Overview
- Vertical Aerospace flew a full-scale Valo prototype from vertical lift to wing-supported flight under U.K. Civil Aviation Authority oversight at Cotswold Airport.
- The test shifted from a vertical hover as the front four propellers tilted forward, the rear four were stowed, lift moved to the wing, and the aircraft made a conventional runway landing.
- Vertical says the result completes the first half of a full transition sequence and supports its plan for concurrent CAA and EASA certification targeted for 2028.
- The next required step is the transition back from wing-supported flight to a hover, followed by building conforming aircraft for formal regulator evaluations.
- To fund the push, the company has an agreement in principle for up to $850 million alongside about $93 million reported at year-end and a March $50 million raise, with money earmarked for testing, certification work, and early production.