Aircraft
Electra Says EL9 Wind Tunnel Tests Confirm UltraShort Performance
Tests involved a 20% scale model of the nine-passenger commuter and utility aircraft
EL9 scale model in MIT wind tunnel
Electra has tested a 20% scale model of its EL9 UltraShort aircraft in a wind tunnel to confirm that the blown wing design will deliver the high lift needed to operate from spaces around the size of a soccer field. © Electra Aero

Electra Aero this week reported that wind tunnel tests with a model of its EL9 Ultra Short hybrid-electric aircraft have confirmed that its blown wing design can generate the lift needed to takeoff and land in just 150 feet. The 20% scale model of the nine-seater was tested in the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

According to Electra’s engineering team, the tests demonstrated lift coefficients greater than 20, which the company said is around seven times higher than the 2.5 and 3 coefficients for aircraft with conventional wings. The blown lift technology is expected to increase the EL9 wing’s lift capability at low speeds to enable flight from spaces of around the size of a soccer field, supporting new regional air services that would not be dependent on access to current commercial airports.