EL-2 Goldfinch aircraft
Electra (USA) has announced the successful start of testing of an eSTOL-class hybrid-electric aircraft with a shortened takeoff of the EL-2 Goldfinch. The new car is a kind of "compromise" between conventional aircraft and the rapidly gaining popularity of eVTOL—type aircraft (with vertical takeoff and landing), which do not need a runway.
Externally, the nine-seat EL-2 Goldfinch is not much different from a small passenger aircraft. It has eight five-bladed rotors (four on each wing) powered by low-noise (only 75 dB) electric motors. The energy supplied for them by a powerful lithium battery is enough for takeoff, landing, a 45-minute flight at speeds up to 320 km/h and a range of up to 800 km. But how does it manage to cover 800 km on a single charge at a speed of only 320 km/h?
The EL-2 Goldfinch aircraft
The EL-2 Goldfinch aircraft
The fact is that an efficient hybrid system gives the EL-2 the opportunity to save fuel consumption by 40%. Electra's know-how is small wing supports that concentrate the air flow above their surface. Thanks to them, the aircraft has enough runway the size of a football field for takeoff and landing — 91 x 30 m. The company hopes to release the EL-2 Goldfinch to the market in four years.
Alexander Ageev
