Vertical Aerospace is one of the world’s leading advanced air mobility developers, at least when it comes to its order book.

Some 1,500 units of its VX4 eVTOL aircraft have already been pre-ordered (including a 500 aircraft order from Avolon, which the lessor then managed to place in a matter of months with a handful of airlines), but before that, Vertical Aerospace will have to complete a thorough a comprehensive testing and certification process.

And no one better placed to talk precisely about this than our guest on this episode: Michael Cervenka, Chief Technology Officer at Vertical Aerospace.

Michael is an industry veteran, who, prior to joining Vertical Aerospace, worked for quite a few years at that other flagship of British aerospace industry, Rolls-Royce.

We recorded this conversation as Vertical Aerospace was preparing for a key step in its development process: its first piloted untethered flight. So, we talked with Michael in full detail about this ongoing testing programme, its current status and the challenges that lie ahead.

And, then, of course, we discussed in detail other aspects of Vertical Aerospace’s plans , such as its value proposition, its industrial plan, which, unlike other eVTOL developers, involves a whole ecosystem of partners working together.

There was also time to discuss financial and commercial aspects of the project and even some little known aspects of the project, such as the main differences between an eVTOL and a helicopter or why prototypes are painted white.

So, tune in for an in-depth conversation about one of the most fascinating eVTOL projects in the world right now!