The UK’s first flying taxi has taken one step closer to becoming reality as it conducted its first real-world flight. The electric aircraft, capable of carrying four passengers plus the pilot, reached an impressive 150mph while making its landmark first cross-country flight – the first of its kind in an open airspace in Europe.
Like a helicopter, the flying taxi takes off and lands vertically, able to travel up to 100 miles at a maximum speed of 150mph. The previous tests were strictly controlled, but Tuesday’s flight over the Cotswolds marked the first time the prototype made a conventional “wing-borne” flight in open airspace, according to the Daily Telegraph. The prototype VX4 electric aircraft has been developed by a Bristol-based start-up, Vertical Aerospace, and was flown by Simon Davies.
“Our performance predictions were absolutely spot on, and the aircraft took off as a natural extension of all the ground tests and preparation we’ve done,” said Mr Davies, calling it a “career highlight”.
According to the Vertical Aerospace website, the air taxis will be able to take passengers from Battersea in southwest London to Heathrow Airport in just eight minutes, compared to a journey of 52 minutes by road or 1 hour and 5 minutes by train. They have already drawn interest from airlines in Brazil and Turkey for use at their busy airports in Sao Paulo and Istanbul.
The successful test flight comes after aviation minister Mike Kane claimed that commercial drones and flying taxis could be operational in the UK as soon as 2028.
In April, the government announced £20 million of funding to develop a programme to make these electric aircraft services a reality.
“Achieving piloted wingborne flight in open airspace under the oversight of the UK CAA is an important moment,” said Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace.
“Operating under the UK’s rigorous regulatory framework means we share the burden of safety with our regulator – every step must be approved.”