Electra taps Atlas to build pre-production EL9 airframes

Electra has chosen US aerospace manufacturer Atlas to produce the first pre-production airframes for its EL9 Ultra Short aircraft, a nine-passenger design engineered to take off and land from runways as short as 45 metres (150 feet) thanks to its blown-wing aerodynamic configuration.

Under the agreement, Atlas will manufacture and assemble the EL9 airframes that will support Electra’s flight-test and certification programme. Work is set to start later in September at Atlas’s facilities, with first deliveries targeted for 2027.

Beyond supplying the flight-test fleet, Atlas is expected to play a role in maturing the production process itself — a move aimed at reducing industrial risk and ensuring manufacturing can be scaled up once the aircraft is certified.

Electra plans to build the EL9 at a new facility in Springfield, Ohio, which is intended to eventually support annual output of 800 aircraft. The company is targeting entry into service in 2030.

Hybrid-electric propulsion

The EL9’s propulsion architecture combines a Safran Helicopter Engines TG600 turbogenerator with eight electric motors supplied by Evolito, part of a broader industry trend toward hybrid-electric powertrains for short-field, low-emission regional aircraft.

The partnership reflects a common structure among emerging advanced air-mobility developers: outsourcing early airframe production to established manufacturers while certification work proceeds, deferring large-scale in-house production until the design is proven.

What to watch

• Start of airframe manufacturing at Atlas’s facilities later this month, as scheduled
• First airframe deliveries to Electra, targeted for 2027
• Progress of the EL9 flight-test and certification programme
• Development timeline for Electra’s Springfield, Ohio production facility
• Targeted service entry in 2030

Source: original release