Vertical Aerospace Flies Final eVTOL Prototype Ahead of CDR

Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL) completed the maiden piloted flight of its final full-scale electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) prototype on June 5, 2026, doubling the manufacturer’s flight test capacity ahead of its upcoming Critical Design Review.

The flight took place at 8:49 BST at the company’s United Kingdom Flight Test Centre. According to a press release issued on June 9, 2026, the successful sortie followed the issuance of a new Permit to Fly from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and marks the last major hardware iteration before the company establishes its certifiable design baseline.

Advancing toward Critical Design Review

The introduction of this final prototype is a prerequisite for the manufacturer’s Critical Design Review (CDR). Completing the CDR will freeze the aircraft’s design and clear the way for Vertical Aerospace to begin assembling its first pre-production airframes for the Valo four-passenger aircraft program.

Test Pilot Paul Stone commanded the June 5 flight. The addition of a second active aircraft to the test fleet allows the company to accelerate its data collection and validation processes.

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

Dual-track flight test campaign

Vertical Aerospace is now operating two full-scale prototypes simultaneously. The company’s previous prototype is currently engaged in transition flight testing. That aircraft completed a milestone one-way transition flight on April 2, 2026, and continues to expand its flight envelope through thrustborne, wingborne, and transition phases.

The newly flown prototype will initially focus on all-electric flight testing. Once those phases are complete, the manufacturer intends to retrofit the aircraft for hybrid-electric flight testing. This future configuration is intended to support defense, logistics, and broader commercial applications beyond short-range urban air mobility.

The Valo program currently holds approximately 1,500 pre-orders from operators and lessors including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL, and Japan Airlines.

AirPro News analysis

Reaching the final prototype stage is a critical threshold for any eVTOL developer. For Vertical Aerospace, getting a second aircraft into the air mitigates the schedule risk inherent in relying on a single test article. If one aircraft requires maintenance or modifications, the flight test campaign can continue. We view the planned hybrid-electric retrofit as a strategic pivot to expand the Valo’s addressable market, acknowledging that pure battery-electric range limitations may restrict early commercial use cases. Securing the UK CAA Permit to Fly for this specific airframe also demonstrates ongoing regulatory alignment as the company approaches its CDR.

Sources: Vertical Aerospace