FROM THE INSTITUTE
Electric aviation may have proven it can fly, but whether it can scale is now the central question, according to industry and government experts at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026. The session explored how more electric and hybrid‑electric aircraft can transition from high‑profile demonstrations to routine service in regional markets.
Tag: Electric Aviation
Wisk Aero Conducts First Flight of Second Generation 6 eVTOL Prototype
Video
Wisk Aero’s Generation 6 aircraft
Wisk Aero | YouTube
Wisk Completes First Gen 6 eVTOL Air Taxi Flight
Video
Wisk Aero’s Generation 6 aircraft
Wisk Aero | YouTube
Students Tasked with Studying One of Electric Aviation’s Biggest Challenges
Flying Magazine reports, “Over the next three years, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will send cohorts of students to Brazil to study one of the most pressing challenges facing electric aircraft: thermal management. The university on Friday announced a collaboration with Brazil’s Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA) that will send students on 8- to 10-week trips in pursuit of strategies to keep electric aircraft batteries cool.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Beta’s All-electric Alia Aircraft Performs Intercity Test Flight in Norway for First Time
Aerospace Testing International reports, “Beta’s Alia electric aircraft flew a route between Stavanger and Bergen in Norway for the first time last week – the start of several months of flight tests looking to build knowledge about operating battery-electric aircraft before they are commercialised.” The three-phase flight campaign is expected to run until January 2026.
Full Story (Aerospace Testing International)
Archer Performs Longest Piloted Flight of its Midnight Aircraft
Electrive reports, “Archer Aviation, the California-based electric aircraft company, has just announced the longest piloted flight of its Midnight aircraft. The Midnight flew 55 miles (88km) in 31 minutes at >126mph (202.8km/h). On this test flight, the fully electric Midnight used a conventional takeoff and landing method; however, the aircraft itself is also capable of vertical takeoff and landing, thanks to articulated rotors which can serve either purpose depending on need.”
Full Story (Electrive)
Army Partners with Electra.aero for Electric Aircraft Testing
Flying Magazine reports, “The Army on Thursday awarded a $1.9 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to Electra.aero, the manufacturer of a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) design, to perform powered wind tunnel testing. The manufacturer’s flagship, hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft requires only the space of a soccer field to launch and touch down.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Wilbur Air to Partner with Electra for 100 Aircraft
FlightGlobal reports, “Newly launched Australian start-up Wilbur Air has ambitious plans for electric aviation operations on the continent using an envisioned system of “mini-airports.” The fledgling operator is a subsidiary of Australian air taxi infrastructure developer Skyportz. Wilbur Air’s first publicly disclosed partner is Virginia-based Electra.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal – Subscription Publication)
FAA Proposes Regulation Changes Clearing Runway for Electric Aviation
Aviation Week reports that the FAA “is proposing changes to the regulations for light-sport aircraft (LSA) that would allow electric propulsion systems and simplified flight controls, in a move intended to increase their suitability for flight training and personal flying.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
