USAF Accelerates Flight Testing of Unique Single-Seat Hexa eVTOL

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Austin, Texas-based Lift Aircraft with a new contract to continue developing its unique, single-seat, ultralight, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft called Hexa.

Thom Patterson

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 11:56 AM ET

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Texas-based Lift Aircraft’s Hexa eVTOL weighs 432 pounds and includes a halo of 18 proprotors. [Courtesy: Lift Aircraft]

Key Takeaways:

Lift Aircraft received a new U.S. Air Force contract to continue developing its Hexa eVTOL aircraft for both military and civil applications, including emergency response and base logistics.
The Hexa is a unique single-seat, ultralight, amphibious electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to eventually fly without requiring a pilot's license under FAA Part 103.
Initial testing under this new contract will take place at Eglin Air Force Base as part of the Air Force's Agility Prime initiative, aiming to accelerate the aircraft's fielding for government use.

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The U.S. Air Force has awarded Austin, Texas-based Lift Aircraft a new contract to continue developing its unique, single-seat, ultralight, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft called Hexa.

Hexa has been performing crewed test flights of full-sized prototypes since 2018 and the aircraft has been under Air Force contract since 2020. After Hexa receives FAA approval, Lift Aircraft says its 18-proprotor, amphibious eVTOL won’t require a pilot’s certificate to fly, under the FAA’s powered ultralight classification in FAR Part 103.