Skyfly is positioning its two-seat Axe Vertically Capable Aircraft at the yacht owner market and is displaying its aircraft at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), 28 October to 1 November 2026.
Yacht owners have the freedom to reach almost anywhere on the water, says the company in a press release. “Moving between the yacht, the marina and the places onshore is where that freedom runs out. Road transfers and helicopter charters both rely on infrastructure the owner does not control, and both add time, cost and dependency to every journey. The Axe is Skyfly’s answer. It is a modern, quiet, easy-to-fly two-seater with a projected running cost of around UKP70 (USD90) per flying hour, a range of more than 100 miles, a flight time of 60 to 90 minutes, a cruising speed of 100mph and a 200kg payload. With no runway required, it can operate from the open space that already exists at marinas, private docks and coastal estates, and it is capable of taking off and landing directly on a superyacht’s deck. Operated this way, the Axe becomes part of the vessel’s own capability alongside its tenders and other craft, with no reliance on a nearby airfield.”
Most small personal eVTOL designs rely on rotors alone and, with nothing generating aerodynamic lift, can burn up to four times more energy in cruise, continued the company. “The Axe hovers on eight fixed-angle electric motors and then lets its wings carry it in forward flight, so it can also take off, cruise and land like a conventional aeroplane whenever a runway is available. There are no tilting motors or rotating wings, which removes the weight, complexity and failure modes those mechanisms introduce. If power is ever lost, the aircraft glides.”
Under the FAA’s updated Light Sport Aircraft rules, the Axe is a two-seat, Light Sport-class electric Vertically Capable Aircraft (eVCA), a category of eVTOL designed for private ownership and operation. Simplified pilot qualification requirements significantly lower the barriers to owning and flying one.
FLIBS is one of several US shows Skyfly will attend over the coming year as it builds its presence in the American market ahead of first deliveries in 2027.
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(Image: Skyfly)