Advanced Air Mobility Modern Flying News

Vertical Completes First Phase of Testing With New Air Taxi Prototype

U.K. manufacturer took a prototype of its flagship VX4 through ground testing and multiple crewed tethered flights at Cotswold Airport.

Friday, September 13, 2024 at 01:17 PM ET

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Vertical Aerospace conducts piloted flights of its VX4 air taxi while the aircraft is tethered to the ground. [Courtesy: Vertical Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Vertical Aerospace successfully completed the first phase of crewed, tethered hover flight testing for its VX4 eVTOL prototype, validating key safety systems and performance.
The current VX4 prototype is progressing rapidly, achieving testing milestones three times faster than its predecessor, which had a previous crash during uncrewed tests.
The company plans to move to untethered thrustborne flights, followed by conventional and full transition flights, aiming for type certification by 2026.
Vertical Aerospace holds a substantial order backlog of approximately 1,500 VX4 aircraft, valued at $6 billion, from major airlines including American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

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U.K.-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Vertical Aerospace on Thursday said it wrapped up the first of four phases of crewed testing with a prototype of its flagship VX4, a piloted design for up to four passengers.

At the company’s flight test center at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in England, Vertical pilots took the prototype through 70 individual test points, culminating in multiple hover flights of the aircraft while it was tethered to the ground.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.