2 March 2023
A new distance record has been set by an electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft (eVTOL) on a single charge of the vessel’s batteries.
AutoFlight’s Gen4 aircraft flew 155 miles (250km) on 23 February. However, it was remotely piloted and the distance was set flying 20 circuits of a pre-defined flight track. Autoflight’s R&D and Certification centre is at Augsburg Airport in Germany.
AutoFlight said that while its Gen4 aircraft is fitted with state-of-the-art avionics, the aircraft also ran third-party avionics to record and verify the distance flown on ForeFlight, an independent system.
A statement from Autoflight claimed the flight is the longest fully electric aircraft flight in history, where the aircraft both takes off and lands vertically. The long-range test flight is a key milestone in the development of the ‘Prosperity I’ aircraft, as it undergoes continued testing towards the company’s goal of airworthiness certification in 2025 with EASA.
AutoFlight’s president Omer Bar-Yohay – formerly co-founder of Eviation – said, “This flight is both a great celebratory milestone, and a testament to the team’s incredible effort and progress in testing and incrementally pushing the aircraft’s performance envelope. It’s a remarkable achievement that shows our aircraft’s capability, and we are excited to continue working towards our next goals all the way to EASA certification in 2025.”
The record flight was also the public debut for the Generation 4 model, designed by automotive designer Frank Stephenson. Frank’s vehicle design portfolio includes Ferrari, Maserati, McLaren, MINI and now AutoFlight.
AutoFlight’s Prosperity aircraft uses rotors to lift the aircraft vertically for takeoff, then transitions to horizontal flight on the wing, like a traditional aeroplane. Autoflight claims the aircraft is capable of speeds in excess of 125mph, over a range greater than 155 miles.
