Vertical Aerospace Completes First Piloted eVTOL Thrustborne Transition

Vertical Aerospace achieves a landmark technical milestone under CAA oversight as a piloted eVTOL aircraft successfully transitions from vertical lift to wingborne flight

Story and Image Credit:  Joe Macey
www.aaminternational.com

Vertical Aerospace has achieved a significant technical milestone with the successful piloted thrustborne transition of its full-scale electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The flight took place on 2 April 2026 at the company’s Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport, with Test Pilot Paul Stone at the controls. During the maneuver, the aircraft performed a vertical takeoff before tilting its front propellers forward to accelerate into wingborne flight. As the aircraft gained speed, the rear propellers stowed to allow for an energy-efficient cruise, concluding the mission with a conventional runway landing.

This flight represents the completion of the first half of a “two-way transition” sequence. This capability is essential for point-to-point urban air mobility, as it allows an aircraft to operate from helipads and rooftops without a runway while maintaining the efficiency of a fixed-wing plane during transit. The achievement follows nearly two years of piloted testing, which included the first winged eVTOL flight in open European airspace.

The testing was conducted under the oversight of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is collaborating with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This regulatory involvement is a critical component of the certification path for Valo, Vertical’s intended commercial aircraft. The company is currently expanding the flight envelope from both ends, focusing on accelerating from a hover and decelerating from wingborne flight back to a vertical landing.

This technical progress coincides with a recently announced agreement in principle for a financing package of up to $850 million. This capital is intended to support the company through the type certification process and into commercial operations.

Stuart Simpson, Chief Executive Officer at Vertical Aerospace, said, “This marks a turning point not just for Vertical Aerospace, but for the entire advanced air mobility industry. Achieving piloted thrustborne transition under active regulatory oversight — alongside the recently announced financing package — demonstrates that we have solved the hardest engineering challenges, have the regulatory relationships to complete certification, and now have the financial foundation to see this through to commercial service.”

The flight provided real-world validation of the company’s distributed electric propulsion and tiltrotor technology. Each phase of the flight test program is backed by structural testing and simulator work to ensure the aircraft performs according to its design specifications.

David King, Chief Engineer at Vertical Aerospace, said, “Completing this piloted transition milestone is a profound achievement and the result of years of engineering innovation and disciplined test execution. The aircraft performed exactly as designed, transitioning smoothly and under full control — proving the core elements of Vertical’s distributed electric propulsion and tiltrotor technology at full scale, in real flight conditions. This is not yet final mission accomplished, but it is a pivotal technical proof point on our path to two-way transition.”

Test Pilot Paul Stone added, “This aircraft was made to transition. From the moment the front propellers tilted and the aircraft began to accelerate, the response was exactly as the simulation predicted — smooth, stable, and fully under control throughout. What the engineering team has built here is genuinely extraordinary. The aircraft handled the transition with a level of confidence that gives me great optimism for everything that comes next.”

Vertical Aerospace has now moved into the final stages of its four-phase flight test program. Having completed tethered, thrustborne, and wingborne phases, the company is now focused on the final requirements for full two-way transition.

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電動混合動力車、電動航空、電動船舶技術和未來創新電動混合動力垂直起降航空航太技術新聞遍佈全球！

EVHNews.com 是專為 EVVTOL 提供的全球數位技術平台，EVVTOL 是一家全球電動車/混合動力車、電子航空、電動垂直起降 (E-VTOL)、電動船舶未來技術產業展覽與博覽會活動組織，全球最大的電動車和電動垂直起降 (E-VTOL) 品牌在此投資交通運輸的未來。

EV H News 致力於電動車和電動混合動力車、電子航空、電子垂直起降無人機、電子船舶，以及包括電動車、電子半導體和電動卡車在內的產業。
這個數位平台將包括來自全球行業領袖的評論和資源，其中許多重點關注清潔藍色技術和適用的替代燃料。 EVH 新聞平台讓所有人都能獲得未來電子汽車、電子航空、電子船舶、電動摩托車、電子半導體和電動卡車電子賽車產業突破性電子技術的工具和資訊。

關於 EVVTOL

• EVVTOL 是一家新成立的公司，透過策略性地定位自己，成功滿足 EV 和 VTOL 運輸業客戶的需求，將自己打造成最具影響力的全球未來技術展覽/博覽會活動組織！

• EVVTOL 的目標是透過發布和展示尖端的 EV 和 E-VTOL 技術來展示 EV 和 VTOL 行業並介紹電子技術領域的主要 EV 和 VTOL 車輛和零件製造商。

• EVVTOL 的使命是推出多項技術展會和博覽會，包括具有影響力的高層電動汽車商業峰會，以與電動汽車和電動汽車移動行業、能源汽車資訊技術和充電基礎設施行業的主要製造商進行商業合作的雙重主題為基礎。這些活動是了解和討論電動車和垂直起降飛機行業最新未來運輸技術進步以及仍然存在的電池能源挑戰的絕佳機會。

(evvtol.org) 877-4EV-VTOL (877-438-8865)

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電動混合動力車、電動航空、電動船舶技術和未來創新電動混合動力垂直起降航空航太技術新聞遍佈全球！ EVHNews.com 是專為 EVVTOL 提供的全球數位技術平台，EVVTOL 是一家全球電動車/混合動力車、電子航空、電動垂直起降 (E-VTOL)、電動船舶未來技術產業展覽與博覽會活動組織，全球最大的電動車和電動垂直起降 (E-VTOL) 品牌在此投資交通運輸的未來。 EV H News 致力於電動車和電動混合動力車、電子航空、電子垂直起降無人機、電子船舶，以及包括電動車、電子半導體和電動卡車在內的產業。這個數位平台將包括來自全球行業領袖的評論和資源，其中許多重點關注清潔藍色技術和適用的替代燃料。 EVH 新聞平台讓所有人都能獲得未來電子汽車、電子航空、電子船舶、電動摩托車、電子半導體和電動卡車電子賽車產業突破性電子技術的工具和資訊。關於 EVVTOL • EVVTOL 是一家新公司，透過策略性地定位自己，將自己打造成最具影響力的全球未來技術展覽/博覽會活動組織，以成功滿足 EV 和 VTOL 運輸行業客戶的需求！ • EVVTOL 的目標是透過發布和展示尖端的 EV 和 E-VTOL 技術來展示 EV 和 VTOL 行業並介紹電子技術領域的主要 EV 和 VTOL 車輛和零件製造商。 • EVVTOL 的使命是推出多項技術展會和博覽會，包括具有影響力的高層電動汽車商業峰會，以與電動汽車和電動汽車移動行業、能源汽車資訊技術和充電基礎設施行業的主要製造商進行商業合作的雙重主題為基礎。這些活動是了解和討論電動車和垂直起降飛機行業最新未來運輸技術進步以及仍然存在的電池能源挑戰的絕佳機會。 (evvtol.org) 877-4EV-VTOL (877-438-8865)

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