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What happened on Vertical Aerospace’s first VX4 flight?
Over the weekend before its September 26, 2022 announcement, the full-scale, piloted VX4 lifted off the ground for the first time. Chief Test Pilot Justin Paines was at the controls. The aircraft’s eight sets of aerodynamic propellers produced hover thrust while safety tethers restrained it. Vertical said the test followed the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s issuance of a Permit to Fly.
Vertical described the lift as a milestone after months of preparation. Paines said: “This test represented the culmination of many months preparation by a huge team and being at the controls of the VX4 for the first time was an honour and a proud moment for us all.” That is the company’s own account, not an independent assessment of the flight. Vertical Aerospace’s September 2022 announcement
Was the VX4 flight tethered?
Yes. The September 2022 maiden lift was a piloted, tethered hover. That distinction matters: a tethered lift tests whether the aircraft can generate enough thrust to rise and hover in the test setup, while the restraints limit its movement. It does not demonstrate untethered flight or the transition from vertical lift to wingborne forward flight.
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How did later VX4 tests differ?
Later milestones involved different test objectives and, eventually, a newer prototype. They should not be treated as interchangeable “first flights.”
| Milestone | Pilot and restraint | What it addressed | Evidence and qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2022 maiden lift | Pilot onboard; tethered | Initial lift into hover | Vertical’s announcement; company-reported test |
| July 2023 thrustborne campaign | Remote and uncrewed | Hover and low-speed thrustborne flight; reported target speed of 40 knots (70 km/h) | Vertical reported that targets were generally exceeded by 10–30% and sustained hover lasted longer than anticipated; company-reported results |
| Later 2023 test incident | Uncrewed; the filing describes a stable descent before ground impact | A further test after the thrustborne campaign | Vertical’s 2024 filing says investigations identified propeller-blade adhesive bond failure as the primary cause |
| Newer-prototype programme, 2024–February 2025 | Piloted; progressed from tethered flights to untethered vertical take-off and landing | Expanded piloted testing in phases | Vertical’s 2024 annual filing says Phase 2 ended in February 2025 after more than 30 piloted test flights in that phase |
In its August 2023 update, Vertical said the first full-scale prototype had completed its remote thrustborne campaign and reached a target speed of 40 knots (70 km/h). The company also reported that performance targets in hover and low-speed flights were generally exceeded by 10–30%. These are the company’s reported campaign results, not certified aircraft specifications or independently verified performance figures. Vertical Aerospace’s August 2023 update
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The later 2023 incident was a separate test
After that campaign, an unexpected fault during a further uncrewed test led to a stable descent and damage when the aircraft hit the ground. Vertical’s 2024 annual filing says company and Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigations identified adhesive bond failure between a propeller blade and its attachment as the primary cause. The filing says Vertical redesigned the early-generation propeller and no longer used the same supplier. This incident occurred after the July campaign; it does not mean the campaign itself failed.
The newer prototype entered piloted testing
Vertical’s 2024 filing says its newer full-scale prototype was completed in July 2024 and received a CAA Permit to Fly that month. Piloted tethered flights began in July, and the aircraft achieved piloted untethered vertical take-off and landing in November. The company said Phase 2 concluded in February 2025, following more than 30 piloted test flights in that phase. These later tests used a newer prototype, not the aircraft involved in the 2022 maiden lift.
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Vertical Aerospace’s 2024 annual filing
Does a successful test mean the VX4 is certified?
No. A Permit to Fly allows specified testing; it is not type certification or authorization to carry passengers in commercial service. Type certification requires demonstrating that an aircraft design complies with applicable airworthiness requirements. The company’s 2024 filing describes a type certificate as a prerequisite for an individual aircraft to receive a Certificate of Airworthiness.
In that filing, Vertical stated that it planned to pursue type certification concurrently with the UK CAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), with a target of 2028. That is the company’s plan as stated in a filing submitted in 2025, not a guarantee or confirmation that certification has been achieved.
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What did the 2022 milestone establish—and what did it not?
- It established: Vertical’s piloted full-scale prototype lifted into a tethered hover during the announced test.
- It did not establish: untethered transition to forward flight, operational readiness, passenger-service approval, or type certification.
- Later evidence: Vertical reported separate uncrewed thrustborne tests in 2023 and a newer prototype’s piloted test progress from 2024 into 2025. Each phase addressed different development questions.
Vertical’s official news archive lists announcements dated April 16, 2026, for a two-way piloted transition flight, and July 20, 2026, for a first public eVTOL transition flight at Farnborough. The archive establishes that the company published those announcement titles and dates; it does not, by itself, substantiate the flights’ technical details. Vertical Aerospace’s official news archive
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