Vertical Aerospace and Honeywell expand partnership
May 9, 2025
Vertical Aerospace and Honeywell have signed a new long-term agreement to certify what the latter defines as “two of the most critical systems” on Vertical’s upcoming four-passenger VX4 eVTOL, including the aircraft’s flight control and fly-by-wire systems. Vertical has also selected new Honeywell inceptors for use on its aircraft.
Honeywell has been a core partner and investor in the Bristol-based eVTOL developer since 2021, building on a strategic partnership (first announced in 2019) that confirmed Vertical’s adoption of Honeywell’s aircraft control systems. “The flight deck is essentially the brains of the VX4, combining cockpit displays, software, controls, and connectivity into one smart, digital platform,” explained Honeywell, adding: “The fly-by-wire system is technology that allows the aircraft to be controlled electronically instead of mechanically, helping to improve stability, safety, and ease of flight”.
Additionally, Vertical will also now adopt newly designed Honeywell inceptors for its production aircraft, used by the pilot to provide inputs to the onboard flight control computer. “Our inceptor will pair seamlessly with the Honeywell compact fly-by-wire system already selected by Vertical,” explained Rich DeGraff, president of control systems at Honeywell Aerospace technologies. “We designed our inceptor to be lightest and most compact in the industry, and we could not be happier that Vertical is the launch customer for this new technology”.
Crucially, the partnership will allow the companies to share expertise, personnel and testing environments, which Honeywell notes are “collectively expected to speed up the VX4’s development and help both companies achieve certification and quickly move to production”. Vertical intends to certify its aircraft to CAA and EASA expectations by 2028, a stringent safety standard that “exceeds the targeted standards announced by some of Vertical’s competitors and is intended to make the VX4 the most exportable and certifiable eVTOL globally,” suggested Vertical.
Building on its pre-orders of around 1,500 VX4 units from customers across four continents, Vertical expects the total value of its expanded Honeywell collaboration will be worth an estimated $1 billion in projected contract value over the next decade. Vertical Aerospace CEO Stuart Simpson added: “By integrating production-ready technologies, we’re helping build an aircraft that meets the highest safety standards in aviation, solidifying its certificability and exportability”.
