Vertical Aerospace completes first tethered piloted flight of next-generation aircraft
Vertical Aerospace has successfully completed the first tethered flight of its next-generation VX4 aircraft, with the eVTOL’s ‘wheels up’ achievement marking a significant achievement in Vertical’s ongoing journey.
Loosely tethered to the ground, Vertical’s second prototype aircraft lifted off from the tarmac at Gloucestershire’s Cotswold airport; the company’s flight test base. It is the first time the eVTOL innovator has conducted a flight test since the inaugural flying prototype’s crash in August 2023.
“The first tethered flight of our new VX4 prototype is the result of 14 months of hard work – taking this advanced aircraft all the way from design, through to development and now into the air,” explained Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. “This moment is testament to the skill and commitment of hundreds of talented colleagues in our business who have made our VX4 aircraft the best eVTOL out there”.
With Vertical’s chief test pilot Justin Paines at the controls, Vertical measured over 20,000 system parameters to verify thrust, handling qualities and system performance. At the helm was Vertical’s chief test pilot, Justin Paines. This further builds upon extensive ground testing conducted by the company, including powered propulsion testing of its advanced powertrain and proprietary battery packs.
Permission for the flight was achieved in the form of a UK Civil Aviation Authority ‘Permit to Fly,’ granted after the regulator rigorously evaluated the engineering, design, flight test data and aircraft itself. Following initial tethered flights, Vertical will receive further CAA permission to expand the VX4’s flight test envelope, including further thrustborne testing.
