Vertical Aerospace has begun test flights with its second full-scale prototype of the VX4 eVTOL aircraft. On July 26, the UK company reported that the aircraft made a tethered flight just a few feet off the ground at Kemble Airport in the west of England.
According to Vertical, it measured more than 20,000 flight and system parameters during the first flight, verifying thrust, handling qualities, and system performance. The aircraft was flown by the company’s chief test pilot Justin Paines.
The second VX4 prototype features a 20% greater power-to-weight ratio than the first prototype, supporting Vertical’s objective that production versions of the four-passenger aircraft will be able to cruise at 130 knots on flights of up to around 87 nm. For this version, 60% of the technology and components have come from program partners including GKN Aerospace, Hanwha, Honeywell, Leonardo, Molicel, and Synesqo.
The latest VX4 propulsion system features Vertical’s proprietary battery packs that can deliver 1.4 megawatts of peak power. These were developed at the company’s Vertical Energy Centre in Bristol.
Flight testing began once the UK Civil Aviation Authority issued the required permit to fly. Once the tethered flight phase of the program is complete, Vertical will progress to thrustborne flights in which the VX4 will take off and land vertically and conduct low-speed flight maneuvers with lift generated by its eight propellers. Subsequently, and with each phase subject to CAA approval, the aircraft will perform wingborne flights before achieving the critical transitions between vertical to horizontal flight modes.
“The first tethered flight of our new VX4 prototype is the result of 14 months of hard work taking this advanced aircraft all the way from design, through to development and now into the air,” said Vertical Aerospace’s CEO Stuart Simpson. “This moment is a testament to the skill and commitment of hundreds of talented colleagues in our business who have made our VX4 aircraft the best eVTOL out there.”
According to Vertical, it holds pre-orders for 1,500 aircraft, which it said are worth $6 billion—implying a unit price of $4 million. Prospective customers include Virgin Atlantic Airways, American Airlines, Japan Airlines, Brazil’s Gol, and helicopter operator Bristow.