Vertical Aerospace To Begin Crewed, Thrust-borne Test Flights

Vertical Aerospace said it will begin conducting crewed thrust-borne test flights of its full-scale VX4 prototype, part of an effort to validate and refine the design of the four-passenger electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxi.

Bristol, UK-based Vertical recently concluded a series of uncrewed, free flights with its first full-scale prototype, untethered for the first time and powered by the company’s proprietary battery packs. 

Over the course of the flight campaign, which ran from June through August, the prototype VX4 performed 18 takeoffs and landings, reached its target thrust-borne speed of 40 kt., and “generally exceeded” the company’s performance targets across a range of hover and low-speed flights by 10-30%, according to a shareholder letter published Aug. 3.

“These recent tests mark a major step forward in understanding the capabilities and performance characteristics of our eVTOL,” the company said in its shareholder letter. “Whilst our simulations have proved incredibly useful, we have now positively validated how the VX4 behaves across a number of conditions, as well as its low noise levels in line with our expectations.” 

With the remote full-scale test flights now complete, Vertical will proceed next to piloted flights with its VX4 prototype in the coming months. By completing the untethered test flights with a pilot onboard, the focus will shift to increased safety assurance for crewed operations, evaluation of handling qualities and human factors, and assessment for passenger comfort in future commercial operations, Vertical said.

Learnings and data from the remote and crewed thrust-borne test flights will feed into development of the second full-scale prototype, which is expected to begin following the conclusion of the piloted test campaign. The second aircraft will include upgrades from the first version’s design, including increased range and higher performance, particularly in hover, the company said. 

The VX4 is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers or a 450 kg (992 lb.) payload up to 100 mi. (161 km) at a cruising speed of 150 mph (241 km). 

Vertical finished the second quarter with  £90 million ($114.3 million) in cash and cash equivalents, a small fraction of the cash balance enjoyed by better-capitalized eVTOL startups like Archer and Joby Aviation. The company estimates its funding needs over the next 12 months to be roughly £80 million, and said it plans to raise additional capital later this year to support continued development of its aircraft.

In terms of certification progress, Vertical has submitted its draft G-1 certification basis to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), but the regulator has yet to approve the document. The CAA issued a Design Organization Approval (DOA) to the company in late March, which paved the way for the remote test flights in June.

Vertical realized a £36 million net operating loss during the first six months of 2023, down slightly from a £39.5 million loss in the first half of 2022.

The company ranked 12th in the latest issue of the AAM Reality Index, published in June by SMG Consulting, with a score of 5.7 out of 10.