On July 7, 1981, pilot Steve Ptacek flew the Solar Challenger from France to England in 5 hours 23 minutes on nothing but sunlight - no fuel, no batteries, no stored energy of any kind.
TaildraggerThe Pipistrel Velis Electro became the world's first fully type-certified electric aircraft in June 2020, setting lasting regulatory precedent for electric aviation worldwide.
VectorElectra Aero is engineering a hybrid eSTOL aircraft using blown lift technology targeting 150-foot ground rolls, with a credible path to restoring air service to thousands of underserved communities.
VectorNASA's X-57 Maxwell validated the core aerodynamics of distributed electric propulsion while revealing the systems integration challenges that will define the next decade of electric aircraft development.
VectorWisk Aero's Gen Six is the only near-term commercial eVTOL designed with no pilot seat - and its FAA certification path is rewriting aviation safety standards from scratch.
VectorLilium's 2024 bankruptcy didn't end its ducted-fan eVTOL program - a rapid asset acquisition revived the company, raising critical questions about where electric aviation is headed.
VectorElectra.aero's blown-lift EL-9 aims to carry nine passengers on 500-mile trips while landing in under 300 feet using distributed electric propellers over the wing.
VectorElectra's hybrid-electric EL9 uses blown lift to take off in 150 feet - here's the physics and why it could reshape regional flight.
VectorWhisper Aero is attacking aircraft noise by shifting it above human hearing - here's the physics, the business, and why it matters for pilots.
VectorHeart Aerospace scrapped its all-electric ES-19 and pivoted to the hybrid-electric ES-30, a pragmatic bet on physics over hype.
VectorElectra Aero's hybrid-electric blown-lift aircraft could revolutionize regional aviation by operating from runways under 150 feet.
VectorSolid-state batteries must reach 500+ Wh/kg to make regional electric aviation viable, but manufacturing breakthroughs are still years away.
VectorLilium bet everything on 36 ducted electric jets, went bankrupt, and is now attempting a comeback under new ownership.
VectorThe Pivotal Helix is a $190,000 electric VTOL aircraft you can fly without a pilot's license under FAA Part 103 ultralight rules.
VectorSupernal, Hyundai Motor Group's eVTOL subsidiary, is building the SA-2 air taxi with deep industrial advantages most aviation observers are overlooking.
VectorLilium resumes powered flight testing in Munich after its 2024 insolvency, re-entering Europe's eVTOL race with a unique ducted-fan design.
VectorEviation's Alice became the first all-electric commuter aircraft to fly in 2022, but certification and battery limits define its path forward.
VectorVertical Aerospace's piloted VX4 transition flights tackle the hardest phase of eVTOL engineering and could shape certification standards for decades.
VectorRegent Craft's Viceroy seaglider bypasses FAA certification by flying in ground effect under Coast Guard jurisdiction.
VectorWisk Aero, a Boeing subsidiary, is building a fully autonomous electric air taxi with no pilot seat - and working with the FAA to certify it.
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