At the company’s flight test center at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in England, Vertical pilots took the prototype through 70 individual test points, culminating in multiple hover flights of the aircraft while it was tethered to the ground.

The next step will be to remove the tether for piloted thrustborne flights, using lift generated by the aircraft’s propellers to perform vertical takeoffs and landings and low-speed maneuvers. The company is working with the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to expand its permit to fly, which would allow it to begin that phase.

“It took us just one week to go from our first ground test to our chief test pilot flying the VX4, and we have been making outstanding progress since then,” said Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical.

According to Vertical, that pace of progress is three times faster than what its previous prototype accomplished.

That model crashed during an uncrewed test at Cotswold in August 2023 after a failed pylon affected the way the aircraft’s flight control system communicated with its motors, causing it to tumble about 30 feet onto the runway. The impact caused enough damage to retire the model from flight testing and force a delay to piloted untethered flight testing, which the company had hoped to complete last year.

Vertical rebounded by kicking off testing of its current VX4 prototype in July, just under one year after the crash. According to the firm, the new design is significantly more powerful.

A 20 percent increase in the aircraft’s power-to-weight ratio, by the company’s estimate, enables speeds up to 150 mph—the intended cruise speed for its flagship aircraft. The design includes Vertical’s next generation propellers and proprietary battery systems, as well as components supplied by partners such as Honeywell, Leonardo, GKN Aerospace, and Molicel. The company says it is developing an identical prototype that will further accelerate its test campaign.

Across 20 piloted test sorties, the prototype VX4 simulated flight maneuvers and scenarios—including those outside of expected operating conditions—to validate safety.

Engineers gauged how the aircraft responded to simulated failures to prove that it could fly safely even in unanticipated conditions. Vertical deliberately failed one of the prototype’s electric propulsion units (EPUs) during a piloted tether flight, for example, to confirm that its other engines automatically output maximum power to compensate. Pilots also failed EPUs during high-speed taxi to validate the aircraft’s ground handling capabilities.

Other tests focused on the model’s powertrain and propellers, preflight operations, and ability to handle turbulence.

“These tests have enabled Vertical engineers to collect and measure 35,000 flight and system parameters and verify that all systems are operating correctly and safely in different conditions ahead of further expanding the flight test envelope to piloted thrustborne flight,” the company said.

Following thrustborne flight, phase three of the test campaign will introduce conventional takeoffs, landings, and flight, with lift generated by the wing. The final phase is expected to tie everything together, with the VX4 transitioning seamlessly between thrustborne and wingborne flight.

That full transition flight has been achieved by only a handful of eVTOL manufacturers and is considered a key testing milestone.

After the VX4 prototype completes a transition flight at Cotswold, Vertical will turn to for-credit testing with the U.K. CAA, from which it is seeking a type certificate by 2026.

The firm has several marquee customers, including American Airlines, Japan Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic, that have already placed orders for its flagship model. It estimates the value of its order backlog at around $6 billion, based on about 1,500 preorders.

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The manufacturer has begun ground testing a new, more advanced full-scale prototype of its flagship VX4 air taxi after an initial prototype was damaged during an uncrewed flight test last year.

A failed pylon affected the way the aircraft’s flight control system communicated with its motors, causing it to tumble from about 30 feet in the air onto the runway at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in the U.K.

Vertical’s latest prototype air taxi is more powerful, capable of reaching 150 mph—the intended cruise speed for its flagship model—courtesy of an improved power-to-weight ratio. It features new propellers, which were developed prior to last year’s crash, and proprietary battery technology manufactured at a dedicated facility in Bristol.

Sixty percent of the aircraft’s technology and components come from suppliers including Honeywell, Leonardo, GKN Aerospace, Hanwha, and Molicel, compared to 10 percent on the first prototype. The company is also developing an identical prototype.

The new aircraft and its systems have been tested and commissioned, and Vertical has already completed initial ground testing, including propeller balancing and spinning tests that measure the weight distribution of each blade. The next step will be powered propulsion system testing of the air taxi’s powertrain and battery packs, during which the engines will be run while the vehicle is anchored. 

After that, Vertical will need to secure a permit to fly from the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which will allow it to move to the “wheels up” phase: crewed testing of tethered aircraft and low-speed untethered flights. It will also need to perform thrustborne, wingborne, and transition flights, demonstrating that the aircraft can maneuver and gain lift as expected.

The manufacturer’s type certification safety target is the same as that for commercial airliners. Its flagship model will enable a pilot to fly as many as four passengers up to 100 sm (87 nm) while producing zero operating emissions and just 50 dBA of noise during cruise, which the company says allows it to fit seamlessly within an urban soundscape. The firm claims it will be capable of flying from Miami to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in only 11 minutes.

Despite suffering a crash, Vertical continues to receive support from the U.K. government, which in February awarded it $10 million to develop its next-generation propellers. The allocation brings the manufacturer’s total U.K. government grant funding received to $47 million

Vertical founder Stephen Fitzpatrick also committed $50 million to the company, which he predicted would keep it liquid through mid-2025. The money will be used to support the aircraft testing and certification process, which the manufacturer hopes to complete by the end of 2026.

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The manufacturer last week said it received a $10 million grant from the U.K. government through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) program, its fourth grant award through that initiative. The award brings Vertical’s total U.K. government grant funding to $47 million and follows founder and CEO Stephen Fitzpatrick’s personal commitment to provide another $50 million.

The company will use the money to develop next-generation propellers for the VX4, its flagship, four-passenger eVTOL air taxi. The propellers will be featured on Aircraft Two, a full-scale prototype in production that will build on its Aircraft One model.

Aircraft One is the company’s inaugural prototype that suffered a crash during uncrewed testing at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in August. The accident damaged the model’s right wing and landing gear, and rendered it unusable for further flight testing.

“This exciting sustainable propeller project is a fantastic example of our commitment to our world-leading aviation sector, supporting high-skilled, high-paid jobs across the U.K. while developing technologies of the future,” said Nusrat Ghani, U.K. minister of state for industry and economic security. “When government and industry collaborate like this, we help our aerospace sector soar to new heights, leading the charge towards net-zero air travel by 2050.”

Vertical will head a consortium of U.K. technology organizations and research institutions, including the University of Glasgow, University of Bristol, Cranfield University, and Helitune, a helicopter monitoring specialist.

Of the more than $25 million being poured into the propeller project, Vertical said it received more than $10 million, or about half of the company’s eligible development costs. Another $4.5 million will be awarded to other consortium members.

According to Vertical, the new propellers will be lower in weight, inertia, and noise than its existing propellers and will be “delivered to a higher safety standard than any model currently on the market.”

“The project will see advancements in rotor technologies vital to the success of eVTOL aircraft developed here in the U.K., growing knowledge, skills and capability in the process,” said Mark Scully, head of propulsion and advanced systems technology for ATI. “Through this investment the ATI Programme is enabling the development of ultra-efficient and cross-cutting technologies.”

The award follows Fitzpatrick’s commitment to support Vertical with $50 million out of his own pocket. The company last week confirmed it has entered into an investment agreement with its founder and CEO, putting the promise to paper.

By its own estimate, Vertical risked running out of cash by September amid the fallout from its August crash and delays to its certification timeline, which over the years has been pushed from 2024 to 2026. The company reportedly missed a target to raise funding by December. Its previous raise of $205 million closed more than two years ago.

However, Vertical said Fitzpatrick’s contribution will extend its cash runway into mid-2025, with more funding potentially lined up pending the completed flight test campaign of Aircraft Two. Last month, it said the full-scale prototype was nearing completion at partner GKN Aerospace’s Global Technology Center in the U.K.

Aircraft Two is expected to be Vertical’s certification aircraft that it will use in for-credit type certification testing with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). In addition to the next-generation propellers, the updated design adds a revamped powertrain, refined flight control system, and battery packs designed to meet thermal runaway safety requirements. It will feature components made by certification partners Honeywell, GKN, Hanwha, Solvay, and Leonardo.

Vertical intends for Aircraft Two to complete a flight campaign and several public demonstrations this year. These are expected to include an appearance at the Farnborough International Airshow at Farnborough Airport (EGLF) in July, as well as flights to and from London Heathrow Airport (EGLL).

In March, Vertical received CAA design organization approval (DOA), a required step in the regulator’s type certification process. Only a handful of air taxi firms, including Germany’s Volocopter and Lilium, have obtained DOA from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

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Stephen Fitzpatrick—founder, CEO, and majority owner of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Vertical Aerospace—on Monday committed to invest $50 million into the company, which risked running out of cash by September per its own projection.

The funding, which will support the development and planned 2026 certification of Vertical’s flagship VX4 air taxi, extends the firm’s cash runway into mid-2025, it said.

“The company has achieved significant technical progress, both in its prototype program and its certification plans in 2023, that I believe is not reflected in our share price,” Fitzpatrick said. “Given the success I have seen in the past 12 months, I am more confident than ever in our world class team, and I am delighted to further support the company with additional funding.”

Vertical’s stock (NYSE: EVTL) dipped dramatically in 2023 amid delays to its certification timeline and the crash of its Aircraft One prototype in August—so much so that the New York Stock Exchange has threatened to delist it if shares continue to trade below $1. 

The manufacturer has also struggled to attract investors, reportedly missing a target to raise funding by December. Its previous raise of $205 million closed more than two years ago. Like other air taxi manufacturers, Vertical does not yet produce revenue, so investment is required to finance its operations: Net cash used in operating activities in 2023 totaled about $95 million.

Fitzpatrick’s investment is structured in two tranches. An initial $25 million investment—priced at $10 per share of common stock—is expected to close in March. The Vertical CEO will supply a further $25 million by the end of July, but only if the company is unable to raise that amount in alternative equity funding. Whatever it is unable to scrounge up, Fitzpatrick will supplant.

Vertical said it is engaged in discussions for further funding pending the completed flight test campaign of its second VX4 prototype. The company’s first prototype was the one that tumbled 30 feet onto the runway at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in the U.K. in August, damaging its right wing and landing gear. Vertical later said the crash resulted from a wiring issue that caused a high-voltage short circuit.

The manufacturer’s second-generation prototype, Aircraft Two, promises to address the problem. The piloted full-scale prototype is nearing completion at partner GKN Aerospace’s Global Technology Center in the U.K.

The updated model will have more features aligned with the design Vertical hopes to certify with the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It adds a new propeller, second-generation powertrain, battery packs designed to meet thermal runaway safety requirements, and refined flight control system. Aircraft Two will also feature components made by Vertical certification partners Honeywell, GKN, Hanwha, Solvey, and Leonardo.

The upcoming prototype will complete a flight test campaign and several public demonstrations this year. These will include an appearance at the Farnborough International Airshow at Farnborough Airport (EGLF) in July, as well as flights to and from London Heathrow Airport (EGLL).

The demonstrations will put Vertical in position to refine and finalize the VX4 design, the company said. After that, the aircraft will need to pass final regulatory testing before being approved for production.

“I look forward to both our demonstrations and the completion of additional funding rounds to deliver on the promise the VX4 has to offer our customers and their passengers,” said Mike Flewitt, chairman of Vertical. “We are on track to deliver a transformative U.K. developed electric aircraft to our customers across the globe.”

In March, Vertical received design organization approval (DOA) from the CAA, a necessary step in the regulator’s type certification process. Only a handful of eVTOL air taxi firms, including Volocopter and Lilium, have obtained DOA. Vertical also said after the VX4 prototype crash that its timeline for CAA certification activities remained unaffected.

Once certification is obtained, Vertical has a large backlog of customers to serve. As of October, it had received preorders for 1,500 aircraft from dozens of customers worldwide. The company estimates its order backlog comprises $5 billion in value once fully realized.

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The aerospace and defense manufacturer on Sunday said its AAM business unit has now won contracts worth more than $10 billion, just three years after it was launched. That figure represents Honeywell’s estimate of the contracts’ lifetime value, which the company based on an internal forecast of the number of AAM vehicles it expects to be built.

Honeywell is best known for its work with traditional aviation and aerospace players like Airbus or Dassault. But its AAM segment also collaborates with a variety of partners to address challenges such as automation, aircraft performance, industry regulations, and public acceptance for AAM passenger aircraft (such as electric air taxis), large uncrewed aircraft, and small drones. So far, the unit spans North America, western Europe, and India.

“This milestone is not just about reaching a certain number. It’s a testament to the unwavering vision we hold for the future of aviation and AAM,” said David Shilliday, vice president and general manager of AAM for Honeywell Aerospace. “We are committed to transforming travel and delivery services. Imagine a world where a 100-mile journey takes 45 minutes or less, and same-day package delivery is possible in every populated region of the world.”

To help AAM manufacturers turn that vision into reality, Honeywell produces an array of avionics and propulsion technologies, which it refers to as the “brains, muscles, and senses” of the aircraft.

The company’s Anthem avionics tech, for example, can serve as the “brain” for cockpit operations. Its fly-by-wire and actuation systems function as “muscles,” directly affecting the aircraft’s maneuvering. And fittingly, its range of sensors comprise the “senses,” giving the aircraft awareness of its environment.

Already, Honeywell AAM has partnered with several players in the electric air taxi space. U.K.-based Vertical Aerospace was its first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) partner, selecting the company’s fly-by-wire avionics to integrate into its VA-X4 air taxi.

Honeywell actuators and climate system technology will appear on another eVTOL design, Archer Aviation’s Midnight. Pipistrel, meanwhile, selected the firm’s compact SatCom system for its heavy-duty Nuuva V300 cargo drone.

A third eVTOL manufacturer, Lilium, is working with Honeywell and a Japanese partner, Denso, to develop the electric motor for its Lilium Jet. The German firm announced previously that it had “engaged” with Honeywell for the supply of avionics and flight control systems.

“Honeywell’s nose-to-tail technology is a game-changer, setting the standard for safety and sustainability while providing an unprecedented user experience for our pilots,” said Yves Yemsi, chief operating officer of Lilium.

Other Honeywell AAM partners include Israeli air taxi firm Eviation and Supernal, the eVTOL manufacturing arm of Hyundai Motor Co.

The business also collaborates with U.S. government agencies such as the Department of Energy, with which it partnered to develop hydrogen fuel storage for long-range drones. Recently, its SatCom solution was selected for a new U.S. Space Force program. Honeywell also has a vertical outside its AAM business dedicated almost exclusively to SAF production, which is expected to fuel at least some eVTOL designs.

In its announcement Sunday, Honeywell implied that its $10 billion worth of AAM contracts may only be the tip of the iceberg. It emphasized its focus on the long-term growth of the space, such as by hosting industry summits, and put out the call for more manufacturers to collaborate on integrations.

“As we celebrate this milestone, we’re looking toward the future,” said Jim Currier, president and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace. “If you’re developing an AAM vehicle, the time to explore a partnership with Honeywell is now. We’re eager to collaborate with companies that share our vision to transform the way we travel and create a more sustainable future for aviation.”

With so many AAM players already depending on the integration of Honeywell’s technology and systems into their aircraft—and potentially more to come—the company’s contracts and partnerships are worth tracking. Another firm to keep an eye on is avionics OEM Garmin, whose G3000 integrated flight deck will be iterated for aircraft from Archer, Joby Aviation, Beta Technologies, and most recently Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility.

Combined, Honeywell and Garmin are supplying systems to just about every major electric air taxi player. The success (or failure) of those integrations could have wide-ranging implications for the industry.

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Vertical Aerospace, whose VX4 preproduction prototype eVTOL air taxi crashed during uncrewed testing last month, has some answers. The U.K.-based manufacturer on Thursday revealed what caused its aircraft to tumble from about 30 feet in the air onto the runway surface at Cotswold Airport (EGBP).

Vertical confirmed the accident damaged the VX4’s right wing and landing gear. But it asserted its certification activities with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) remain on schedule, and it is preparing for the next phase of flight testing.

“We are pleased with our flight test progress to date and the data, insights, and invaluable learnings we have collected,” said Stephen Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Vertical. “While a fault of any sort is disappointing, it is not wholly unexpected at this stage of testing a novel aircraft. I am pleased that as a result of our expert team we have isolated the cause of the fault and been able to provide the [Air Accidents Investigation Branch] with our report within 14 days of the incident. Our planned second upgraded prototype, which will include most of our top tier partners’ technology, will have us in the air early next year.”

Though Fitzpatrick said the company’s certification activities are “on track,” the early 2024 target is later than originally anticipated. Crewed, untethered flights were supposed to begin later this year, lengthening the timeline after the firm pushed back certification from 2025 to 2026 in May.

What Went Wrong?

Fitzpatrick and Vertical chief engineer David King sat down in an exclusive interview with The Air Current to share more details on the August crash, which FLYING draws from here.

The company’s Aircraft One VX4 prototype—which features four tilt propellers on the front of its wing and four lift propellers on the back, each powered by electric motors—has been flying untethered tests at up to 40 knots in thrust-borne flight at its flight test center at Cotswold since June.

The goal of those tests was to fly at 40 knots and “verify acceptable stability, battery efficiency and control characteristics, aerodynamics, structural loads, performance and vibration throughout this speed range—all of which were achieved,” Vertical said in Thursday’s announcement.

At the time of the accident, the aircraft was performing tests with the electrical propulsion unit for the left outboard tilt propeller intentionally disabled. The test followed Vertical’s completion of an uncrewed flight testing campaign in July and aimed to see how the prototype—expected to be retired soon after—would react in adverse conditions.

The VX4 had just completed a “hover-out-of-ground-effect test point” and was beginning its transition to forward flight about 30 feet above the runway when a blade departed the right inboard tail propeller. As the sheathing came off the spar of the blade, the blade bent and snapped off at the root because its adhesive bonding had degraded, causing a supporting pylon to fail.

King explained the pylon failure followed “prior modeling of the scenario.” The aircraft’s flight control system was designed to automatically shut down the motor of the blade that snapped and spool up the intentionally disabled engine, which it did.

However, the failed pylon had “an unexpected effect on [the VX4’s] Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, the digital data bus through which the flight control computers communicate with the motors,” according to The Air Current interview. This degraded the power of two motors on the right wing, causing a rapid descent and crash, the company said.

Vertical noted that the aircraft’s core proprietary technology, including its battery and high voltage systems, performed as expected during the accident. Its voltage, current, and power all stayed within acceptable limits, and cell temperatures were considered normal during and after the impact.

However, the aircraft’s right wing bore the brunt of the crash, with the section beyond the inner pylons folding under torsional pressure. The landing gear was also damaged, though the cabin, cockpit, and onboard battery packs “withstood the impact.”

Vertical Aerospace has suffered what appears to be a significant setback after the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft crashed during an unmanned test flight https://t.co/4HvYnqrmCm pic.twitter.com/DZ708GsMAz

— Evans Electric (@tsport100) August 10, 2023

After the crash, Vertical informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and submitted a report to the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The AAIB investigation is still ongoing, and Vertical said it will provide a full update when it ends.

The company will continue to use the damaged prototype for ground testing, but said it will not repair it to airworthy standards.

The Outlook

Though Vertical insisted its certification activities are on track, the August incident raises several questions.

The propeller problem is likely a simple fix—the company said it had already redesigned the early-generation technology prior to the crash and that the issue would be “fully resolved” ahead of the next testing phase. Its second-generation propeller will feature on Aircraft Two, another prototype under construction at partner GKN Aerospace’s Global Technology Center in Bristol, U.K. The firm said it is also implementing recommendations from the AAIB investigation.

The CAN bus issue, though, could pose a greater challenge. The company is still analyzing what went wrong. But it believes a wiring failure caused a high-voltage short circuit, which King said is “a very difficult thing to analyze.”

King and Fitzpatrick told The Air Current all crewed tests will be performed on Aircraft Two. The updated prototype is expected to have features more in line with the aircraft Vertical hopes to certify with the CAA. It will include the new propeller design, a second-generation powertrain featuring lithium-ion batteries from partner Molicel, and battery packs built to meet thermal runaway safety requirements.

A more refined flight control system will cover the full flight transition envelope, while an ejection seat will give pilots an escape hatch in an emergency. Aircraft Two will also include components made by certification partners Honeywell, GKN, Hanwha, Solvey, and Leonardo.

Before it’s cleared for crewed flight, the new prototype will need to be tested on certification standards. It will require rigorous oversight, including a Permit to Fly from the CAA. But the company said its first Aircraft Two prototype will fly in early 2024, with a second, identical model expected to be ready for the second half of the year.

Vertical said it is funded into the second half of 2024, and it has about $114 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand per a June update. However, it plans to spend $101 million over the 12 months following August 1 and previously announced it was seeking additional capital to finance activities beyond next August.

The company has significantly less cash and short-term investments on hand than rivals Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Lilium, and others. In fact, per SMG consulting, Vertical trails all major competitors in capital raised. Its previous raise of $205 million closed almost two years ago.

Vertical ranked 12th on SMG’s August Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Reality Index, a ranking of AAM companies based on their ability to mass produce and deliver certified aircraft. But it boasted the second highest aircraft order backlog, trailing only Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility. It has an estimated 1,500 preorders from firms such as American Airlines, Bristow Group, Japan Airlines, Iberojet, and most recently South Korea’s Kakao Mobility, which is expected to be a key launch customer.

When that launch takes place, however, could be a mystery. Vertical continues to stand by its 2026 target. But given previous revisions and the fallout of August’s crash, that may not be a hard deadline.

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The post Vertical Aerospace Shares Details on eVTOL Crash, Gears Up for Crewed Testing appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

—Jack Daleo, Modern FLYING staff writer

Now for this week’s top story:

Archer and Wisk: Bitter Rivals Turn Allies in New Agreement

What happened? A bitter, prolonged legal battle between rival electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturers Archer Aviation and Boeing’s Wisk Aero ended in just about the most surprising way imaginable. Not only did the two settle—they entered a partnership that will make Wisk the exclusive provider of autonomy technology for Archer.

Keep your friends close…: Separately, Archer announced it received a $215 million raise led by longtime investors Stellantis and United Airlines, bringing its valuation to an eye-popping $1.1 billion. Like other eVTOL firms, Archer does not yet produce revenue, so the funding from its closest allies will help carry it to entry into service.

Speaking of entry into service, the company took a step closer to that milestone as well, announcing the FAA has green-lit a production prototype of its Midnight eVTOL for flight testing. That’s expected to begin later this year.

…but your enemies closer: Of course, though, the biggest news from Archer was its settlement with Wisk, ending a two-year dispute over (allegedly) stolen trade secrets. Had a settlement not been reached, the case would have gone to trial next month.

But not only did Archer turn its foe into a partner, it will also receive funding from Boeing, part of that $215 million raise, to integrate autonomous systems into a future variant of Midnight. In one fell swoop, the company got a monkey off its back and set itself up for future success.

Quick quote: “This collaboration puts Archer in a unique position—to be able to source autonomy technology from a leader in the industry. Over the long term, autonomy is seen as one of the keys to achieving scale across all AAM applications, from passenger to cargo and beyond,” Archer said in a press release.

My take: All of this sounds like great news for Archer. But, as one commentator noted, the Archer-Wisk collaboration may have lopsided benefits for Wisk and Boeing.

Boeing invested a (presumably and comparably) small amount of capital in its rival for the rights to sell Wisk’s autonomous tech to Archer in the future. So, essentially, the investment should pay for itself down the line. In the short term, Boeing will immediately receive $25 million in Archer shares, an amount which could rise to as high as $48 million in a few years.

Still, at the end of the day, settling now keeps Archer’s certification activities on track. And with the investment from Stellantis and United Airlines and the FAA approval to begin flying, the company is in as good a short-term position as it has ever been.

Deep dive: Archer Aviation Earns Fresh Funding from Bitter Rival-Turned-Ally

In Other News…

Skydio Shutters Consumer Drone Business

What happened? Skydio, one of the world’s largest consumer drone manufacturers, is no longer selling consumer drones. Why? It would instead prefer to focus on its enterprise and public sector customers, which are thought to drive more revenue because they purchase subscriptions rather than off-the-shelf drones.

Bigger opportunities: Skydio’s 2 Plus series was four years in the making, but customers will no longer be able to purchase 2 Plus Starter, Sports, Cinema, or Pro kits. However, Skydio will continue to provide most services, like customer support, and offer replacement parts such as batteries. 2 Plus Enterprise kits will still be available to businesses.

Now, Skydio will primarily serve infrastructure, defense and public safety customers, and federal and state agencies with its X2 series, released in 2020. It currently has over 1,500 enterprise customers. With Skydio’s exit, the consumer market will be left primarily to DJI, which boasts a global market share somewhere between 50 and 70 percent.

Deep Dive: Skydio Just Shuttered its Consumer Drone Business

Alphabet’s Wing to Begin Medical Drone Delivery in Ireland

What happened? Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet, announced it will soon launch its first medical delivery network in Ireland’s South Dublin county. The service will fly pharmacy items, lab samples, and medical devices and supplies between healthcare providers in partnership with medical logistics firm Apian.

Drone delivery dominance: Wing is already one of the world’s preeminent drone delivery firms, having completed more than 300,000 deliveries. Adding healthcare cargo to its deliveries of hot meals, convenience and grocery items, and e-commerce could extend its dominance even further, though it’ll have to compete with Zipline and its 600,000 medical deliveries.

Wing’s healthcare delivery service won’t launch until later this year. But the company has built its entire business around delivering to urban regions, a market Zipline has hardly touched. That could be the differentiator that allows medical deliveries to be a viable addition to the business.

Deep Dive: Alphabet’s Wing to Begin Medical Drone Deliveries in Ireland

And a Few More Headlines:

• A prototype eVTOL from Vertical Aerospace crashed during an uncrewed test flight, damaging the aircraft and sparking an investigation.

• Embraer eVTOL subsidiary Eve Air Mobility partnered with DHL Supply Chain to develop a logistics system for eVTOL support.

• A2Z Drone Delivery released its next-generation RDST Longtail, which in premium configuration can fly in rain.

• World Drone Racing Championships announced the inaugural “e-Drone” Racing Cup, its first virtual event.

• A collective of eVTOL industry stakeholders united against the FAA’s powered-lift pilot proposal…more on that below.

Spotlight on…

Schubeler Technologies

Besides being fun to say, Schubeler is a name known to many in the turbomachinery industry. The company for decades has produced electric ducted fans for industrial customers. But this week, the German firm released an electric ducted fan built specifically for large eVTOL aircraft. 

The design, called eP05-21, is bulkier and heavier than the company’s other offerings, producing around 680 newtons of status thrust with a sub-60-volt architecture. It can operate at flight speeds between 0 and 148 feet per second. And crucially, the model is expected to produce just 60 dBA of noise at a distance of close to 400 feet during a flyby—-that’s about the volume of an average conversation.

Schubeler won’t be well -known to eVTOL enthusiasts yet, but the company has certainly gained the attention of manufacturers. Already, Lilium and Volocopter, also based in Germany, are listed as customers, as are Boeing, Airbus, General Atomics, Bellwether, and Tupan.

Deep Dive: AAM Industry Gets a New (Electric Ducted) Fan

On the Horizon…

Oh boy, did the FAA poke the bear. The agency last month proposed rules for training and certifying powered-lift (its term for eVTOL) pilots. But industry stakeholders aren’t happy.

A group of them, led by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), penned a strongly worded letter to the FAA recommending several major changes to the proposal. Among these are a greater emphasis on training-based instruction (rather than time-based), expanded use of flight simulators, the removal of a rule that would require training in dual-control aircraft, and a realignment of powered-lift operating rules.

Basically, the industry thinks the FAA is making it too difficult for pilots (and manufacturers) to obtain the necessary powered-lift certifications. And their comments will hold weight—GAMA has plenty of sway on Capitol Hill, and chances are many of its suggestions will make it into the final rule.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Defense and Security Equipment International 2023—September 12-15 in London
• DroneX 2023—September 26-27 in London
• World Aviation Festival—September 26-28 in Lisbon, Portugal
• Airtaxi World Congress—October 2-5 in San Francisco
• FAI World Drone Racing Championship—October 6-9 near Seoul, South Korea
• Intergeo 2023—October 10-12 in Berlin
• Dronitaly—October 11-13 in Bologna, Italy
• Commercial UAV Expo—October 23-26 in Las Vegas
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—November 12-14 in Jerusalem

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The post Who Won, Archer Aviation or Wisk Aero? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On August 9, an eVTOL made by U.K.-based manufacturer Vertical Aerospace—a prototype of the company’s VX4, registered as G-EVTL—came down during an uncrewed test flight at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in England. As reported by the U.K.’s Pilot, an airfield source claimed the aircraft was conducting inflight shutdowns when it impacted from about 20 feet high.

No injuries on the ground were reported. But photos circulating on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, appear to show significant damage to the prototype’s starboard wing.

Vertical Aerospace has suffered what appears to be a significant setback after the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft crashed during an unmanned test flight https://t.co/4HvYnqrmCm pic.twitter.com/DZ708GsMAz

— Evans Electric (@tsport100) August 10, 2023

Fire crews were called to the scene and were reportedly “concerned” about the lithium-ion batteries aboard the aircraft, which can be prone to catch fire. According to NOTAMs, the entire airport was closed for a few hours the morning of the accident, with a runway closure extending into the afternoon.

The U.K.’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch told Pilot it has opened an investigation into the crash. 

Now, Vertical is reportedly pausing flight testing due to the investigation and the damage to its aircraft, which is the only VX4 prototype built for flight testing. It had anticipated the start of full-scale crewed flight tests in the coming days after what it dubbed a successful completion of the remote phase.

The five-seat aircraft features several components that were built in-house, such as its battery packs, electric powertrain, carbon fiber composite airframe, and eight propellers. Its avionics incorporate Honeywell’s F-35 jet technology to automate certain controls and make it easier to fly than a conventional aircraft, the company claims.

Vertical has yet to release any official communications regarding the incident. But it did confirm that the accident occurred via an SEC filing:

“On Wednesday August 9, 2023, Vertical Aerospace Ltd.’s experimental prototype aircraft was involved in an incident during flight testing at its flight test centre at Cotswold Airport, U.K.” the company said. “The aircraft was remotely piloted and there were no injuries. Our flight test programme is designed to establish the limits of the aircraft’s performance, and the incident occurred during an uncrewed test of the aircraft’s maneuverability during a motor failure test scenario, which is a key requirement to progress to crewed operations.”

It added that it was “working closely” with relevant authorities.

Given the reported delay in flight testing, last week’s loss could further prolong Vertical’s certification target, which was pushed back to 2026 in May after being revised from 2024 to 2025 a year earlier.

However, it’s not the only one in the emerging AAM industry to face a setback. One of the firm’s U.S. rivals, Joby Aviation, saw its own eVTOL crash in 2022 and has pushed back its entry into service. Another competitor, Germany’s Lilium, also extended its certification timeline last year.

Vertical did not immediately respond to FLYING’s request for more details on the accident.

The Outlook for Vertical

For Vertical, a lot is riding on the successful completion of crewed test flights with its current VX4 prototype. If it can’t get back in the air soon, the result could be a domino effect that puts the company in an uncomfortable spot.

The VX4 first took flight in September 2022 at Cotswold. In a preliminary test, the aircraft hovered a few feet off the ground while attached to a tether.

Then in March, Vertical received the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority’s first design organization approval (DOA) for an eVTOL company. The DOA—a necessary step before European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification can be achieved—authorized it to issue design approvals and expand flight testing.

The company released photo and video of untethered VX4 tests in July, confirming in its second-quarter shareholder letter that those flights had been taking place since June. In total, the aircraft completed 18 takeoffs and landings in which it lifted, hovered, flew, and landed using its electric propulsion system and Vertical’s proprietary battery packs.

The company said the eVTOL successfully hit its target speed of 40 knots and “demonstrated exceptional overall stability and control.”

“Across a multitude of hover and low speed flights, our VX4 prototype generally exceeded the performance targets we had set by 10 to 30 percent,” Vertical said. “Significant performance was especially impressive in sustained hover, typically the most challenging regime in a VTOL aircraft, where it maintained level flight for longer than we expected.”

The shareholder letter also updated investors on a second VX4 prototype, currently in development at partner GKN’s Global Technology Facility, to add to the company’s testing regimen. However, that design is not expected to be built until after crewed flights of the current prototype—which now appear likely to face delays.

“This second, upgraded full-scale VX4 demonstrator will have greater capabilities than our first prototype, including improved range and higher performance, particularly in hover,” the company said.

The new prototype will feature a fuselage made by Leonardo and battery cells from Molicel. Vertical is also working with Honeywell, Solvay, and others on its design.

A slowdown in crewed flight testing could do more than delay the second-generation prototype. Just days before the accident, Vertical announced it would seek additional capital this year to finance its future activities. But the added cost of repairs and potential revisions to its design could exacerbate the company’s cash flow issues.

Vertical says it is funded into the second half of 2024 with about $114 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand as of June. For the 12 months following August 1, it expects to use $101 million in funding.

“During this timeframe we will be delivering an uncompromising, rigorous and extensive flight test programme, with both our full-scale prototypes,” it said.

However, beyond next August, Vertical will need more cash. It currently has significantly less on hand than rivals Joby, Archer Aviation, Lilium, and others. And more funding could be difficult to come by—per SMG Consulting, Vertical trails all major competitors in capital raised, and its previous raise of $205 million was close to two years ago.

At that time, the company predicted it would need about $250 million in net funding for certification, developing a manufacturing plant, building out its commercial platform, and scaling production. That was enough to garner the interest of Mudrick Capital, which led the investment, as well as Kouros SA, American Airlines, Honeywell, Rolls-Royce, Avolon, and Microsoft’s M12. One of them may need to step up to keep the firm on track.

Vertical currently sits in 12th place on SMG Consulting’s most recent AAM Reality Index, a ranking of AAM companies based on their ability to mass produce and deliver certified aircraft. It ranks eighth in funding, trailing most major competitors, and is expected to enter service a year after Joby, Archer, and others.

Vertical does, however, own the second-highest order backlog in the industry, trailing only Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility. It has an estimated 1,500 preorders from companies including American, Bristow Group, Japan Airlines, Iberojet, and most recently South Korea’s Kakao Mobility, which is expected to be a key launch customer.

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The post Vertical Aerospace eVTOL Prototype Goes Down During Uncrewed Test Flight appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

That’s the outlook for Bristol, U.K.-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Vertical Aerospace, which at the beginning of May told shareholders that it’s pushing back certification of its VX4 air taxi with Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) from 2025 to 2026. It’s the second time the firm has delayed certification since April 2022, when it changed its target from 2024 to 2025.

In a shareholder letter accompanying Vertical’s financial statement for the first quarter of 2023, CEO Stephen Fitzpatrick explained that the company’s revised guidance stems from a lack of agreement with authorities on compliance methods for new technology—a challenge he expects his competitors to face as well.

“For instance,” Fitzpatrick said, “as we begin to consider our means of compliance with the CAA, we will work through factors out of our control, such as the testing it requires for this technology. We believe the industry as a whole will experience some timeline corrections, and we are already seeing signs of peers acknowledging this.”

Fitzpatrick may be referring to rival Joby Aviation, which recently delayed its commercial launch because of regulatory hurdles, or Lilium, which has scrapped its plans to launch a regional air taxi service in 2024 and last year pushed back its certification target to 2025. Other companies, meanwhile, have held firm, like Archer Aviation has with its late 2024 deadline.

So, how does Vertical stack up to these manufacturers? 

According to its first-quarter 2023 financial statement, the firm has about $130 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand. That’s compared to around $50 million for Joby, which also has short-term investments of $928 million, based on the most recent company data. Lilium has about $180 million while Archer sits close to $300 million—both have short-term investments of around $150 million.

Vertical also has a short-term investment of about $141 million from the U.K.’s Aerospace Technology Institute to support its development of hydrogen and battery propulsion systems with Rolls-Royce. But crunching the numbers, Vertical is the most cash-strapped of the eVTOL “Big Four.”

However, Vertical has a few things working in its favor. Among eVTOL makers, it trails only Eve Air Mobility in total orders with 975 as of December 2022, buoyed by an order of 250 aircraft from American Airlines.

The company also says it’s well positioned for a fundraise later this year, which should bolster its cash flow. And in March, it became the first eVTOL manufacturer to earn a design organization approval—a key step required for type certification—from the CAA. So, despite Fitzpatrick’s recent admission that Vertical “didn’t know about certification” when he founded the firm in 2017, it appears to be top of mind now.

Still, Vertical and the rest of the industry face a steep path ahead.

The CAA, having adopted European Aviation Safety Agency standards for VTOL certification, has classified air taxis as a “special condition” under existing rules rather than developing a new certification specification. That means it won’t need to develop an entirely new standard for VTOL aircraft, which could speed up the certification process.

All of this bodes well for Vertical’s prospects in Britain. But it will need to tackle U.S. certification as well.

Mirroring its approach to drones, the FAA has taken a conservative approach to eVTOL certification centered around safe integration. The agency did release an updated blueprint of its vision for air taxis in the national airspace and is planning to unveil an implementation plan this month, but certification standards remain in flux.

In lieu of standards that would apply to all eVTOL designs and operations, the FAA has issued proposed airworthiness criteria for Joby and Archer. Rivals such as Vertical and Lilium still await the requirements they must meet in order to fly in the U.S., but it’s worth noting that the FAA and CAA are working together to develop a new regulatory framework.

Vertical and others are also targeting certification in Japan. So far, the British company has sizable orders from Japan Airlines and trading and investment firm Marubeni, with plans to launch commercially in Japan in the mid-2020s. And recently, it successfully applied to place the VX4 into the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau’s type certification process.

Joby, Boeing-backed Wisk Aero, and other U.S. eVTOL manufacturers are also eyeing services in the country.

Despite all of this activity, though, the first eVTOL certification appears to be at least a few more years away. It remains to be seen whether the industry is undergoing “timeline corrections,” as Fitzpatrick said. But given the lack of clear regulations and the delays from Vertical, Joby, and Lilium, it’s not unreasonable to expect others to push back certification as well.

The post Delays Plague Vertical Aerospace eVTOL Certification appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

U.K.-based Vertical said it entered a partnership with Marubeni in September of 2021 that included conditional pre-order options of up to 200 aircraft, and joint evaluation of requirements for eVTOL aircraft operations in Japan. Vertical said that Marubeni has already conducted proof-of-concept demonstration trials for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) services in Osaka.

“We are delighted to have reached the next milestone in our partnership with Marubeni. Japan is a wonderful country which is embracing the promise of eVTOL, as it will connect cities and regions like never before,” said Stephen Fitzpatrick, Vertical Aerospace founder and CEO. “We look forward to our joint efforts to build the ecosystem for zero-emissions travel in Japan.”

“We are proud to have taken another major step with Vertical Aerospace to introduce VX4 in Japan,” said Satoshi Takechi, general manager of Marubeni’s Aviation, Space & Defense Department. “Marubeni will further enhance activities to materialize our business, which aims to make air travel more accessible and convenient, while simultaneously contributing to climate change mitigation measures, including low-carbon and decarbonization initiatives.”

• READ MORE: American Airlines-backed Air Taxi Inches Closer to Type Certification

Vertical said it expects its VX4 eVTOL aircraft to carry a pilot and up to four passengers for distances of 100 miles. The aircraft is intended to reach a top speed of over 174 knots while generating “minimal noise” and zero emissions.

The VX4 prototype has completed a number of piloted test flights, and its testing program is set to continue during the coming months, with the expectation that the aircraft will reach higher altitudes and speeds, and complete transitions from vertical to horizontal flight.

The post Vertical Aerospace Receives Preorder for 25 VX4 eVTOL Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.