Category Archives: eVTOL

U.S. flight testing of two-seat hybrid eVTOL set to begin

20 Tuesday Oct 2026

Posted by in Aviation, Airshow, Business Aircraft, Business Aviation, DTA Americas, eVTOL, NBAA-BACE, Technology, Transport, Travel

≈ Comments Off on U.S. flight testing of two-seat hybrid eVTOL set to begin

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Théo Parant: We’ve brought a real aircraft that can fly. Photo: Abdul Latheef.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A two-seat hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft dubbed a “heavy drone” in France is set to begin flight testing in the United States, the executive behind the project said Tuesday.

“We are planning to start flight tests of the JP1 in April,” Théo Parant, CEO and co-founder of DTA Americas, said in an interview.

The company was established in Arizona this year as a subsidiary of DTA France, which has been building ultralight aircraft, including gyroplanes and trikes, since 1990.

Parant said the JP1 was registered as a drone in France because of government regulations. “In fact, it was the heaviest drone in the country,” he quipped.

Although the JP1 has already logged 200 hours of flight testing in France, the company will begin the process anew in the U.S. because of a “different administrative path” toward certification, Parant said.

The company has started taking orders for the aircraft. Photo: Abdul Latheef.

The aircraft is on display at NBAA-BACE, the business aviation industry’s largest convention, which opened Tuesday.

“We’ve brought a real aircraft that can fly,” Parant said as visitors stopped to take photos. “Not a startup with a mockup” is the company’s slogan, printed on its brochure.

The company says the JP1 can fly for two hours at full payload. It has a range of 180 miles with two people on board and up to 235 miles with one occupant. Other features include an airframe parachute, a hybrid powertrain and an autopilot.

DTA is targeting private pilots who could use the aircraft for recreation or as a “modern-day two-seat helicopter,” Parant said.

Théo Parant: The JP1 could be used as a modern day two-seat helicopter. Photo: Abdul Latheef.

“I am not very happy with the term ‘flying helicopter,’ but in a way that is what this aircraft will be used for,” he said.

The JP1 will be a new entrant in the U.S. eVTOL market, but Parant stressed that DTA is not “starting from scratch.”

He said the company has decades of aviation experience, with nearly 600 aircraft deployed worldwide. DTA France continues to maintain those aircraft and provide after-sales support, he said.

The company is taking orders for the JP1 with a $12,000 deposit, of which $10,000 is refundable. The launch edition is expected to be available in 2028 at $385,000, DTA said.

Vertical Aerospace secures commitments for $100 million

10 Monday Aug 2026

Posted by in Aircraft, Aviation, eVTOL, Vertical Aerospace

≈ Comments Off on Vertical Aerospace secures commitments for $100 million

Tags

, , , , , , ,

The Valo at the Farnborough International Airshow last month. Photo Abdul Latheef.

LONDON / NEW YORK – Vertical Aerospace said Monday it has secured financing commitments of about $100 million as the electric airplane developer moves toward certification and commercial production.

The financing includes $40 million from Mudrick Capital Management, $35 million through a planned equity offering and $25 million from the company’s preferred equity facility with Yorkville Advisors Global.

The funding is intended to support Vertical’s certification program and development of manufacturing capabilities for Valo, its four-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

Vertical said the money will help fund completion of the aircraft’s Critical Design Review, expand battery production capacity at its Energy Centre and develop future production capabilities in the United Kingdom.

The company also plans to retrofit its third prototype for hybrid-electric flight testing in the first half of 2027.

The financing announcement comes after Vertical completed piloted transition flights at the Farnborough International Airshow. A transition flight is an early test in which an eVTOL shifts from vertical lift generated by its lift rotors to forward flight using a rear-mounted pusher propeller.

Photo: Abdul Latheef

The company has secured some 1,500 orders for Valo.

“Following the momentum generated by our progress over the last six months, we are focused on converting operational progress and partner engagement into continued advancement of our certification and commercialization strategy,” Chief Executive Stuart Simpson said.

The eVTOL sector is moving closer to commercial operations, with manufacturers advancing aircraft development and certification programs while working with regulators to establish the standards and infrastructure needed to bring electric aircraft into commercial service.

The proposed Mudrick financing is subject to definitive agreements, and Vertical said there is no assurance it will close on the announced terms.

Vertical is based in Bristol, England, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker EVTL.

 Eve completes first partial transition flight

03 Monday Aug 2026

Posted by in Aircraft, Aviation, eVTOLs

≈ Comments Off on  Eve completes first partial transition flight

Tags

, , , , , ,

The Eve prototype on its partial transition flight. Photo: Eve Air Mobility.

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Eve Air Mobility has completed the first partial transition flight of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, marking a key step toward full wing-borne flight, the company said Monday.

A partial transition flight is an early test in which an eVTOL begins shifting from vertical lift, generated by its lift rotors, to forward flight using a rear-mounted pusher propeller.

The aircraft does not complete the full transition but validates systems that will eventually allow it to fly like a conventional airplane.

During the test, the Eve prototype activated its rear pusher propeller for the first time in flight while the aircraft remained airborne.

The flight lasted 3 minutes and 9 seconds, covered about 0.84 nautical miles, reached a maximum altitude of 90 feet above ground level and achieved a stabilized speed of 27 knots with a maximum ground speed of 30 knots, the company said. The pusher propeller operated at up to 1,200 rpm.

Photo: Eve Air Mobility.

The transition from vertical to wing-borne flight is considered one of the most technically demanding phases of eVTOL operations because it requires the aircraft to safely transfer lift from its vertical propulsion system to its wings while maintaining stable flight.

The company said data from the flight will be used to expand the aircraft’s flight envelope through additional transition tests at higher speeds. It also plans datalink testing to validate radio communications during flights of up to 50 knots.

Eve Air Mobility, backed by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, is developing the eVTOL aircraft for urban air mobility.