Eve Air Mobility today announced the successful closeout of the hover and low‑speed flights block in the flight test campaign of its full‑scale engineering prototype. The completed block generated high‑fidelity data and knowledge gains that continue to mature the program as Eve progresses toward transition flight testing, says the company in a press release.
“Closing this phase validates the discipline behind our flight test strategy,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve. “Across 59 flights, we confirmed stable hover performance and predictable control behavior within the envelope, while expanding our understanding of loads, aerodynamics, propulsion and energy management, key foundations for the transition phase and the certification path ahead with the conforming prototypes.”
In this phase, the aircraft demonstrated stable hover performance and predictable handling through progressively more demanding maneuvers, reports the company. The team first completed the low‑speed input phase below 15 knots, executing activities to validate control laws, downwash effects, thermal behavior and the propulsion model. As testing progressed, operations expanded to approximately 20 knots of ground speed (vehicle speed), including simultaneous four‑axis maneuvers to further validate aerodynamic and load models, supporting progression to higher speeds, a broader envelope and larger control deflections.
Notable milestones from this phase include the execution of more than 100 flight test points and the first demonstrations of autoland and the simplified fly-by-wire mode, a secondary layer of the fly-by-wire system that is activated when the normal mode is unavailable, said Eve. The aircraft also reached 215 feet above ground level (AGL) and flew for 3 minutes and 48 seconds. “Throughout testing, the aircraft showed consistent behavior under simultaneous four‑axis inputs,” said the company. “Recorded noise levels remained in line with expectations, while propulsion and battery performance were better than anticipated.”
“Completing hover and low‑speed testing gives us high‑confidence data to validate and refine our aerodynamic, propulsion and load models,” said Marcelo Basile, Head of Tests of Eve. “That model correlation is what enables disciplined envelope expansion. With planned ground tests next, we will be ready to begin transition flights, in which we validate the lifter-pusher synchronization before moving on to the cruise phase.”
Over the coming weeks, Eve’s engineering prototype will conduct planned ground tests in preparation for the transition flights block, expected to begin in summer 2026 (July/August). The transition phase is designed to further strengthen the development of the final aircraft by expanding the envelope and validating performance as the program advances toward wingborne flight.
For more information
https://www.eveairmobility.com/
(Image: Eve Air Mobility)