Vertical Aerospace completes two-way piloted transition flight for eVTOL

Vertical Aerospace has announced that it completed a two-way piloted transition flight in its eVTOL on April 14. A two-way piloted transition flight is when the pilot switches the eVTOL from helicopter mode to airplane mode and back again. Vertical is the second company globally to complete this type of flight in a full-scale tiltrotor eVTOL and the first to do so under civil aviation Design Organisation Approval regulatory oversight."This is now the most significant technical milestone in our history," said Vertical CEO Stuart Simpson. "Full piloted transition is the most critical and complex challenge in eVTOL development, and we've achieved it under more rigorous regulatory oversight than anyone in the category. We're not just participating in this industry - we are helping to define it. Our focus now is on executing our roadmap and bringing certified electric flight into commercial service." The flight was done by Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies and was achieved under the direct oversight of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It validates the technology used in Vertical's eVTOL, Valo. The Valo is designed to take off vertically from a city-centre vertiport or rooftop with passengers, fly at speeds similar to an airplane and land vertically at its destination. The company states all phases of flight are now proven and it will be moving to the next stage of certification testing, which includes critical design review and building seven pre-production Valo aircraft for compliance and verification testing. RELATED STORIES: Vertical Aerospace to begin transition flight testing for VX4 aircraft Vertical Aerospace completes first phase of piloted flight test program DOT and FAA launch new campaign aimed at next gen. of air traffic controllers Vertical aims to achieve certification in 2028 with entry into service soon after. "This is a fantastic milestone not only for Vertical, but for the UK's position in the future of aerospace as we continue to lead the way on zero emission flight," said Peter Kyle, UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade. "Through our Industrial Strategy and the Aerospace Technology Institute, we're backing companies like Vertical, who are demonstrating the kind of innovation, engineering excellence and export potential that can keep Britain at the forefront of the global aerospace industry, and create high-skilled jobs for local people."