Electra’s Ultra Short: Pioneering Direct Aviation – The Future of Clean, Quiet, and Convenient Air Travel
The aviation industry is at the cusp of a new era of innovation. Rapid advances in electric propulsion, lightweight materials, and precision fly-by-wire systems are opening up unprecedented opportunities to reimagine how aircraft operate, reducing environmental impact while enhancing efficiency and accessibility. At Electra, we are harnessing these advancements to define the next level of connectivity: Direct Aviation. Our Ultra Short aircraft bring air travel closer to where you live, work and play. They are quieter, cleaner and don’t need a traditional airport. By redefining where aircraft can operate, we are transforming how people and goods move.
A New Category of Air Travel: Direct Aviation
Direct Aviation makes the conveniences of General Aviation and Private Jet travel broadly accessible for the first time. Unlike traditional aircraft that require long runways, Electra’s Ultra Short can go directly to where you are. Imagine taking off and landing in as little as 45 meters (150 feet) – from a barge, business park, or converted parking lot – and traveling straight to your final destination. Whether it’s a quick hop to a nearby city, a rural commute, or delivering essential goods to remote locations, Electra’s Ultra Short makes these connections possible with minimal infrastructure.
Affordably Quiet, Clean, and Closer
Noise and space requirements have long kept aviation away from populated areas, pushing airports farther from city centers and local transport networks. This has added significant time and inconvenience to air travel. Electra’s hybrid-electric propulsion technology was designed to tackle this issue head-on, offering quiet takeoffs and landings that support integrating Ultra Short operations into communities, co-located with local transport hubs that facilitate last-mile transport.
Unlike helicopters or eVTOLs, Electra’s Ultra Short flies on the wing from takeoff to landing, making the aircraft substantially lighter and simpler than its vertical lift peers. As a result, Ultra Short flights cost two-thirds less to operate per passenger-mile, ensuring that this form of air travel is accessible to a wide share of people.
Technology Validated in Flight
Our prototype Ultra Short two-seat aircraft has been flying for nearly a year, successfully hitting its test marks. The key to the Ultra Short’s extremely short takeoffs and landings lies in the intersection of our proprietary blown-lift aerodynamic designs and newly arrived distributed electric propulsion technology. Blown-lift technology, first explored in the 60s, couldn’t reach its full potential with traditional engines. Electra’s proprietary implementation, where eight distributed electric propulsors channel airflow over the wing, shrinks takeoff and landing distances to as little as three vehicle lengths at speeds as slow as 50-60 km/h.
Our successful year of piloted test flight of our two-seat prototype has validated our designs and paved the way for the build and certification of our initial product aircraft.
Unlocking New Opportunities for Airlines and Regional Mobility Providers
The initial family member of our Ultra Short aircraft accommodates nine passengers and flies up to 800 kilometers (500 miles). With the ability to take off and land in spaces the size of a soccer field, the Ultra Short opens new markets and routes previously out of reach – whether to develop new mobility concepts, create routes that bypass congested airports, or provide services to remote communities.
To date, Electra has received pre-orders for more than 2,000 aircraft from over 50 customers, including regional air mobility innovators JSX and Surf Air, who are revolutionizing regional travel by offering faster, more flexible, and sustainable flight options.
Further, Electra is partnering with world leaders in aircraft systems to bring the Ultra Short to market. Safran, a major supplier of turboshaft and turbofan engines used in helicopters and commercial aircraft, provides the advanced turbogenerator, core to our hybrid-electric propulsion system. Honeywell, a trusted partner equipping business jets and transport aircraft today, supplies the fly-by-wire system. By combining Electra’s proprietary innovations with these proven systems, we ensure our Ultra Short delivers the highest levels of safety and performance to our customers.
Our initial certified 9-passenger product is designed for single-pilot operations and is ready to be upgraded with additional autonomy features as the technology matures. Right from the start, Electra’s Safe Single Pilot (SSP) feature set brings the safety of fly-by-wire systems found today principally in large transport aircraft to the small aircraft class for the first time.
A New Frontier in Defense Applications
Electra’s blown-lift and hybrid-electric technology is also attracting attention from the defense sector. Our Ultra Short development is co-funded by the US Air Force, Army, and Navy, underscoring its strategic value for defense applications. The Ultra Short supports resilient logistics in contested environments, reduces the burden on fuel logistics, and provides flexible cargo transport capabilities – all at a much lower cost than helicopters or traditional tilt-wing aircraft. Its ability to take off and land in confined spaces with minimal noise and fuel burn makes it ideal for military operations where infrastructure is limited.
The Future of Direct Aviation
At Electra, we are excited about a future where air travel is closer to where we live, work, and play. By combining hybrid-electric propulsion, precision flight controls, and proprietary blown-lift technology, Electra’s Ultra Short can go where no other airplane can today, creating new opportunities for connectivity that are more affordable, safer, cleaner, and quieter. With the backing of industry leaders, including Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, and Statkraft, Electra is well-positioned to bring this aircraft to market quickly and effectively.
The future of Direct Aviation is here, and we look forward to shaping it together.