Having completed more than 100 untethered flight tests with the first full-scale prototype of its five-seat Vertiia eVTOL aircraft, Australian start-up AMSL Aero has shifted its focus toward building a second prototype that will demonstrate the company’s hydrogen-electric powertrain. The company aims to roll out the new prototype and resume flight testing by the end of this year, AMSL commercial director Rick Wong told AIN.

In addition to the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, the second full-scale Vertiia prototype will add a fully functional tiltrotor system that will enable AMSL to achieve its first transition flights—transitioning from vertical lift to wingborne cruise flight as the propellers rotate from an upward to a forward-facing orientation. The earlier prototype, which used a purely battery-electric powertrain, was the first full-scale eVTOL aircraft designed, built, and flown in Australia, according to AMSL. That aircraft made its first tethered hover flights in early 2023 and began untethered flight tests in November 2024.

Sporting a unique box-wing, tiltrotor design, the Vertiia has eight sets of motors and propellers distributed across a pair of 23-foot-long carbon fiber beams, one above the aircraft’s tail and the other mounted under the nose. Small wings attached to the backsides of those beams tilt in unison with the propellers, enabling energy-efficient wingborne cruise flight. 

AMSL is targeting a cruise speed of 300 kilometers per hour (161 knots) and a range of 1,000 kilometers (540 nm) for the piloted, four-passenger aircraft. The company is also offering a freighter configuration with a payload capacity of 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). Configured for aeromedical operations, the Vertiia cabin can accommodate one patient on a stretcher with two medical staff.

The extended range enabled by AMSL’s hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system makes the Vertiia aircraft particularly well suited for emergency services in Australia, where long distances limit the utility of battery-powered eVTOL aircraft and even some helicopters. According to AMSL, the Vertiia’s operating cost is up to 70% less than comparable helicopters.

Keeping Cool With F1 Racecar Tech

To keep the hydrogen fuel cells cool during power-intensive operations, such as takeoff, landing, or hover flight, AMSL has partnered with Formula One car engine cooling specialist Conflux Technology, the company announced on March 26 at the Avalon Australian International Air Show near Melbourne. 

“In Vertiia, we are building a hydrogen-electric aircraft that flies record-breaking distances at Formula 1 speeds, making Conflux Technology, with its storied history of innovation in motorsport and aviation, the perfect partner for us,” said AMSL chairman Chris Smallhorn. 

Conflux and AMSL have already developed three concepts for heat exchangers designed to reduce weight and volume while still effectively managing the heat generated in flight. They are now optimizing a design that will be integrated and tested in the hydrogen-electric Vertiia prototype, according to AMSL.

Aeromedical and Firefighting Focus

So far AMSL has received orders for up to 26 Vertiia aircraft, 20 of which came from Aviation Logistics, an Australian air transport group that offers regional passenger and cargo flights, as well as charter and aeromedical services, through subsidiaries such as Air Link, AirMed, and Chartair. 

CareFlight, an aeromedical service provider based in New South Wales, has been collaborating with AMSL since 2020 to develop an air ambulance configuration for the Vertiia aircraft, which it aims to deploy in regional and rural healthcare networks across Australia. New Zealand-based air ambulance operator Life Flight also signed on as a Vertiia development partner last year and aims to use the aircraft to transfer patients between hospitals.

“We have deposit-backed orders from two civil customers at this point and a very healthy pipeline of interest from other operators,” Wong told AIN. “We have seen tremendous interest this week at the Avalon show and at Verticon earlier this month, and we are excited to progress these conversations further.” He said AMSL is “in a strong financial position with great investor backing and plenty of cash,” adding that the company “will return to the market for further funding before too long to further accelerate our commercial plans and rollout.”

Since its founding in 2017, AMSL has raised about AU$55 million ($35 million) from private investors including IP Group Australia, Telstra Super, and Host Plus, and StB Capital Partners. Australia’s government has also backed the program. In 2023, AMSL received a AU$5.43 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to develop an emissions-free, hydrogen-electric powertrain. 

In February 2024, AMSL received a AU$3 million grant from Australia’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects program to develop a remotely piloted, firefighting variant of the Vertiia aircraft. Partners on the project include the University of Sydney, robotics company Mission Systems, and Pay’s Air Service, which conducts aerial firefighting operations in Australia and Europe. 

“We will develop a version of Vertiia that enables Rural Fire Service crews to prevent and put out fires remotely, using swarms of autonomous aircraft, like a hi-tech flying bucket brigade that can operate day and night, radically improving crew safety and significantly reducing crew fatigue,” said AMSL Aero CEO Max York.

Although AMSL has been targeting 2027 for certification and service entry of the Vertiia aircraft, Wong acknowledged that this target could realistically slip closer toward the end of the decade, citing the complexity of certifying a new class of eVTOL aircraft. AMSL has already initiated the type certification process with the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). 

In CASA’s strategic regulatory roadmap for introducing advanced air mobility services in Australia, the agency notes that early eVTOL operations are expected to launch on the continent between 2027 and 2029. Other eVTOL manufacturers eyeing the Australian market include California-based Joby Aviation and Wisk Aero. Australian start-up airline Wilbur Air also plans to purchase a fleet of Integrity eVTOL aircraft from Spanish manufacturer Crisalion Mobility.