Vertical Aerospace Completes Historic Two‑Way Piloted Transition Flight in Full‑Scale Tiltrotor eVTOL

On 14 April 2026, Vertical became the second company globally to complete a two-way piloted transition flight in a full-scale tiltrotor eVTOL and the first to do so under civil aviation Design Organisation Approval regulatory oversight. Source | Vertical Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace (London, U.K.) announced that on April 14, it successfully completed a two-way piloted transition flight of its full-scale tiltrotor electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. According to Vertical, it is the second company globally to complete this flight milestone, and the first to do so under civil aviation Design Organisation Approval regulatory oversight.

Vertical’s VX4 prototype aircraft is reportedly manufactured with composite materials across its entire structure, supplied by a long-term supplier partnership with Syensqo (Brussels, Belgium). The airframe will be manufactured by Aciturri Aerostructures (Mirando de Ebro, Spain). The battery packs are produced at a Vertical Energy Centre (VEC) in Bristol, U.K., which Vertical reports has been upgraded into a pilot production line with automated aerospace-grade manufacturing processes to support certification and production.

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On April 14, Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies completed the flight — transitioning from vertical take-off to wingborne cruise and back to vertical landing — all in one continuous flight. This builds on Vertical’s thrustborne transition on April 2 and marks the completion of two-way transition. According to Vertical, this capability for transition flight validates the technology which will enable its commercial aircraft Valo to take off vertically from a city center vertiport or rooftop with passengers, fly efficiently at speed like an airplane, and land vertically at its destination comfortably, quietly and without a runway. Planned real-world routes include Canary Wharf to Heathrow or JFK to Manhattan.

Vertical is moving into the next stage of certification testing, and targeting certification of its four-to-six-passenger Valo commercial aircraft in 2028.

As with all Vertical flight tests since 2023, this milestone was achieved under the direct oversight of the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who are working in close collaboration  with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) toward Type Certification of Valo. Testing is conducted under Vertical’s Design Organisation Approval, a pre-requisite for  entry into service. 

With all phases of flight now proven — vertical take-off, wingborne flight and transition between the two — Vertical is moving into the next stage of certification testing. This will include critical design review, when the aircraft design is locked, followed by the build of seven pre-production Valo aircraft in the U.K. for compliance and verification testing with  the CAA and EASA. 

Vertical is targeting certification of Valo in 2028, with entry into service expected shortly thereafter. The certification approach is designed to be transferable to other regulators, including the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), supporting global deployment with airline and operating  partners including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. 

Over the next 12 months and beyond, Vertical says it will execute public flight demonstrations including at Farnborough International Airshow in July, progression of the hybrid-electric demonstrator, expansion of the Vertical Energy Center, advancement of the manufacturing facility, and production of the first full-scale Valo certification aircraft. 

Further, Vertical expects its U.K.-based manufacturing and supply chain to support thousands  of high-skilled jobs and significant export growth, with its ecosystem projected to  grow to over 2,000 jobs by 2035. 

“This is now the most significant technical milestone in our history,” says Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. “Full piloted transition is the most critical and complex challenge in eVTOL development, and we’ve achieved it under more rigorous regulatory oversight than anyone in the category. Our focus now is on executing our roadmap and bringing certified electric flight into commercial service.” 

“Through our Industrial Strategy and the Aerospace Technology Institute we’re backing companies like Vertical who are demonstrating the kind of innovation, engineering excellence and export potential that can keep Britain at the forefront of the global aerospace industry, and create high-skilled jobs for local people,” says Peter Kyle, U.K. Secretary of State for Business and Trade.