Draft:Electra.aero
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Submission declined on 15 May 2026 by Devonian Wombat (talk). This draft reads like an advertisement. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a platform for promotion or marketing. Drafts that are exclusively promotional may be deleted without notice.
Declined by Devonian Wombat 3 months ago.Wikipedia articles must be written neutrally in a formal, impersonal, and dispassionate way. They should not read like a blog post, advertisement, or fan page. Rewrite the draft to remove:
Instead, only summarize in your own words a range of independent, reliable, published sources that discuss the subject. If you have a conflict of interest (e.g. you are the subject, an employee, or a relative) or are being paid to edit, you must disclose this to comply with Wikipedia's Terms of Use. | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace, Advanced Air Mobility |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Founder | Dr. John Langford |
| Headquarters | Manassas, Virginia, United States |
Key people | B. Marc Allen (CEO) |
| Products | Hybrid electric aircraft |
Number of employees | 100 (December 2025)[1] |
| Website | electra |
Electra.aero Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer developing hybrid-electric ultra-STOL aircraft for commercial and military applications in the Advanced Air Mobility sector. The company was founded by Dr. John Langford in 2020 and by 2026 had more than 100 employees.[2] Electra is headquartered in Manassas, Virginia with offices in Switzerland.
History
[edit]Electra was founded in 2020 by aerospace engineer John S. Langford, a serial entrepreneur who previously founded Aurora Flight Sciences which he sold to Boeing in 2017.[3] Electra is developing hybrid-electric fixed wing aircraft capable of ultra-short takeoff and landing (ultra-STOL) in less than 300 feet. The company has referred to their commercial target market as regional air transportation in the 50 to 500 mile range. Electra claims the ability of their aircraft to travel these distances with short-field takeoff and landing access to non-airport locations could enable a new category of air travel the company calls Direct Aviation.[4]
According to the company, Electra uses distributed electric propulsion to enable blown lift aerodynamics to increase the aircraft's lift and reduce ground roll to enable fixed-wing aircraft to take off and land in less than 300 feet. The aircraft uses a hybrid-electric propulsion system with a turbogenerator connected to batteries which power the electric motors that induce blown lift. Early studies of using distributed-electric propulsion for the ultra-STOL concept occurred at MIT, led by professors John Hansman and Mark Drela who joined the company as technical advisors.[5]
In November 2023, Electra announced that its hybrid-electric technology demonstrator, the Electra EL2, completed its first piloted flight in Manassas, Virginia demonstrating the ability to takeoff and land in less than 300 feet.[6]
In August 2024, Electra appointed former Boeing Chief Strategy Officer B. Marc Allen as its new chief executive officer, with Langford transitioning to the role of chairman.[7] In early 2025 Electra announced raising $115M as part of a Series B investment round.[8]
Electra has announced several government contracts with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and NASA for research and development of hybrid-electric aircraft technologies. In November 2024, NASA awarded Electra a multi-million dollar contract to deliver a concept design of a future large commercial passenger aircraft as part of the Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) program.[9] In 2025 Electra announced that its EL2 participated in a U.S. Air Force Future Flag test event and powered on an MQ-9 Reaper by utilizing its hybrid propulsion system as a power unit.[10]
Products
[edit]Electra is developing the EL9, a nine-passenger hybrid-electric ultra-STOL aircraft for commercial regional aviation and military logistics as its first commercial product. Electra claims the EL9 is designed to carry 1,000 pounds 1,000 nautical miles and takeoff and land in less than 300 feet while carrying its maximum payload.[11]
In 2024, the company reported exceeding 2,000 commercial pre-orders of the EL9 aircraft from 50 global commercial operators.[12] In 2026, Bristow Helicopters announced that it was the first EL9 launch customer to place firm orders with non-refundable deposits.[13]
In June 2025, Electra announced a memorandum of understanding with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works to collaborate on engineering and government contract opportunities with the U.S. military.[14] In December 2025, Electra announced that they submitted an application to the FAA for Part 23 type certification of the EL9, with the company projecting entry into commercial service in 2029 or 2030.[15]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Electra launches defense business unit". Virginia Business. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Electra launches defense business unit". Virginia Business. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Aurora Founder Plans Hybrid-Electric Regional STOL Venture". Aviation Week Network. Retrieved February 11, 2026..
- ↑ "Electra Shares Alternative to 'Broken' Hub-and-Spoke Airport Model". FLYING Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Aurora Founder Plans Hybrid-Electric Regional STOL Venture". Aviation Week Network. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Electra.aero Completes First Flights With Hybrid eSTOL Demonstrator". Aviation Week Network. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Electra.aero gets Boeing veteran as new CEO". AeroTime. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Fresh investment to fund Electra's EL9 through certification phase". Aerospace Global News. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Electra.aero to lead sustainable commercial airliner development". Aerospace Manufacturing and Design. Retrieved February 11, 2026..
- ↑ "Electra launches defense business as it builds new aircraft". Axios. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Electra Shares Alternative to 'Broken' Hub-and-Spoke Airport Model". FLYING Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Electra.aero Surpasses 2,000 Orders for Hybrid-Electric Aircraft". FLYING Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Bristow locks in Electra plane deliveries with deposit deal". Reuters. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Lockheed Partners With Electra To Boost eSTOL EL9 Development". Aviation Week Network. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Electra submits EL9 short take-off and landing aircraft for Type Certification". Aerospace Testing International. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
Category:Aircraft manufacturers of the United States Category:Aerospace companies of the United States Category:2020 establishments in Virginia Category:Electric aircraft Category:Hybrid electric vehicles
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