British aerotaxi Valo made its first public flight

The British developer of electric aircraft Vertical Aerospace is entering a new stage of testing its eVTOL Valo. A full-fledged prototype made its first public flight during the Farnborough International Airshow – one of the largest aviation events in the world.

This event was made possible thanks to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which extended permission for the test. If the company previously tested the device in a closed center, then Valo was allowed to go into the loaded airspace, which confirms the safety of the design.

At the air show, the company demonstrated not only the piloted flight of the prototype, but also exhibited a full-size model of the production version of Valo. This is an important step towards certification, series production and commercial operation. The device has already successfully completed piloted transitions between vertical and horizontal flight modes.

Features and description of Valo

The device is designed to carry four passengers and a pilot. According to preliminary calculations, Valo will be able to develop a speed of more than 241 km/h and cover a distance of about 161 kilometers on a single charge. This makes it the optimal solution for long-distance flights and quick transfers from airports to the centers of megacities.

Schedule for the coming years

In the coming months, Vertical Aerospace intends to complete the complex of tests necessary for the certification of the aircraft.

The company expects to complete design verification by the end of 2026, and launch a trial production line in the third quarter. In parallel, expansion of the Vertical Energy Center is planned, where work with battery technologies is underway, as well as the selection of a turbogenerator supplier for a promising hybrid modification.

The hybrid version is developed taking into account the real limitations of batteries. Since the energy density in the batteries remains a weak point, the on-board generator will help to significantly increase the flight range. Full-fledged flight tests of the production version are planned for the first half of 2027.