To his frustration, a general lack of familiarity with seaplanes seemingly holds back some investors who “don’t really get” the project, Lithun says. Once, describing Noemi’s amphibious capabilities to a potential investor, he was asked why Elfly didn’t “just develop a normal plane”.
Lack of major outside investment will likely delay assembly of the first full-scale Noemi prototype, however. The aircraft will not be completed in 2026 – Elfly’s previously stated goal – as it takes a more conservative approach than anticipated. The concept is not yet ready for a “critical design review”, Lithun says.
Bergen-headquartered Elfy is building its third-generation drone – a 20% scale model of Noemi – intended to demonstrate the aircraft’s flight characteristics without the high cost of developing a full-scale prototype.
