Vertical Aerospace Completes Valo Final Prototype First Flight

Vertical Aerospace completed the maiden piloted flight of its final full-scale Valo electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) prototype on June 5, 2026, at the company’s United Kingdom Flight Test Centre.

Announced in a press release on June 9, 2026, the maiden flight marks the beginning of an expanded flight test campaign. The addition of this aircraft doubles the manufacturer’s flight testing capacity as it advances toward its Critical Design Review (CDR) and a targeted 2028 entry into commercial service.

Advancing toward Critical Design Review

The flight occurred at 8:49 BST under the oversight of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), with Vertical Aerospace Test Pilot Paul Stone at the controls. This aircraft is the final prototype to join the test fleet before the company finalizes its certifiable design through the CDR process. Completing the CDR will clear the path for the assembly of the first pre-production Valo aircraft.

“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. Expanding the flight test fleet will help us validate the aircraft more quickly, reduce risk, and move more efficiently towards bringing Valo into service,” said Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace.

Hybrid-electric testing and program milestones

Following the conclusion of its all-electric flight test phases, Vertical Aerospace plans to retrofit this specific prototype to conduct hybrid-electric flight testing. The company previously announced on May 19, 2026, that it had commenced integration testing for its next-generation hybrid-electric propulsion system using a dedicated evaluation rig at Cotswold Airport.

The four-passenger Valo aircraft, which succeeds the earlier VX4 prototype design unveiled in December 2025, made its United States debut in January 2026. The manufacturer reports approximately 1,500 pre-orders for the aircraft from operators across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow Group, GOL, and Japan Airlines.

AirPro News analysis

We view the successful flight of this final prototype as a critical operational step for Vertical Aerospace. Doubling the active flight test fleet provides the data volume necessary to satisfy CAA certification requirements by the 2028 target. The planned transition of this airframe to hybrid-electric testing also indicates a strategic hedge, allowing the manufacturer to develop longer-range variants in parallel with its baseline all-electric model.

Sources: Vertical Aerospace Press Release, Vertical Aerospace