Chris Courtin is Director of Technology Development at Electra. Chris earned a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where his research focused on how distributed electric propulsion enables the development of super-short takeoff and landing aircraft. His specific focus was on blown lift aerodynamics, vehicle configuration and flight controls. Prior to Electra and MIT, Chris was a research engineer at Aurora Flight Sciences. Chris was selected as a Class of 2026 Associate Fellow by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the world’s largest aerospace technical society.