Last Prototype Makes First Piloted Flight June 5th, 2026 was the date that Vertical Aerospace made the first flight with their latest full-scale prototype that was piloted by a human. Paul Stone was the test pilot behind the controls for the momentous flight for Vertical Aerospace. The company has done alot of test flying with previous iterations but now they can continue the expansion of human interfaced testing and learn and understand real world parameters.
"Getting our latest prototype into flight testing is an important milestone because it allows us to learn faster in real-world conditions and keep building momentum towards certification," said CEO Stuart Simpson. There is a long way ahead for Vertical Aerospace. The latest aircraft should also be the last aircraft prototype before the Critical Design Review (CDR) is set. The CDR locks in the final design that will be carried forward to certification. Vertical Aerospace is thrusting for certification in 2028.
Once the CDR is passed Vertical Aerospace will look forward to building the first Certification conforming aircraft or pre-production aircraft. It has been a long road of testing for Vertical Aerospace but the program is coming together. The previous prototype was registered G-EVTA while the newest is marked as G-EVTB.
As for this last prototype aircraft once it completes those phases in electric configuration, Vertical Aerospace plans to convert it into a testbed for a hybrid-electric variant. This is an insight into the future plans of Vertical looking at boosting the capability and range of the aircraft. This is a future development aimed at applications requiring greater range and payload for sectors like defense, logistics, or extended commercial transport. For more information: Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd. Unit 1, Camwal Court, Chapel Street Bristol, BS2 0UW www.vertical-aerospace.com ***
