Overview
- Test pilot Paul Stone flew the VX4’s first transition-phase sortie on November 13 after the Permit to Fly was issued.
- The approval moves the program into Phase 4, allowing pilots to assess the tiltrotor shift from vertical lift to wingborne flight across the envelope.
- Vertical says it verified 200 minimum safe aircraft requirements and submitted more than 20,000 pages of safety and technical data to secure the permit.
- The company targets completing full transition testing by the end of 2025 as it advances toward type certification with the UK CAA and EASA, with a goal around 2028.
- Financial guidance cited by the company includes roughly $700 million in remaining certification costs, about £89 million in cash supporting operations into mid-2026, and projected operating cash outflows of roughly £175 million over the next year.