en.Wedoany.com Reported - Vertical Aerospace completed the UK's first public demonstration flight of a full-scale tiltrotor electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow. The propulsion blades used in this flight were jointly designed by Vertical Aerospace and the National Composites Centre (NCC), with NCC playing a key role as an innovation partner, assisting this UK high-growth potential company in developing technology, manufacturing capabilities, and supply chain to bring next-generation aircraft closer to commercial reality.
NCC collaborated with Vertical Aerospace's engineering team to design second-generation composite rotor blades and fuselage components for the full-scale prototype flight. The team needed to apply expertise in composite design and industrialization to address the project's most challenging engineering hurdles. The prototype blades required a novel design approach: they had to vertically lift the aircraft, then seamlessly transition to wing-borne flight, while remaining lightweight, aerodynamically efficient, and meeting certification requirements such as bird strike resistance. Leveraging 15 years of aerospace experience, NCC engineers developed an innovative blade structure that integrated structural performance into the design itself.
Richard Oldfield, CEO of NCC, stated that the successful public flight of the full-scale prototype is a milestone moment for UK aerospace, built on British engineering. The program demonstrates NCC's ability to support innovation across the aerospace sector, from global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to startups. NCC showcased capabilities from concept design to production-ready manufacturing, helping Vertical Aerospace identify UK-based manufacturing partners capable of producing components at scale, contributing to a resilient domestic supply chain. Currently, approximately 60% of Vertical Aerospace's procurement spending remains in the UK, with about 30% invested in the South West region.
Bristol and the wider West of England region host the UK's leading aerospace cluster, valued at over £2.9 billion. NCC's engineering expertise is a vital asset in maintaining the region's leading position. eVTOL represents a new class of aircraft, and the UK's ability to design, industrialize, and supply its critical components will determine its competitive standing in the global advanced air mobility sector. Advanced air mobility is a priority growth area in the UK's Industrial Strategy and Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, supported by the government through the "Future Flight" program. The full-scale prototype project demonstrates how combining innovative aircraft design with advanced engineering expertise and UK manufacturing capabilities can accelerate commercialization while helping high-growth companies scale up.
Founded in Bristol in 2016, Vertical Aerospace has grown into a unicorn company valued at over $1 billion. The company pioneered the development of electric aircraft for the emerging advanced air mobility market, with the full-scale prototype validating the core aerodynamic and flight control technologies of its subsequent model, the VALO. As one of the UK's most prominent unicorns in recent years, the company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021. Its successful public demonstration flight at Farnborough showcases how collaboration within the UK innovation ecosystem, including innovation partners like NCC, can transform ideas into commercial reality.
