StoryTest
VX4 flies the first public eVTOL transition at Farnborough; Vertical in talks on up to £10M UK support for a production site
At the Farnborough Airshow, Vertical flew what it called the first public eVTOL transition: vertical take-off, a switch to wing-borne flight and back to a vertical landing, repeated through the week. It also said it was in advanced talks with the UK government on support worth up to £10 million to set up its first full-scale production site, and the Ministry of Defence confirmed interest in its technology.
- Transition is the hardest part of a tilt-rotor eVTOL flight: lift shifts from the rotors to the wing, and control must stay stable throughout.
- The £10M package is under discussion, not agreed.
- Vertical also signed an MoU with UK Export Finance and will lead a £3.4M government-backed program on charging and thermal management.
- New customer agreements: Sigma Air Mobility and VIC Properties, for air-taxi services in Portugal.
- Vertical targets type certification of its production aircraft, Valo, in 2029.