The UK’s Skyfly Technologies has announced the successful completion “of Europe’s first airfield-to-airfield flight of a fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.”
The flight was performed by Skyfly’s Chief Technical Officer and test pilot, Dr William Brooks, who piloted the Axe prototype – classified as a “Vertically Capable Aircraft” – from Turweston Aerodrome in Northamptonshire to Bicester Airfield in Oxfordshire, and back again.
2This historic round-trip flight marks the conclusion of the conventional phase of Skyfly’s test programme, which has thus far focused on validating the aircraft’s airframe and control systems in wing-borne flight,” according to a company press release. “The flight also demonstrates the Axe’s capability: the aircraft can take off and land both vertically and conventionally, offering a wide range of use cases and unparalleled flexibility in operations. The outbound leg of 10nm took 12 minutes cruising at the lowest cruise power setting of around 57kw. The maximum speed was 71kt. The return trip took 8 minutes.
“Upon returning to Turweston, the aircraft climbed to 3,500ft to conduct aerial photography and drain the batteries to a safe transport state of charge ahead of the Axe’s upcoming trip to the United States.
“Following successful hover tests in 2024, Skyfly received UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) clearance to proceed with conventional fixed wing flying, and subsequently was authorised to conduct airborne transitions between vertical and wing-borne flight – an essential step for commercial eVTOL operations. With that regulatory milestone achieved, Skyfly’s development programme will now shift to testing the full transition phase.
“Skyfly is concurrently building its next Axe prototype, which will conform to the final production design. The Axe features eight electric motors – two on each wingtip enclosed in a single nacelle – powered by high-capacity lithium batteries housed within the fuselage. These batteries are swappable and removable for convenient charging. Built to certified aircraft standards but offered under the UK’s Permit to Fly category and the US Experimental category, the Axe balances high-end engineering with affordability, reducing both operational and purchase costs for owners.
“With 40 units sold to date, Skyfly is targeting the end of Q2 2026 for its first customer deliveries.”
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Skyfly Technologies Makes Aviation History with First Airfield-to-Airfield eVTOL Flight in Europe