Vertical Aerospace begins test flights for second VX4 eVTOL prototype

Policy

JSX Aircraft | Official Website

By Sky Industry News

Jul 29, 2024

Vertical Aerospace has commenced test flights with its second full-scale prototype of the VX4 eVTOL aircraft. On July 26, the UK company reported that the aircraft executed a tethered flight at Kemble Airport in the west of England.

According to Vertical, more than 20,000 flight and system parameters were measured during the initial flight, verifying thrust, handling qualities, and system performance. The aircraft was piloted by the company’s chief test pilot Justin Paines.

The second VX4 prototype features a 20% greater power-to-weight ratio than the first prototype. This supports Vertical’s objective that production versions of the four-passenger aircraft will be able to cruise at 130 knots on flights of up to around 87 nautical miles. For this version, 60% of the technology and components have come from program partners including GKN Aerospace, Hanwha, Honeywell, Leonardo, Molicel, and Synesqo.

Get the Newsletter

Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News

By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

The latest VX4 propulsion system includes Vertical’s proprietary battery packs capable of delivering 1.4 megawatts of peak power. These were developed at the company’s Vertical Energy Centre in Bristol.

Flight testing began following the issuance of a permit to fly by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Once the tethered flight phase is complete, Vertical will progress to thrustborne flights where the VX4 will take off and land vertically and conduct low-speed flight maneuvers with lift generated by its eight propellers. Subsequently, subject to CAA approval for each phase, wingborne flights will be performed before achieving critical transitions between vertical and horizontal flight modes.

“The first tethered flight of our new VX4 prototype is the result of 14 months of hard work taking this advanced aircraft all the way from design through to development and now into the air,” said Vertical Aerospace’s CEO Stuart Simpson. “This moment is a testament to the skill and commitment of hundreds of talented colleagues in our business who have made our VX4 aircraft the best eVTOL out there.”

Vertical reports holding pre-orders for 1,500 aircraft valued at $6 billion—implying a unit price of $4 million. Prospective customers include Virgin Atlantic Airways, American Airlines, Japan Airlines, Brazil’s Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A., and helicopter operator Bristow Group Inc.