Industry news digest · eVTOL Insights
Electra Defense has been awarded a $4.7 million contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to conduct ground and flight testing of its hybrid-electric EL9 aircraft. The program aims to assess propulsion system functionality, aircraft performance, and operational potential for military missions including distributed logistics and Agile Combat Employment
Testing will verify key power and propulsion technologies and include acoustic flight tests to evaluate battery-only low-noise operations relevant to special missions. The data generated will inform the Air Force’s evaluation of hybrid-electric Ultra-STOL aircraft capabilities
Source: eVTOL Insights
GE Aerospace and BETA Technologies completed a hybrid-electric assisted takeoff demonstration using a modified Saab 340B aircraft. The test involved one side powered by a conventional gas turbine and the other by a hybrid-electric system combining a modified gas engine, electric motors, and batteries to provide additional thrust during takeoff
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eVTOL Insights announced the judging panel for its 2027 Global Advanced Air Mobility Awards, featuring previous winners reviewing entries across more than 30 categories. The awards ceremony will take place in Scottsdale, Arizona, following the Advanced Air Mobility conference in April 2027
Read storySri Lanka’s Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation announced plans to commence the country’s first commercial electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) operations led by Chinese company EHang within the next two to three months, pending successful initial flight trials scheduled for November 11, 2026. The pilot project will initially focus on aerial tourism services in Colombo, with intentions to expand to other tourist destinations such as Sigiriya and Jaffna
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