Volz Servos has contributed its advanced actuation expertise to a major electric aviation milestone, as Vertical Aerospace successfully completed a full two-way piloted transition flight with its full-scale electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) prototype.
In April 2026, Vertical’s Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies completed the flight, switching from helicopter mode to airplane mode and back again in one continuous piloted flight. For tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft, this transition is one of the defining technical capabilities, with vertical take-off, efficient wingborne flight and vertical landing all having to work together reliably.
With this achievement, Vertical is now the second company globally to complete a two-way piloted transition flight in a full-scale tiltrotor eVTOL, and the first, according to Volz Servos, to do so under civil aviation Design Organisation Approval regulatory oversight.
The DA 30-HT, DA 30-HT-D and DA 58-D advanced actuators from Volz Servos control all flight-control surfaces on Vertical’s prototype. Volz Servos also implemented the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol in these servos to support the demanding requirements of modern electric aviation.
Jenny Harcourt, Vertical VP Procurement & Supply Chain, commented, “This is a highly significant milestone for us. It validates the defining capability of our aircraft and marks a major step forward on our path to certification and commercial service. It also proves that we are at the forefront of this emerging industry. And it is Volz’s achievement too.”
For Volz Servos, this milestone serves as another example of why reliable, high-performance actuation is essential for the next generation of aircraft.
Phillipp Volz, CEO of Volz Servos, added, “eVTOLs are a new category of aircraft and have to prove that they are safe to fly over densely populated urban areas. We are extremely proud to have contributed to Vertical completing a piloted transition flight in a full-scale tiltrotor aircraft in regulated airspace, under a CAA Design Organisation Approval.”
With all phases of flight now demonstrated, Vertical is moving on to the next stages of the program, including Critical Design Review and the build of the first Valo pre-production aircraft. Certification is targeted for 2028, with Volz Servos continuing to support Vertical in enabling safe, precise and reliable flight-control performance.
