Vertical Aerospace has completed the first piloted flight of its latest full-scale prototype at its Flight Test Centre in the UK. The flight took place at 8:49 BST on 5 June 2026 and was flown by test pilot Paul Stone.
The aircraft entered flight testing after the UK Civil Aviation Authority issued a new Permit to Fly, following ground testing and aircraft validation. Vertical said the new prototype will join its flight-test fleet as the company expands its campaign ahead of certification work, while its existing prototype continues transition flight testing.
The latest aircraft is Vertical’s final full-scale prototype to join the fleet before the company completes Critical Design Review, which establishes the design baseline for certification. Vertical’s flight-test programme uses full-scale, piloted prototype aircraft closely aligned with the planned VX4 configuration.