USAF Flight Tests LIFT's Hexa eVTOL

USAF Flight Tests LIFT’s Hexa eVTOL

Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 04:19 PM 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:

The U.S. Air Force completed another remote flight test of LIFT's ultralight Hexa eVTOL aircraft at Duke Field, Florida, as a step towards integrating unmanned aircraft into military airfield operations.
The Hexa eVTOL, weighing less than 500 pounds, features 18 motors, is designed for resilient flight (safe landing with multiple motor failures), amphibious capabilities, and includes an autonomous ballistic parachute.
This testing is part of an experimentation contract to develop the Hexa for the military, aiming to provide cost-effective air mobility that could eventually enable service members to become pilots with minimal training.
LIFT intends for the Hexa to receive FAA ultralight classification, meaning no pilot's certificate would be required, and it has already secured initial military airworthiness approval.

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The U.S. Air Force has completed another flight test of an ultralight, electronic vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Florida in what the service says is a first step toward incorporating the unmanned aircraft into operations at a military airfield.

The 10-minute flight of LIFT’s Hexa eVTOL occurred recently at Duke Field (KEGI), an auxiliary field for Eglin Air Force Base. Utilizing 18 motors and propellers, the unmanned aircraft was piloted remotely to a height of about 50 feet.