Vertical Aerospace today announced the successful completion of Phase three of piloted wingborne flight testing of its VX4 prototype.
“The full scale VX4 has now taken off, flown, and landed like a conventional aircraft with lift generated by its wings,” said the company in a press release. “This quiet, low-power mode is essential for making electric air travel practical, scalable, and economically viable. The wingborne phase included flights by Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies and Test Pilot Paul Stone, switching between direct (manual) and flight (computer-assisted) control modes. The VX4 performed as modelled in the simulator, validating both the design and ease of handling.
“Working closely with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is collaborating with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for their concurrent validation and certification of the VX4 to the highest safety standards required for commercial use, Vertical secured approvals for flight testing in open airspace by extending its Permit to Fly following a rigorous review of safety and technical documentation.
“Since completing Europe’s first-ever piloted wingborne flight of a winged eVTOL in May 2025, Vertical has:
- Completed piloted flight tests covering 250 miles / 400 km
- Reached a top speed of 120 knots / 222 km/h and altitude of 2,000 ft
- Collected over 22 billion data points, validating aerodynamic models, acoustic levels, system reliability and performance
“Vertical will now move to the final test stage: transition, proving the VX4’s ability to shift seamlessly between vertical lift (“helicopter mode”) and wingborne flight (“airplane mode”) – the defining capability of a tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft which means it can take off and land in a small space. This will be the operating mode it will use in passenger service. “
For more information
www.vertical-aerospace.com