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EL9
Courtesy of Electra.aero · Press kit, editorial use (opens electra.aero)

EL9

by ElectraUS

ProtoStage 2 of 5

Full-size design and test plane being built; first flight late 2027–early 2028, service targeted 2030.

Updated 25d agoChecked 25 Sep0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Entry into service
  1. EL2 test plane first flightNov 2023Complete.
  2. EL9 design revealedNov 2024Complete.
  3. Ohio production facility announced21 Jul 2026Complete.
  4. Entry into serviceTarget 2030Not yet reached.

Most important updates

  • 25d ago
  • 21 Jul 2026
  • 15 Jul 2026
  • 10 Jul 2026
  • 10 Dec 2025

Upcoming

  1. 2027Atlas to deliver the first EL9 airframe parts (next)
  2. Q4 2027EL9 first flight (company target: late 2027 to early 2028)
  3. 2030Entry into service

Current obstacles

  • Control at low speedIt flies very slowly near the edge of stalling; losing a propeller on one side must not make it lose control.

Physics limits

  • At low speed, lift depends on the motors runningBlown lift works because the propellers keep the air moving. If a motor fails near the ground, that part of the wing loses lift at once, so redundancy and fast control are essential.
  • Each energy conversion loses a littleFuel to turbine to generator to cable to motor: every step wastes a few percent. A series hybrid can be less efficient in cruise than a turboprop driving its propeller directly.

How it works

3 parts
Not the EL9: Electra's two-seat EL2 demonstrator lifting off from a small marked pad at Roanoke, its propellers blowing air over big wing flaps
Not the EL9: Electra's two-seat EL2 demonstrator lifting off from a small marked pad at Roanoke, its propellers blowing air over big wing flapsCourtesy of Electra.aero · Press kit, editorial use (opens electra.aero)
Blow

Propellers blow air over the wing

Eight electric propellers blast air across the wing and big flaps. The fast airflow makes lift even at very low speed, allowing ~150 ft take-offs.

Hybrid

A small turbine makes electricity

A turbogenerator charges batteries and powers the motors in flight, so range isn't limited by battery size alone.

Control

Computers balance the motors

Flight computers set each propeller's speed to keep the plane stable and in control at speeds where a normal wing would stall.

Update log

8 updates

Tue 15 Sep

  • Minor: BlogManufacturing

Tue 21 Jul

  • Major: PressManufacturing

Wed 15 Jul

  • Minor: BlogPartnership

Fri 10 Jul

  • Major: BlogRegulatory

Wed 21 Jan

  • Minor: BlogCommercial

Wed 10 Dec 2025

  • Major: BlogRegulatory

Mon 21 Apr 2025

  • Major: BlogFunding

Nov 2023

  • Minor: BlogTest

About Electra

The team behind EL9

Electra

Hybrid-electric plane for tiny runways

Electra is building the EL9, a nine-passenger hybrid-electric plane. Electric propellers blow air over the wing for extra lift, so it can take off and land in about 150 ft.

  • Its two-seat EL2 test plane has flown since 2023, proving the very short take-off.
  • Reports about 2,200 pre-orders for the EL9.
  • Announced an $850M factory in Springfield, Ohio, in July 2026.

electra.aero (opens electra.aero)Company profile →

Founded
20206 yrs
Headquarters
United States
Status
Private
Valuation
private
Works in
AviationElectric & hydrogen planes
Coverage
1 program · 8 updateslatest 25d agochecked 25 Sep
People
John S. Langford (opens en.wikipedia.org)FounderMarc AllenCEO
Primer