Airflow, an aerial logistics company building next-generation aircraft, has announced the development of a full-scale piloted technology demonstrator of an electric Short Takeoff and Landing (eSTOL) aircraft.
For the last year, Airflow has been utilizing a sub-scale model for test flights that have helped develop eSTOL flight control technology. The next phase will transform a Cessna 210 into an eSTOL with Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP). DEP enables operations into and out of very short runways by providing more control at slower airspeeds. Airflow will validate and refine the design parameters used to build the production eSTOL aircraft.
“Selecting the Cessna 210 saves us the effort to design and build the pieces that already work, such as the cockpit, fuselage, landing gear, etc. We’ll concentrate on changing the rest to make it an eSTOL aircraft,” stated Peter Kalogiannis, co-founder and CTO.
This aircraft represents the first step towards bringing to market aircraft designed for sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.
