AMSL Aero has completed the first untethered flights of its full-scale Vertiia prototype, Australia’s first domestically developed eVTOL aircraft.
According to AMSL Aero since the first untethered flight earlier this month, Vertiia has been flown another 50 times.
Vertiia has been designed to fly up to 1,000km (620 miles) fueled by hydrogen at a cruising speed of 300km/h (186mph) with zero emissions, carrying up to four passengers and a pilot. AMSL Aero plans to certify the eVTOL aircraft in 2027.
The test flight was performed using remote control in the Central West region of New South Wales in accordance with Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations.
The company plans to begin hydrogen-fueled flight testing of Vertiia in 2025 having already broken records in 2023 by completing the first tethered battery-powered hover.
AMSL Aero said it has received deposits for 26 Vertiia aircraft orders from civil customers including 20 from Aviation Logistics, which operates the Air Link, AirMed and Chartair brands covering passenger services, aircraft charter, air freight and aeromedical flights across Australia.
AMSL Aero’s co-founder, chief engineer and inventor of Vertiia Andrew Moore said, “Watching Vertiia take to the sky in free flight was a breathtaking experience for our incredible team of engineers and me.
“This landmark is proof that the design we pioneered seven years ago works, and it moves us closer to our goal of improving the lives of remote, rural and regional communities in Australia and around the world with an aircraft that conquers the tyranny of distance with zero emissions.”
CEO of AMSL Aero Max York said, “Today marks a huge milestone on AMSL Aero’s journey and places the company on a very short list of global leaders in advanced eVTOL development. Very few aircraft companies build a full-scale aircraft and get it safely off the ground. What AMSL Aero has achieved with a small, focused team is incredible and shows what can be done when you have a clear vision and amazing talent.”
