Vertical Aerospace has expanded the scope of flight testing with its VX4 eVTOL prototype. After the UK Civil Aviation Authority broadened the terms of its permit to fly, the company this week started piloted thrustborne hover trials at Cotswold Airport in the southwest of England.

In a progress report issued on January 8, Vertical said it is now working with the regulator to start wingborne flight testing in what will be phase three of the VX4’s flight test program as it advances towards being able to achieve a full transition from vertical to horizontal flight. The Bristol-based company, which in late December agree a new funding package, is now aiming to achieve type certification for the four-passenger vehicle in 2028.

The revised permit to fly has allowed Vertical flight test team to conduct low-speed maneuvers using left generated by the VX4’s tilting propellers. Thrustborne flights enable the company to evaluate the aircraft’s stability, battery efficiency, control characteristics, aerodynamics, structural and dynamic loads and performance at different speeds.

The latest flight, with chief test pilot Simon Davies at the controls, included roll, yaw and spot turn maneuvers. This week, Vertical also announced the appointment of Tim Eldridge as an addition to the flight test team, bringing two decades of helicopter experience from his time with the Royal Navy and Babcock.

When the permit to fly is further expanded for the third phase of tests, Vertical will be able to fly the VX4 beyond the airfield boundaries. According to the company, this breakthrough will amount to a “mini-certification” of the prototype.

“Starting the year with this milestone is a fantastic achievement and testament to the dedication of our team and partners,” said Vertical CEO Stuart Simpson. “Becoming one of only two companies globally to conduct piloted thrustborne flight maneuvers in a full-scale vectored thrust eVTOL underscores the progress we are making toward our Flightpath 2030 strategy and our vision to transform the way the world moves.”