“Electra, Surf Air Mobility Complete First Commercial Demos of Ultra Short Aircraft”
Electra, in collaboration with Surf Air Mobility and Virginia Tech, have successfully completed the first series of public demonstrations of its EL9 Ultra Short aircraft, reports a press release.
The demos, carried out earlier this month, highlighted how blown lift and hybrid-electric propulsion together enable takeoffs and landings in 150 ft or less at Ultra Short Access Points connected to airstrips, small and remote environments as well as campus settings.
These capabilities open the door to thousands of potential new routes that can be flown once Electra’s aircraft reaches commercial service in 2029.
The demonstrations took place at several locations at Virginia Tech. These included:-
: A 300-foot by 75-foot paved surface used for takeoff and landing of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
: An access road on a closed test-bed campus research facility managed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
: A grass field at The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Centre.
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Surf Air Mobility, via its airline sub-brands Southern Airways and Mokulele Airlines, have flown many millions of passengers, millions of miles since inception. The company’s decade of operational experience; existing nationwide commuter scheduled flight network; and proprietary SurfOS software, is creating a platform to enable the launch of new electrified aircraft.
Once certified, Electra’s EL9 has the potential to leverage Surf’s operations and software platform to bring the aircraft technology to market at scale.
Marc Allen, CEO of Electra, commented, “These demonstrations showcased breathtakingly short takeoffs and landings and pinpoint landing capabilities with the power to transform aviation as we know it. We are now demonstrating these capabilities in real world, non-airport environments.”
Louis Saint-Cyr, COO and President of Surf’s Hawai’i Operations, added, “What immediately stood out was the operational flexibility the EL9 will enable. The aircraft will be faster to turn around, less expensive to operate and easier to deploy.”
The release explains, “Direct Aviation (DA) brings air travel closer to home, work and play. Instead of relying on a few large, congested airport hubs, Direct Aviation uses hundreds of thousands of smaller, more accessible locations. These Ultra Short Access Points can be as small as soccer fields and include underutilised airport facilities, novel air strips, or dedicated spaces near campuses or commercial areas.”
It continues, “DA removes the chokepoints of traditional aviation that limit access and add time on both ends of the journey due to the reliance on a handful of major airports. This model replaces long, congested drives, packed terminals and underutilised runways with direct, efficient flights that cater to today’s travel needs.”
Marc Allen
A recent study by researchers from Georgia Tech analysed regional travel demand and patterns in the U.S. Northeast Corridor, identifying strong demand for DA and ideal routes for Ultra Short aviation services.
Many of the regional routes identified fall within the 50 to 300 nautical mile range, which is too short for traditional air travel to be practical, but too far or congested for efficient ground travel.
Eric Paterson, Executive Director of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, remarked, “What Electra demonstrated was a first glimpse of how air travel will work in the near future. It was a practical demonstration of how the EL9 can integrate into everyday environments, proving it works where it needs to.”
The EL9 offers faster, quieter and more cost-effective flights. The aircraft operates at one-third the cost of a helicopter or eVTOL and is 100 times quieter. It integrates with existing aviation systems and is ready to deploy where demand already exists.
The EL9 already has over 2,200 pre-orders from more than 60 global operators.
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(Top image: Electra EL9 Aircraft)
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