Skyfly’s Axe VCA completes first piloted fixed-wing flights in major project milestone

Skyfly’s Axe VCA (Vertically Capable Aircraft) has completed the second of three key milestones in its flight testing programme, with the aircraft now having undertaken its first wing-borne test flights.

In recent days, the Axe has conducted wing-borne flights of up to 17 minutes in duration at heights of up to 2,500ft. The aircraft was found to be stable and controllable in all flight conditions, with benign stall characteristics.

“During our latest test flights, The Axe performed beyond expectations in forward flight, showcasing exceptional efficiency, stability and stall-handling characteristics. Its intuitive design ensures that even inexperienced pilots can fly it with ease. Most importantly, these outstanding flight qualities mean that transition tests, to and from the hover, can now happen much faster than anticipated — without the need for any modifications or design changes. This has all been possible thanks to our incredible team who have put in hours of hard work. A special mention has to go to Dr William Brooks, our CTO and Chief Designer and Test Pilot who has designed a truly amazing aircraft – this is a testament to his 40+ years in designing, building and testing aircraft.” – Michael Thompson, CEO, Skyfly.

In the forward flight mode, the Axe VCA can operate like a normal fixed-wing airplane, cruising at speeds of 100mph with minimal energy consumption. It can also perform energy-efficient conventional take-offs and landings on a runway.

When no runway is available, the Axe can transition to a nose-high attitude and enter rotor-borne flight, allowing it to hover much like a helicopter, and take-off or land vertically. The Axe’s first test flights were conducted exclusively in hover mode, with testing completed in late 2024.

The next phase of flight testing will see the Axe demonstrate airborne transitions between the forward flight and hover modes.