Anyone astonished at the brilliant short-field performance of the Electra Aero Goldfinch from a paved runway a few weeks ago will be equally surprised at its agility from a grass runway. This eSTOL (electric Short Take Off and Landing) airplane seems to perform well even from unimproved runways. In its own press release, the company reports on the small craft’s ability to take off and land on “austere fields smaller than 300 feet that are minimally prepared.” Citing its work with “Agile Combat Employment and expeditionary missions” for the military, explains the economy of such craft. “Small, affordable, runway-independent eSTOL aircraft could also alleviate demand on larger, few-in-number, high performance fixed wing and rotorcraft platforms in a contested logistics environment.” That’s a 32-degree angle of climb, by the way, according to the AOPA Pilot report. More Usable Runways Aircraft like the Goldfinch and its larger commuter liner coming from Electra would open up otherwise unusable “airports” which might be nothing …
