Elixir Aircraft Elixir

The Elixir Aircraft Elixir is a 2010s French two-seat light aircraft designed and built by Elixir Aircraft.^[1] The aircraft is certified CS-23 by the European Aviation Safety Agency^[2] and is being certified FAA FAR 23.^[3]

The aircraft was announced at the Paris Air Show 2015 in the form of 2 models.^[4] The prototype was publicly unveiled during the 2017 edition of the airshow.^[5]

The Elixir did its first flight on 31 August 2017 and has been certified CS-23 since 20 March 2020.^[2] The airplane received FAA Part 23 certification during EAA AirVenture ("Oshkosh") 2025.^[6]

The development of the aircraft began in 2015. The Elixir first flew on 31 August 2017 from La Rochelle Airport.^[7] The aircraft flew for about 40 minutes at around 5000 feet.

Starting from March 2018, another campaign of flight tests took place, with new objectives and another test pilot.^[8]

The Elixir is a two-seat cantilever low-wing monoplane made of carbon fiber. It has a T-tail and a fixed tricycle landing gear and side-by-side seating in an enclosed cabin.

The Elixir is powered by a nose-mounted Rotax 912iSc 3 Sport engine with a three-bladed MT-Propeller tractor propeller. The aircraft has a Ballistic parachute for emergency use.

The initial aircraft production is at Périgny, next to La Rochelle. It is intended to move production to a new factory at La Rochelle airport^[9]

• 100hp - fitted with a Rotax 912iS, target market is flight schools and entered service in 2020. This variant is CS-23 and FAA Part 23 certified.
• 140hp - Fitted with a Rotax 915iS, target market is for travel and private pilots. This variant is still going through the certification process.

There are also different options for the aircraft on delivery which include various flightdeck configurations with screens and instruments. Due to only featuring GPS navigation services the aircraft is only certified for VFR operations.

The target market for the aircraft is flight schools and private pilots as a solution to aging school fleets such as the Cessna 152. With a glass cockpit design and cheaper economical operations the aircraft has seen some success with over sixty aircraft being built so far. The most successful variant is the 4th generation which is the newest variant as of 2025. Some notable operators include:

• Egnatia Aviation^[10] , (6)
• Leading Edge Aviation^[11], (5)
• Airbus Flight Academy Europe^[12], (4)

Several operators are awaiting delivery of new aircraft and many small flying clubs operate just one or two aircraft. The orderbook as of December 2025 is in excess of 300 aircraft.

The Elixir has had a few notable incidents resulting in four hull losses; all during the landing phase of flight, the events have resulted in injuries however no fatalities.

• 14th February 2024 - F-HKEC^[15], The aircraft departed for a test flight out of La Rochelle (LFBH), the crew declared a Pan Pan on approach to runway due to the elevator disconnecting from the control column. The aircraft was landed with trim and throttle however suffered a hard landing resulting in the nose gear collapsing and the aircraft coming to a rest off the side of the runway.
• 7th March 2025 - F-HOLT^[16], The aircraft was performing touch and go's at night at Le Mans-Arnage (LFRM) on runway 20 when the aircraft veered away from the centreline. The pilot re-established the centreline before veering off the runway and causing substantial damage to the aircraft.
• 2nd May 2025 - F-HCDN^[17], during the departure from Amboise-Dierre airport (LFEF) a warning light appeared on the flightdeck and a precautionary landing was made on runway 10. During the landing the aircraft bounced, veered off the runway and overturned.
• 2nd September 2025 - G-RLXB^[18], during landing at Fife airport (EGPJ) the pilot lost directional control of the aircraft, the aircraft veered off the runway and onto grass where the nose wheel detached from the aircraft before it came to a complete stop and suffered damage to the propeller and leading edge of the wings.

• company website