"VX4" eVTOL

Credit: Vertical Aerospace 

By Shardell Joseph 

A Bristol-based startup, UK, has recently revealed footage of its electric aircraft prototype, which is capable of carrying loads up to 250kg. According to the company, Vertical Aerospace, the electrical vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) is the first electrical aircraft in the world to carry such weight.

With the aim of contributing to the decarbonisation of the commercial aviation industry, the company created the prototype with new technologies from Formula 1 to provide city-to-city passenger transport. Named Seraph, the air taxi prototype completed its first flight at Llandbedr Airfield, Wales, on 22 August.

‘Today is another major milestone on the path towards carbon free flight. One year ago, we flew a full-scale electric VTOL aircraft, the UK’s first,’ said Vertical Aerospace Founder and CEO, Stephen Fitzpatrick.

‘We are revealing flight footage of our second full scale prototype, the Seraph, an air taxi prototype capable of carrying 250kg. Air travel is one of the worst contributors to climate change and among the slowest sectors to decarbonise. Our mission at Vertical Aerospace is to make personal, on demand and carbon free flight a reality.’

Carrying loads of up to 250kg, the aircraft can also reach speeds of up to 80km per hour. The Seraph also features a passive cooling system and a customisable design, which means it can be made larger or smaller with wheels or floats to facilitate water landings. The prototype is testing new technologies in order to integrate into the upcoming passenger model, expected to be unveiled next year.

The company is integrating technologies and agile processes from F1 to develop the aircraft including best practice in building fast, lightweight composite structures.

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