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Australia’s first passenger-capable long range electric VTOL aircraft  joins short list of global leaders to achieve free flight

 

AMSL Aero, the zero-emission aircraft designer and manufacturer, has completed the first free flight of Vertiia, Australia’s first passenger-capable, emission-free, long range electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) aircraft.

The landmark flight is the first by an Australian-designed and built eVTOL, the new generation of aircraft that take off and land like a helicopter but fly fast and smoothly like a fixed-wing aeroplane. Since the first untethered flight, which took place earlier this month, the aircraft has since taken off, flown and landed successfully more than 50 times.

 

Vertiia is the most complex civil aircraft ever developed in Australia. It has been designed to fly up to 1,000km on hydrogen at a cruising speed of 300km/hour with zero carbon emissions, carrying up to four passengers and a pilot.

 

The historic test flight was performed on battery power by remote control in the Central West region of New South Wales in accordance with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations. AMSL Aero will begin hydrogen-fuelled flight testing of Vertiia in 2025 having already broken records in 2023 by completing the first tethered battery-powered hover.

 

This year, AMSL Aero 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 Co-Founder, Chief Engineer and Vertiia inventor 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.”

 

AMSL Aero Chief Executive 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.”

 

ENDS

A Media Kit with photography can be found here. Please request access if necessary.

AMSL Aero Media Contact:

Dominic White

+61 439 269 615

[email protected]

 

About AMSL Aero

 

AMSL Aero is an Australian sustainable aviation development company founded in 2017 by Andrew Moore (Co-Founder and Chief Engineering Officer), an aeronautical engineer with 20+ years’ experience in the aircraft industry, and Siobhan Lyndon (Co-Founder and COO), who has 20+ years’ experience in the technology, telecommunications, and professional services sectors. AMSL Aero’s CEO Max York is a 20+ year aviation executive and former CEO of GE Australia. The company’s headquarters are in Bankstown, New South Wales, with flight test facilities in regional New South Wales. The name “AMSL Aero” is derived from the initials of the founders, Andrew Moore (‘AM’) and Siobhan Lyndon (‘SL’). AMSL also refers in aviation speak to ‘Above Mean Sea Level’. The team at AMSL Aero includes highly experienced aerospace, electrical, avionics, and mechanical engineers, all of whom have contributed to this amazing new aircraft. AMSL Aero is backed by private investors including IP Group Australia, Telstra Super, Host Plus and St Baker Energy Innovation Fund, and the Australian Government. Further information about AMSL Aero – www.amslaero.com

 

AMSL Aero Vertiia Fact Sheet

• ●Vertiia is a highly efficient long-range zero-emissions VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft due to its unique combination of aerodynamic efficiency and structural design
• ●Vertiia takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter, and flies fast and efficiently like a fixed wing aeroplane. It is safer, quieter, and more efficient than a helicopter
• ●Vertiia has the potential to operate with zero carbon emissions by using green hydrogen
• ●The initial civil aircraft will be certified for piloted flight, with autonomy systems installed for future remote piloted applications
• ●Vertiia will have a cost to operate in the longer term comparable with short-range (domestic) airliners but has the advantage of taking passengers from door to door due to not requiring a runway
• ●Vertiia’s light air ambulance setup will seat a pilot, a paramedic and/or doctor and patient, or it can be configured to carry passengers (1 pilot + 4pax) or freight
• ●Vertiia will cruise at 300km/hour and its range will be up to 1,000km on hydrogen power
• ●AMSL Aero holds international patents for Vertiia, protecting its core technological features, including its unique wing tilting mechanism, combined with its box wing design and flight control system
• ●Vertiia is an eight electric motor tilting wing aircraft that can operate from a helipad or similar size landing site
• ●Vertiia has the capability to connect regional hubs within New Zealand and Australia and, due to the small number of seats, it can conduct on-demand (unscheduled) services to reduce excess capacity (empty seats)