Safran Turbogenerator to Power EL9 Hybrid-Electric STOL Aircraft

Electra's Ultra Short electric aircraft will employ a range-extending powerplant to support hybrid-powered flight of 500+ miles.

Lee Goldberg

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Electronic Design

Nov. 2, 2026

2 min read

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What you'll learn:

Electra Aerospace’s EL9 8-passenger electric commuter aircraft can operate out of fields as short as 150 feet and support all-electric flights of 100 miles or more.
The addition of Safran’s range-extending turbogenerator enables it to support fuel-efficient flights of 500 miles or more.
A prototype has conducted many successful test flights, and the first flight of the production version of the EL9 is anticipated for late 2027.

Electra EL9 Ultra Short 9-passenger aircraft — 1. Electra’s EL9 Ultra Short 9-passenger aircraft.

Electra and Safran Helicopter Engines announced a life-of-program production agreement for the TG600 turbogenerator. It will power Electra’s EL9 Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing (uSTOL) aircraft, which is designed to use hybrid-electric propulsion and blown-lift technology.

Together, they enable the EL9 to take off and land in just 150 feet, unlocking operations from places that have never supported commercial air service before, many being much closer to where people live, work, and play (Fig. 1, see image above).

The TG600 turbogenerator, which will supply 600 kW of electricity, will be developed based on Safran Helicopter Engines’ Arrano engine that offers 18% reduction in fuel consumption over the previous generation of engines. It will be equipped with two GENeUS electric generators supplied by Safran Electrical & Power. Following its successful bench test earlier this year, at its site in Bordes, the first turbogenerator will be flight-ready for the initial flight tests of the EL9 (Fig. 2).

The agreement marks a significant milestone in the development and certification of Electra's EL9 Ultra Short, with entry to service expected in 2030. Under the agreement, the TG600 turbogenerator will become the heart of the EL9 Ultra Short’s hybrid-electric propulsion system. The agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed in 2023 and includes an initial order for 250 TG600 turbogenerators, allowing for production to scale with demand for the EL9.

Electra has submitted the EL9 Ultra Short aircraft to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Part 23 type certification and anticipates a first flight scheduled for late 2027 or early 2028.

About the Author

Lee Goldberg

Contributing Editor

Lee is the author of the popular PowerBites series.

Lee Goldberg is a self-identified “Recovering Engineer,” Maker/Hacker, Green-Tech Maven, Aviator, Gadfly, and Geek Dad. He spent the first 18 years of his career helping design microprocessors, embedded systems, renewable energy applications, and the occasional interplanetary spacecraft. After trading his ‘scope and soldering iron for a keyboard and a second career as a tech journalist, he’s spent the next two decades at several print and online engineering publications.

Lee’s current focus is power electronics, especially the technologies involved with energy efficiency, energy management, and renewable energy. This dovetails with his coverage of sustainable technologies and various environmental and social issues within the engineering community that he began in 1996. Lee also covers 3D printers, open-source hardware, and other Maker/Hacker technologies.

Lee holds a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from Thomas Edison College, and participated in a colloquium on technology, society, and the environment at Goddard College’s Institute for Social Ecology. His book, “Green Electronics/Green Bottom Line - A Commonsense Guide To Environmentally Responsible Engineering and Management,” was published by Newnes Press.

Lee, his wife Catherine, and his daughter Anwyn currently reside in the outskirts of Princeton N.J., where they masquerade as a typical suburban family.