Electra's EL-2 Electric Hybrid Aircraft Demonstrates Ultra-Short Takeoff at Henrico Drag Strip
Why It MattersThe demonstration signals growing FAA and state interest in ultra-short-takeoff aircraft that could open regional air travel to non-traditional sites like drag strips and small pads.
A yellow electric hybrid aircraft called the EL-2, developed by Virginia-based company Electra, landed at a drag strip in eastern Henrico County near Richmond International Airport to demonstrate ultra-short takeoff and landing technology. The EL-2 requires only 150 feet of runway to take off and land, compared with 1,000 to 2,000 feet for a similarly sized conventional plane and nearly a mile for a commercial aircraft, and is designed to fly in all weather conditions, including icing, while covering regional distances.
The Henrico stop was the second leg of a flight that began in Manassas and made an intermediate landing in Newport News, conducted under the FAA's integration pilot program, which is working through the regulatory process to allow aircraft like the EL-2 to operate commercially in Virginia. JP Stewart, Electra's senior vice president of product development, said the drag strip location was chosen deliberately to showcase the aircraft's ability to operate from non-traditional sites, adding that the technology could turn a three-plus-hour drive into a 30- to 40-minute flight.
Cari Tretina, executive director of Henrico's Economic Development Authority, said the demonstration highlighted potential future investments, noting that passengers could eventually depart from local drag strips to reach destinations such as Washington, D.C., or New York. Greg Campbell, director of the Virginia Department of Aviation, added that the state is also exploring uses for medical transport, including organs, medications, and blood.
