ABOVE: An artist’s impression of the Axe in flight
The British firm Skyfly has started series production of its Axe eVTOL aircraft, and is now aiming to have the first manned flight in the third quarter of the year.
The project, which was launched with the support of the Light Aircraft Association (LAA), targets the private transport market; promising an aircraft that could be flown with a PPL and that could take off and land both vertically and conventionally. Unlike other eVTOLs, this aircraft could also glide to a landing in case of a powertrain failure.
Certification, which would likely be under a Permit To Fly in the UK (and similar arrangements abroad), is expected for the last part of 2024, when deliveries to customers would also start. The company reports that it has more than twenty orders for the aircraft, which is on sale for £150,000.
ILLUSTRATION: SKYFLY
