Flying vehicle startup AMSL Aero has completed the first untethered test flight of its Australian designed and manufactured electric aircraft in New South Wales’ central west.
The battery-powered ‘free’ flight took place earlier this month, AMSL Aero announced on Monday, with the fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft taking off and landing successfully more than 50 times.
It marks a crucial milestone for the eVTOL, which the Bankstown-based company wants to test with hydrogen fuel in 2025 and be ready for customers on commercial flights in 2027, pending certification and regulatory approval.
Dubbed the Vertiia, the eVTOL has been designed to fly up to 1,000km on hydrogen at a cruising speed of 300km/hour, making it suitable for customers in the aeromedical, cargo, emergency and regional air mobility sectors.
AMSL Aero conducted its first tethered test flight in February 2023 in accordance with Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations, a precursor to its untethered test flight this month.
The startup’s co-founder and chief engineer Andrew Moore, who began developing Vertiia in 2017, said the first free flight was a “breathtaking experience” for the small team of engineers.
“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 the world,” he said.
AMSL Aero chief executive Max York added that “very few aircraft companies build a full-scale aircraft and get it safely off the ground” and that it was a testament of “what can be done when you have a clear vision and amazing talent”.
The next tests planned for Vertiia will involve hydrogen fuel, and follows a $5.4 million grant with the federal government in November 2023 and a partnership with Bankstown Airport for access to hydrogen fuel.
By using hydrogen fuel cells, which are already being tested on the ground at Bankstown Airport, AMSL Aero has previously said that Vertiia will be the “longest-range passenger-capable VTOL aircraft in the word”.
The company has received deposits for 26 Vertiia aircraft orders from customers, including at least 10 orders from Aviation Logistics, which operates regional airline Air Link, aeromedical flight provider AirMed and chartered-flight opera
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.