Vertical Aerospace has completed the maiden piloted flight of its latest full-scale prototype electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, expanding a flight-test program aimed at supporting certification of the company's Valo air taxi, said the company.
Announced on 9 June, the flight took place at 8:49 BST on June 5 at Vertical's Flight Test Centre in the United Kingdom, with Vertical’s test pilot Paul Stone at the controls. It followed the issuance of a new Permit to Fly from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after a period of ground testing and aircraft validation.
The aircraft, which Vertical introduced in January as its "third and final full-scale prototype," integrates components from partners including Honeywell, Molicel, and Syensqo, and was built as an exact replica of the existing prototype. It will now progress through thrustborne, wingborne, and transition flight test phases from the beginning, doubling the company's active flight test capacity and supporting additional public demonstrations planned for later this year.
The new prototype is the last aircraft Vertical plans to fly before completing Critical Design Review (CDR), typically a standard milestone in aircraft development, marking the point at which a design is considered mature enough to proceed toward manufacturing and certification testing. Following CDR, the Bristol-headquartered company said it will begin preparations for assembly of its first pre-production aircraft.
The first flight comes as Vertical's existing prototype continues to advance through its own test programme. In April 2026, the company completed a piloted two-way transition flight, demonstrating the aircraft's ability to move between vertical and wingborne flight modes and return again within the same mission profile. Vertical described the milestone as an important step toward certification and commercial operations.
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"Getting our latest prototype into flight testing is an important milestone because it allows us to learn faster in real world conditions and keep building momentum towards certification," CEO Stuart Simpson said. "Expanding the flight test fleet will help us validate the aircraft more quickly, reduce risk, and move more efficiently towards bringing Valo into service."
Once the new prototype completes its all-electric test programme, Vertical intends to retrofit it with a hybrid-electric propulsion system. The company says the hybrid configuration could enable greater range and payload capacity, opening potential applications in logistics, defence, and commercial markets beyond urban air mobility.
Vertical's production aircraft, marketed under the name Valo, is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers, and is designed to fly up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 150 mph, with zero operating emissions. The company reports approximately 1,500 pre-orders and commitments from customers including airlines, leasing companies, and aviation operators across four continents.
