A tethered hover is the first flight of a new UK-developed aircraft in over 20 years, according to Vertical Aerospace
A full-scale demonstrator model was flown by Vertical Aerospace last weekend. With a pilot aboard, the VX4 eVTOL briefly took off over the ground. The tethered flight is the first British company to start flight tests on a new aircraft in over 20 years, according to the company.
It is expected that the flight-testing program will continue for several years. Flying at higher altitudes and transitioning from vertical to forward flight will be part of the process. Vertical plans to have the aircraft certified by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the EU’s EASA by 2025. CAA granted Vertical a “Permit to Fly” in July.
“Controlling the VX4 for the first time was an honor and a proud moment for us all,” said Justin Paines, Vertical Aerospace’s chief pilot.
According to Vertical CEO Stephen Fitzpatrick, the team plans to fly the aircraft by the end of the year. In December 2021, the company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Fitzpatrick entered the electric aircraft race in 2016 after a four-hour commute to a Formula 1 race in Sao Paolo. He said we had to drive nearly ten miles to get out of traffic. In a city like this, where helicopters are plentiful, it would be nice to have aircraft that are quiet and clean. In addition to lightweight carbon fiber, hybrid engines, and composite materials, Fitzpatrick says his racing team had everything they needed to build airplanes. In my mind, it was just a matter of commercializing our existing technology.
With a range of 100 miles, Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 can cruise at 150 mph and reach a top speed of 200 mph. Though it does not resemble a Formula 1 car, Fitzpatrick thinks it is the most attractive eVTOL on the market. In the race to certification, Joby Aviation, Archer, and Lilium have all tested their eVTOLs with more extensive flights.
According to Fitzpatrick, these aircraft have huge market potential. Even being the first to move doesn’t seem like an advantage to me.”
Fitzpatrick believes that being the first to move is not even an advantage. Vertical Aerospace has partnered with Honeywell and Rolls-Royce to develop the VX. It’s not like we’re reinventing aviation, but we’re following established standards and choosing the lowest-risk certification path.”
American recently committed to a pre-payment for its first 50 deliveries of the VX4. They have already received over 1,400 conditional pre-orders from VirgIt’s not even clear to me that being the first to move is an advantage. “An advantage.” We will continue the testing protocol.
