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 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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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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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.

According to a shareholder letter released Friday, the U.K.-based company, which has already received 1,350 VX4 pre-orders from American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) and others, said its test article “represents the same scale and configuration as the certification aircraft.” The test campaign will “pave the way” for a “final optimized certification-ready aircraft” which is targeted to enter service in 2025.

Join Vertical’s President, Michael Cervenka, as he takes us on a behind the scenes tour of our full-scale #eVTOL model, the #VX4. Hear about our design and tech that will make it a faster, smarter, greener way to travel.

We’re excited to share more as we head skywards! pic.twitter.com/lySEcoMdMJ

— Vertical Aerospace (@VerticalAero) April 12, 2022

VX4 is an entirely new type of battery-powered, electric aircraft with the ability to fly horizontally like an airplane and hover like a helicopter. Its design includes tilting proprotors attached to a fixed-wing. The V-tail retract is designed to carry four passengers and a pilot with zero carbon emissions at speeds of about 200 mph (174 kts) with a range of more than 100 sm.

On April 21, Vertical announced it had been approved for concurrent type certification by European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). 

• READ MORE: Vertical Aerospace Inches Closer to Type Certification

Three of Vertical’s major eVTOL competitors, including Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation—based in California—and Beta Technologies in Vermont, are already test flying prototype demonstrators. In the past, Vertical has built and flown two previous full-size demonstrators—a single-seat, ducted fan design in 2018 and a larger, two-seat, multi-rotor eVTOL in 2019. The VX4 will be different from these designs. 

In its letter to shareholders, the company said it has submitted its proposed certification basis to the CAA based on the EASA certification basis called Special Condition for Small-Category Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aircraft (SC-VTOL).

“We expect this will be fully agreed with the CAA later in 2022 and expect our certification basis will fully envelope the corresponding sections from the FAA’s Part 23 and 27 standards.” 

Demonstrating that the new aircraft is designed and developed under SC-VTOL standards, will be a key step toward type certification.

Vertical has been developing VX4 in partnership with established partners across the aviation sector, including Rolls-Royce (OTC US: RYCEY) for electric propulsion, Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) for its avionics and fly-by-wire flight control system, and Leonardo (DXE: LDO.M.DX)  for the aircraft’s fuselage. 

The letter to shareholders also said pre-order bookings are currently valued at $5.4 billion. “We plan to spend between 75 million and 85 million [British pounds] this financial year,” supplementing its capital position with “pre-delivery payments against firm orders, beginning with those from our existing 1,350 pre-orderbook.”

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The London-based company announced the news Thursday, as it works toward launching a full test flight campaign later this year for its VX4 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. 

Aiming to enter service in 2025, Vertical Aerospace also revealed it has hired former EASA certification director Trevor Woods to help lead the regulatory process.

’Significant Momentum’

Vertical’s “considerable in-house engineering expertise matched with its unrivaled industrial partnerships…lend significant momentum to its certification efforts,” Woods said in a statement. 

The partnerships include GKN, Honeywell, Leonardo, Rolls-Royce, and Honeywell. 

Vertical also announced it received required CAA competency approval for three key managers that will open the door to winning design organization approval (DOA)—the equivalent to the FAA’s organization designation authorization (ODA). 

In fact, the company said it intends to seek FAA type certification as well, that would allow VX4 to enter service in the U.S.

“Vertical’s DOA, when granted, will cover the full scope required to hold a type certificate for a commercial passenger carrying winged eVTOL,” the company said in a statement. “Vertical believes this will be of the widest scope an eVTOL manufacturer will have received to date.” 

The eVTOL developer says it has submitted a certification basis proposal, based on EASA’S established SC-VTOL certification basis. Vertical says it expects to get CAA agreement on the proposal later this year. 

Leading eVTOL developers in the U.S.—including Uber-backed Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) and United Airlines-backed Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) are further ahead of Vertical in their type certification timelines, and are both flight testing demonstrator aircraft. 

About the Aircraft

Vertical is one of hundreds of advanced air mobility startups developing eVTOLs designed to fly passengers and cargo for short distances over traffic gridlocked cities. 

Founded in 2016, the company began flights of its first full-scale battery powered eVTOL test article in 2019. 

The more advanced air taxi prototype demonstrator for VX4 is now in “later build stages” the company says. “We look forward to reaching a number of meaningful milestones in our activity over the coming months, including the launch of our flight test campaign,” said Paul Harper, Vertical’s head of certification, in a statement.

VX4 is a fixed-wing, V-tailed, tilt-rotor, retract aircraft designed to carry four passengers and a pilot with zero carbon emissions at speeds of about 200 mph (174 kts) with a range of more than 100 sm. 

‘Largest Pre-Order Book’

It’s worth noting that Vertical boasts the “largest pre-order book by value in the eVTOL market,” totaling $5.4 billion. 

Including American Airlines, which signed a provisional pre-order in 2021, Vertical says it has received pre-orders for 1,350 aircraft from customers such as Virgin Atlantic, Bristow, Marubeni, Iberojet, and Avolon—the “world’s second largest aircraft lessor.” 

In addition to the U.K. and U.S., the company says eventually VX4 will be flying in Turkey, Japan, Brazil, Greenland, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean, if all goes as planned.  

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