Vertical Aerospace's First eVTOL Prototype Flight Is a Success
Vertical Aerospace has taken a major step toward commercializing its VX4 winged eVTOL, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Last Thursday, the electric aviation startup's prototype performed its first wingborne flight with approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, making the VX4 the first winged eVTOL to have flown through open European airspace.
Vertical's chief test pilot, Simon Davies, lifted the prototype from Cotswold Airport and navigated it through a brief climb before cruising around the vicinity at an altitude of 2,000 feet. According to Aviation International News, the VX4 reached a maximum speed of 120 knots (138 miles per hour). As the prototype flew, on-ground engineers captured more than 30,000 in-flight data parameters related to stability, control, and energy consumption. Once the VX4 touched down again, Vertical confirmed the aircraft had flown "as expected."
"In Phase 3 of testing—wingborne flight—the VX4 operates like a conventional aircraft using lift generated by its wings, rather than relying solely on rotor thrust," Vertical said. "This low-power, quiet, and range-efficient mode of flight is key to making electric air travel practical, scalable, and economically viable."
Before Thursday, Vertical had conducted two other flight tests. The first, which took place in September 2024, involved VX4 hovering while loosely tethered to the ground. In February 2025, the prototype took off and landed vertically via its propellers, performing low-speed flight maneuvers in between.
Now Vertical is preparing for its final test, dubbed the "transition" phase. Before the end of the year, the VX4 will transition between thrustborne and wingborne flight and back again. This is considered the last major flight milestone before certification for commercial flights. The startup hopes to achieve this step by 2030.
Should Vertical—or any other eVTOL brand, for that matter—introduce commercial flights to a metropolitan region such as London, the flights could reduce conventional air travel and even longer road trips. In 2023, United Airlines announced that it would introduce an "air taxi route" to the Chicago region in 2025, using Archer Aviation's "Midnight" eVTOL. Though there hasn't been a major update regarding the route since then, Archer's website says it is currently working through Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification processes that will bring its air taxi to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other major cities.
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