Vertical Aerospace has completed the first public eVTOL transition flight at the Farnborough International Airshow, with its full-scale prototype transitioning from vertical takeoff to wingborne cruise and back to vertical landing in front of a global audience on July 20.
Chief test pilot Simon Davies flew the aircraft, which moved from helicopter mode to airplane mode and back again during the demonstration. Vertical said the flight added electric aviation to Farnborough’s long history of aviation firsts.
“Successfully demonstrating a public transition flight here is more than a technical milestone, it is proof that electric aviation is moving from promise to commercial reality,” said Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace.
The flight caps a period of commercial and technology momentum for the Bristol-based company. Vertical recently announced a strategic partnership with Near Earth Autonomy to integrate autonomous flight capability into its Valo aircraft for defense and commercial applications, and named Sigma Air Mobility, a member of the Luxaviation Group, as a new customer at the show.
Vertical’s Valo is a piloted, four-passenger eVTOL aircraft with zero operating emissions. The company is also developing a hybrid-electric variant for increased range and mission flexibility. Vertical has approximately 1,500 pre-orders from customers including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines.
Vertical plans to conduct further flight demonstrations throughout the week at Farnborough, subject to weather conditions.
