Vertical Aerospace today announced “that it completed the world’s first airport to airport piloted flight by a full-scale, winged tilt-rotor eVTOL designed for commercial service.”
“Following Flight Conditions and Permit to Fly approvals from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the VX4 prototype flew to the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), the world’s largest military air show, where it will be on display from 18-20 July. On Wednesday 16 July, the piloted VX4 prototype flew 17 miles from Vertical’s Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport to RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force station which is used by the United States Airforce, reaching speeds of 115mph and an altitude of 1800ft. The flight marked the aircraft’s first landing at a public location.”
Simon Davies, Vertical’s Chief Test Pilot, who flew the full scale VX4 prototype, said: “Flying the VX4 from airport to airport is a major milestone, and a powerful demonstration of the real-world capability of the aircraft. To bring it to RIAT, among some of the world’s most advanced military aircraft, is a proud moment – and a powerful signal of the role that a new generation of aircraft will play in defence and special mission operations.”
Vertical is showcasing its full scale VX4 prototype – the only electric aircraft presence at RIAT 2025 – as part of its broader strategy to unlock new hybrid-electric applications in defence, logistics, and special missions. Vertical recently launched its hybrid-electric variant. The company’s second-generation hybrid-propulsion system, which has been in development for 18 months at the Vertical Energy Centre, will be retrofitted into one of the company’s VX4 full scale prototypes and is expected to commence flight testing in Q2 2026.
| About VX4 hybrid-electric variant
New long-range variant will be adapted from the all-electric VX4, targeted for certification in 2028:
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For more information
https://vertical-aerospace.com/