Too Similar Not to Have Joined Forces The PRNewswire.com press release lauds the acquisition of Airflow.aero by Electra.aero: “Hybrid-Electric Blown-Lift eSTOL Plane Developer Electra Acquires Airflow to Create a Leader in Advanced Air Mobility.” The two companies have been developing similar multi-motor, blown-lift aircraft for the past few years. Electra’s has eight motors distributed across its wingspan, Airflow’s has 10. They both use large multi-element flaps to divert propeller thrust downwards, enabling extremely short takeoffs and landings. A Great Idea, but Better with Electric Power This is not a new concept, having been demonstrated in the 1960s by French manufacturer Breguet and American McDonnell. The 188 was a demonstrator that didn’t pick up any orders in either country. The narrator explains propeller control was a mechanical-hydraulic process and no electronics were involved. The complex system might have been a maintenance challenge airlines were unwilling to take on. Electra.aero’s hybrid-electric approach might be the answer to simpler, reliable propulsion, essential for …