• 28 Oct 2020 09:48 PM
• 0

Vertical Aero Unveils Air Taxi

On Aug. 26, Bristol, UK-based Vertical Aerospace revealed their new air taxi design, the VA-1X. The aircraft has a very sleek and modern design that appears compatible with the Uber Elevate mission requirements, though no agreement has been announced. The all-electric VA-1X will be able to hold a pilot and four passengers, fly at a cruise speed of 150 mph (241 km/h) and reach a maximum range of 100 miles (161 km). The design has four five-bladed tilting propellers ahead of the high wing, and four pairs of coaxial co-rotating lifting propellers aft of the wing that stop and align with the airflow in cruise flight. Vertical Aerospace also said that it would soon begin building the VA-1X. The company told Aviation International News that it had relaunched a fundraising round for $40M (delayed due to COVID-19) and had previously said that Vertical would “likely need to spend $100 million to achieve type certification.” The company hopes to begin commercial flights in 2024.

The company also reported on Sept. 24 that it had secured funding from the UK Aerospace Technology Institute for a £2.3M ($3M) smart charger development project in collaboration with the University of Warwick. The collaboration between Vertical and Warwick University will take cutting-edge electrochemical concepts and principles from academia and apply them to the production of a charger with an incorporated diagnostic device. (Sources: Vertical Aerospace, Aviation International News)