View source for Electra EL-2 Goldfinch

{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
|name= EL-2 Goldfinch
|image= File:Electra US20230063801A1 patent aircraft.png
|caption= Example aircraft from an Electra patent with a similar configuration
|alt=
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
|type= [[Hybrid electric aircraft]], [[STOL]]
|national origin=
|manufacturer= [[Electra.aero]]
|designer=
|first flight= November 11, 2023<ref>{{cite press release |url= https://www.electra.aero/news/worlds-first-hybrid-electric-estol-flight |date= November 20, 2023 |title= Electra Completes World's First Hybrid-Electric eSTOL Aircraft Flight |publisher= Electra}}</ref>
|introduced=
|status=
|primary user=
|produced=
|number built=
|developed from=
|variants with their own articles=
}}
|}
The '''Electra EL-2 Goldfinch''' is a technology demonstrator developed by American startup [[Electra.aero]]. The EL-2 is a [[hybrid electric aircraft]] with [[distributed propulsion]] for [[short takeoff and landing]] (STOL).
==Development==
Electra creator John Langford founded [[Aurora Flight Sciences]] in 1989, sold to Boeing in 2017.<ref name= AvWeek20may2024/>
The first test flight happened on November 11, 2023, all-electric powered, from [[Manassas Regional Airport]] in Virginia.<ref name= AvWeek21nov2023/>
On November 17, it flew again for 23 minutes, powered by its hybrid-electric drivetrain, reaching {{cvt|3,200|ft}}.<ref name= AvWeek21nov2023/>
Electra.aero wants to develop a nine passenger-aircraft (or {{cvt|2,500|lb}} of cargo) capable of operating from an area [[soccer field]]-sized with a {{cvt|150|ft}} ground roll, for a {{cvt|500|mi}} range. The company aims to fly a full-scale prototype in 2026, then a certification test aircraft targeted for a 2028 introduction.<ref name= AvWeek21nov2023>{{cite news |url= https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/advanced-air-mobility/electraaero-completes-first-flights-hybrid-estol-demonstrator |title=  Electra.aero Completes First Flights With Hybrid eSTOL Demonstrator |author= Ben Goldstein |date= November 21, 2023 |work= Aviation Week}}</ref>
By late April 2024, the demonstrator had flown for over 10 hours and had achieved {{cvt|150|ft}} landings and {{cvt|175|ft}} takeoffs.<ref name= AvWeek20may2024/>
Its longest flight exceeded 1.5 hrs, its highest altitude reached was {{cvt|6,500|ft}}, and its lowest speed achieved is {{cvt|25|kn|km/h}}.<ref name= AvWeek20may2024/>
Electra.aero envisions a 200-seat turboelectric airliner for 2040, for which it has submitted a proposal for the [[NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts|NASA Advanced Aircraft Concepts]] for [[Environmental Sustainability]].<ref name= AvWeek20may2024/>
Electra.aero uses a hybrid powertrain as lithium-ion batteries pack not enough energy, only 170 Wh/kg in the [[Pipistrel Velis Electro]] in 2020, approaching 235 Wh/kg at the pack level for 2025.<ref name= AvWeek20may2024/>
The [[Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy]] (ARPA-E) has launched the Propel-1K program to demonstrate a {{cvt|1,000|Wh/kg}} cell by mid-2025.<ref name= AvWeek20may2024/>
==Design==
The Goldfinch has a [[turbogenerator]] in the nose for hybrid propulsion and battery packs under the floor for all-electric operation.<ref name= AvWeek21nov2023/>
It has a two-person cockpit and a gross weight of {{cvt|3,100|lb}}.<ref name= AvWeek21nov2023/>
To take off at {{cvt|30-35|kn|km/h}}, it has a [[Blown flap|blown]]-lift wing, generating a pitching moment balanced by a large [[T-tail]].<ref name= AvWeek21nov2023/>
It has a modified [[Cessna 172]] wing, and its {{cvt|150|kW}} powertrain employs a helicopter [[auxiliary power unit]] while its battery packs handle peak power.<ref name= AvWeek20may2024>{{cite news |url= https://assets-global.website-files.com/663dbdc0a9d2236489a45ce8/6654bafc4fe4a97b149f810a_ELECTRA%202.pdf |title= Starting small, thinking big |date= May 16, 2024
|work= Aviation Week <!--online, paywalled: https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/advanced-air-mobility/electra-sees-estol-technologies-enabling-future-sustainable-->}}</ref>
==Specifications==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Aviation Week<ref name= AvWeek21nov2023/>
|prime units?=kts
<!--General characteristics-->
|crew=1-2
|capacity=
|length m=
|span m=
|height m=
|wing area sqm=
|empty weight kg=
|gross weight lb=3100
|fuel capacity= fuel + battery packs
<!--Powerplant-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=turbogenerator
|eng1 type=
|eng1 kw=150<ref>{{cite press release |url= https://www.electra.aero/news/td2-reveal |date= June 12, 2023 |title= Electra Unveils Full-Scale Technology Demonstrator Aircraft to Begin Flight Testing its Proprietary eSTOL Technology |publisher= Electra}}</ref>
|prop blade number=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
<!--Performance-->
|max speed kts=
|cruise speed kts=
|minimum control speed kts=25<ref name= AvWeek21nov2023/>
|range nmi=
|ceiling ft=
|climb rate ms=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
== See also ==
* [[NASA X-57 Maxwell]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
* [https://www.electra.aero/ electra.aero]
[[Category:STOL aircraft]]
[[Category:Hybrid electric aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 2023]]