Vertical Aerospace starts next stage of flight test campaign
Following on from Vertical Aerospace’s first ‘wheels up’ tethered hover of its second prototype eVTOL aircraft, Aerospace Global News caught up with chief engineer David King to learn more about the Bristol-based company’s achievements and aspirations.
It’s “amazing to see the culmination of a journey of designing a new aircraft,” explained King, just days after the second-generation VX4 lifted off from the company’s flight test facility at Kemble, Gloucestershire. “We’re pleased to report our mathematical models were pretty much spot on”.
Unlike Vertical’s first prototype (which concluded the initial round of test flying last summer) this second iteration will be crewed; requiring a Permit to Fly from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, for which Vertical have had to prove their design and product conforms with a very strict set of requirements. With a third prototype craft also under construction, the latest two models will now conduct the full envelope expansion test programme before moving into subsequent models, which will conduct certification tests.
However, the resumption of the flight test campaign represents not just a major milestone for Vertical but for the industry, which King described as “at an inflection point” in terms of the new eVTOL capabilities nearing fruition. Referencing his 35 years in the industry, King explained how the preeminent engineering organisation (formerly known as the American Helicopter Society) has now changed its name to the Vertical Flight Society. “The eVTOL revolution is so prominent now that they changed their name… to allow the community to come together to enable advanced air mobility,” he explained.
Looking to the future of the industry, King is confident that companies such as Vertical can continue to attract and retain talent, citing the UK as a great place to hire skilled graduates – building on the UK’s proud aerospace heritage. At Vertical’s assembly centre just north of Bristol, “you look out of the window and you see where the Concorde was born,” he added.
People want to work in a challenging, exciting environment as a team, but also do something meaningful, King concluded. ““It’s going to be very hard to find a job more meaningful than bringing advanced air mobility to the public!”
