Vertical Aerospace Completes First Crewed Flight of Second Full-Scale Prototype, Accelerating eVTOL Certification
UK eVTOL developer Vertical Aerospace has completed the first crewed flight of its latest full-scale prototype at the UK Flight Test Centre on 5 June 2026, doubling the company's flight test capacity and advancing preparations for Critical Design Review (CDR) and pre-production aircraft assembly.
Highlights
- Vertical Aerospace test pilot Paul Stone completed the first crewed flight of the company's second full-scale prototype at 08:49 BST on 5 June 2026, under a new UK CAA flight permit.
- The addition of the new prototype doubles Vertical Aerospace's flight test capacity and is the last aircraft to join the fleet before Critical Design Review (CDR).
- Following CDR, Vertical Aerospace will begin assembling its first pre-production Valo aircraft, marking a key step toward certification and commercial entry into service.
- After completing fully electric flight test phases, the prototype will be converted to a hybrid-electric configuration to support defence, logistics, and commercial applications requiring greater range and payload.
- CEO Stuart Simpson stated that the expanded flight test fleet will accelerate aircraft validation, reduce risk, and drive the Valo eVTOL toward operational readiness more efficiently.
Vertical Aerospace Completes Maiden Crewed Flight of Second Full-Scale Prototype
UK electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Vertical Aerospace has announced that its latest full-scale prototype has completed its first crewed flight at the UK Flight Test Centre, formally launching an expanded flight test programme.
CAA Flight Permit Secured Before Take-Off
In its official press release, the company stated: "The flight follows extensive ground testing and aircraft validation work, and was conducted under a new flight permit issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)." Vertical test pilot Paul Stone completed the flight at 08:49 BST on 5 June 2026.
Meanwhile, the company's existing prototype continues transition flight testing, having already completed multiple crewed transition flights. The new prototype is the last aircraft to join Vertical's flight test fleet before the company completes its Critical Design Review (CDR) — a key milestone that establishes the certified design baseline. Following CDR, Vertical will begin preparations to assemble its first pre-production aircraft, continuing its path towards certification and commercial operations.
Flight Test Capacity Doubled, Public Demonstrations Planned This Year
Vertical Aerospace CEO Stuart Simpson commented: "Getting our latest prototype into flight test is a significant milestone because it enables us to learn faster in the real world, continuously building momentum towards certification. Expanding our flight test fleet will help us validate the aircraft more quickly, reduce risk, and progress Valo towards entry into service more efficiently."
According to Vertical Aerospace, the new prototype will double the company's flight test capacity and support additional public demonstration activities later this year. After completing all flight test phases in fully electric configuration — including thrust-borne flight, wing-borne flight, and transition flight — Vertical plans to convert this prototype to a hybrid-electric configuration for further testing. The hybrid-electric version is expected to support applications with higher range and payload requirements, spanning defence, logistics, and broader commercial sectors.
Prototype Closely Aligned with Production-Standard Valo
The company noted: "The new prototype shares the same configuration as Vertical's existing full-scale aircraft, which has already completed all flight test phases." Vertical's flight test programme is centred on full-scale crewed prototypes whose architecture, systems, and flight characteristics closely mirror the production-standard Valo aircraft, enabling the company to validate the technology, system integration, and flight models required to support certification.
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