Electra announced Monday that its hybrid-electric EL2 aircraft successfully took off and landed at Downtown Skyport in Lower Manhattan. According to the company, the demonstration represented what is believed to be the first time a fixed-wing aircraft without vertical takeoff capability has landed at the heliport. The flight was part of Electra’s ongoing testing program to evaluate operations from sites that lack conventional runways.
Demonstrating Ultra-Short Operations
Electra’s aircraft uses distributed electric propulsion and blown-lift technology to generate additional lift at low speeds. The company says the design allows takeoffs and landings in as little as 150 feet, potentially enabling operations from existing heliports, parking lots and other small areas.
“Today we made aviation history in downtown Manhattan by landing a fixed-wing aircraft on a heliport,” Electra CEO Marc Allen said. “This same capability will fundamentally transform how people travel in our nation by making it faster and easier to get them to their destinations.”
Building Toward Commercial Operations
The Manhattan flight follows previous demonstrations in Charleston, South Carolina, and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Electra also recently tested helicopter-style instrument procedures and operations from unconventional landing areas at several Virginia airports. Those flights were conducted in coordination with the FAA’s advanced air mobility integration pilot program (eIPP) and other partners.
Electra is using its two-seat EL2 demonstrator to support development of a planned nine-passenger EL9 aircraft. The company says it envisions a regional transportation network that can connect cities through smaller aviation facilities rather than relying exclusively on conventional airports. The EL9 is still under development and is progressing through the FAA certification process. Electra plans to continue flight demonstrations as it works toward production and commercial service.
Just in time now that some tight ass local NIMBY wants to ban floatplane operations from there.
Nimby proponents are homeowners, apartment and condos living near air traffic in changing NYC sky lines. Having lived in Queens, a Long Island borough (of five making up NYC), I grew up with air traffic noise when I had to use my remote to raise and lower tv volume… every two minutes. Then jet engine technology changed to high bypass fans lowering noise levels dramatically and increasing power for higher ascent rates to lower overall noise levels in a metropolitan area bordered by KLGA, KJFK and KEWR. One NYC mayor was a tennis fan and couldn’t enjoy the US Tennis Open because of air traffic above the Open and had some leverage to alter flight paths. With high bypass jet engines, that became moot. I can park at Home Depot and see commercial flights coming into KLGA final at around 20-25 stories low with low noise levels in a normal outdoor conversation. Take offs over the same parking lot is higher and a bit noisier but still much improved after jet engine technology changed.
Tourist and private chartered helicopters filled the sky along the Hudson River air route to land/takeoff on one of several heliports around Manhattan. Crashes over the years from helicopter traffic is now restricted with legislation on the books to ban non essential rotary traffic. My exercise walks in a waterfront park east of KLGA in Bayside, NY; quiet walks while seeing the conga line of KLGA air traffic mixed with helicopters coming and going thru KLGA. Now less helicopter traffic. A few news and police helicopters when they fly by this area.
So no link to an actual video of the event. Keep up the great work AvWeb AI robots!