-kW hybrid-electric turbogenerator to power eight electric motors and charge a custom battery system during flight.

This will be used to provide data and operational experience in order to support the certification process and reduce risk in further certification efforts.

The post Electra Aero Charts Course for eSTOL Certification appeared first on FLYING Magazine.