Electra, a hybrid fixed-wing aircraft company that grew out of an MIT class project, has announced an $850 million investment to build a manufacturing facility in Springfield and Clark County, Ohio, creating nearly 2,000 jobs. The nine-passenger aircraft uses a gas generator paired with batteries and eight wing-mounted motors to achieve ultra-short takeoff and landing, needing only a soccer-field-sized area instead of a runway. It has a range of about 1,200 miles and cruises at roughly 200 mph, aiming to serve trips between 50 and 250 miles that are underserved by existing air and ground transport. The company already built and flew a two-seat prototype (EL2) with over 200 test flights since 2023, and construction of the 96-acre Ohio facility begins next year, initially producing 400 aircraft annually before scaling to 800.
