Eve Air Mobility has completed the hover and low-speed flight test block of its full-scale electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) prototype, clearing the way for transition flight testing. The company reported that the initial campaign focused on vertical lift, control responsiveness, and handling qualities during low-speed maneuvers.
During this phase, the prototype conducted a series of tethered and free-flight hovers, followed by progressively faster low-altitude, low-speed sorties. Engineers gathered data on flight control laws, propulsion performance, and stability in various configurations to validate simulation models and refine the fly-by-wire control system.
According to Eve, the results confirm that the aircraft can take off, hover, and maneuver as intended in the thrustborne regime, a prerequisite before attempting the shift from vertical lift to wingborne flight. The next campaign will focus on transition testing, where the eVTOL will accelerate from hover into forward flight as its wings assume the primary lift role.
Eve is developing its eVTOL for urban air mobility applications, aiming for runway-independent operations using vertical takeoff and landing combined with efficient wingborne cruise. Data from the completed hover and low-speed block will feed into aircraft design refinements, certification planning, and subsequent flight test phases leading up to full transition and cruise evaluations.