Hyundai Will Make Landing Gear for Vertical’s eVTOL

A subsidiary of South Korean automotive group Hyundai will produce the landing gear for Vertical Aerospace’s Valo eVTOL aircraft. On May 21, the UK manufacturer announced that it has reached an agreement with Hyundai WIA, which will develop and produce lightweight landing gear in partnership with UK engineering company Stirling Dynamics.

Bristol-based Vertical has already appointed other key suppliers including Honeywell (flight control and aircraft management systems), Aciturri (airframe structures), Evolito (electric propulsion units), Syensqo (composite materials), and Isoclima (transparencies).

Hyundai has its own eVTOL aircraft developer in U.S.-based Supernal, which recently announced further support from Korean Aerospace Industries. Its WIA unit was founded in 1976 and has extensive experience in developing automobile parts, as well as contributing to aerospace and defense programs.

Vertical is now building the first examples of the six-seat Valo model it unveiled in December and for which it is targeting type certification in 2028. Last month, the company reported that it had achieved a piloted two-way transition flight with its VX4 prototype.

Engineering work is now progressing toward the critical design review, which will establish the certifiable design baseline for the Valo, clearing the way for Vertical to build certification-conforming aircraft. The process will confirm key design elements, supply chain configuration, and certification partner selection before full-scale certification testing and series manufacturing begin.