UK air-taxi startup’s prototype takes maiden flight

VERTICAL Aerospace’s prototype electric air taxi lifted off for the first time last weekend, and the company reiterated it was confident that the aircraft will be certified by 2025. 

The VX4 electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL, vehicle rose in a so-called tethered hover test, in which the aircraft was still attached to the ground for safety, while its 8 propellers pushed it upward, Vertical Aerospace said in a statement. 

Vertical, which is based in Bristol in England, is conducting its tests with pilots at the controls, which the company says will show it can meet stringent safety norms. The next stages, to take place over several months, will involve higher altitudes and speeds as well as the transition from vertical to horizontal flight, said the statement. 

The test of the piloted prototype marked the first for a new aircraft made by a UK manufacturer in more than 20 years, the company said.  

A number of eVTOL startups, including Joby Aviation Inc., Archer Aviation Inc, Germany’s Lilium and Brazil’s Eve, have promised battery-electric powered shuttles that could help curb carbon emissions, but the technology must first win certification from regulatory authorities and prove commercially viable. 

Vertical has racked up more than 1,400 pre-orders for the VX4, including from American Airlines Group Inc and Virgin Atlantic Airways, but now needs to scale up the programme. The company says the vehicle will carry a pilot and 4 passengers with a range of up to 160 km and the ability to cruise at 240 kmh. BLOOMBERG