Vertical Aerospace

Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace is a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation. Vertical is creating a safer, cleaner, and quieter way to travel. Valo is a civil piloted, four-passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions.

Vertical is Europe’s and the UK’s only viable Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for eVTOLs aircraft that has a proven aircraft design. For defence applications Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the advanced air mobility market. The company’s large and flexible “Valo” civil airframe allows for the integration of hybrid-electric propulsion technology and superior payload capacity without requiring major redesign. This design freedom supports both operational scalability and mission versatility - advantages that smaller platforms may struggle to accommodate.

Vertical’s second-generation hybrid-propulsion system, which has been in development at the Vertical Energy Centre, will be retrofitted into one of the company’s VX4 full scale prototypes and is expected to commence flight testing in 2026.

Key capabilities of Vertical’s hybrid-electric variant:

• Range: Up to 1,000 miles, a 10-fold increase from its all-electric aircraft.

• Payload: Configurable to carry up to 1,100 kilograms in Valo’s class-leading airframe capacity.

• Low noise and thermal footprint: Low noise and heat signatures make the hybrid variant well-suited for sensitive missions.

• Crewed and uncrewed capabilities: Through open system architecture, the hybrid-electric technology is capable of being deployed autonomously, remotely, or with a pilot. Uncrewed capabilities can be seamlessly integrated into the existing Flight Control System being developed by Honeywell.

• Mission resilience: Built off the Valo’s industry-leading redundancy and damage tolerance, boosting confidence for mission-critical operations.

Vertical combines partnerships with leading aerospace companies, including Honeywell, Syensqo and Aciturri, with its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop the world’s most advanced and safest eVTOL