Photo: Vertical Aerospace
Honeywell and Vertical Aerospace have strengthened their ties with a long-term agreement to certify and produce the VX4 electric aircraft.
Vertical Aerospace and Honeywell have signed a long-term agreement to support certification and production of the VX4 eVTOL. The two companies will certify the flight controls and aircraft management systems for the production aircraft. These include Honeywell’s Anthem flight deck and compact fly-by-wire system.
The systems will be certified to the 10⁹ safety standard, the same threshold applied to commercial airliners, under the supervision of the UK Civil Aviation Authority in coordination with EASA. The aim is to exceed the levels targeted by several competing eVTOL developers and to enhance the VX4’s prospects for global certification.
Honeywell and Vertical will share staff, knowledge and testing resources to speed up development, with Vertical planning to achieve type certification in 2028 and deliver 150 units by 2030. The ten-year agreement carries an estimated contract value of $1 billion.
The pair have already collaborated on multiple test campaigns using Honeywell’s flight systems. Honeywell has also been a financial backer of Vertical since 2021.
“As we accelerate toward global certification and scalable production, Honeywell’s aerospace expertise and proven track record in flight-critical systems make it the ideal partner for this next phase,” says Vertical Aerospace CEO Stuart Simpson.
“We’re excited to deepen our partnership with Vertical to help scale the technology necessary to bring even more advanced, efficient, safe and reliable solutions to the skies,” adds David Shilliday, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies’ vice president and general manager of advanced air mobility.
As part of the agreement, Vertical has also chosen Honeywell’s new lightweight inceptors for the production aircraft. Two of these pilot hand controllers will allow input to the fly-by-wire system, enhancing manoeuvrability and reducing pilot workload. Vertical and Honeywell are currently finalising the configuration.
“Our inceptor will pair seamlessly with the Honeywell Compact Fly-by-Wire system already selected by Vertical,” says Rich DeGraff, president of control systems at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “We’re excited to work together to integrate these advanced flight technologies into the VX4.”
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| Vertical Aerospace Ltd | Airframer |
| Honeywell Aerospace | Air Conditioning Equipment, Air Conditioning Equipment, Air Data Computers, Air Purification Systems, Airborne Communication Systems, Airspeed Indicators, Angle of Attack Indicators, Attitude and Heading Reference Systems, Automatic Direction Finders, Automatic Flight Control Systems, Autopilots, Avionics Management Systems, Bleed Air Systems, Cabin Management Systems, Cabin Pressure Control Systems, Cargo Systems, Cockpit Control Systems, Cockpit Printers, Cockpit Video Displays, Collision Avoidance Systems/TCAS, Cooling Systems, Distance Measuring Equipment, Electric Power Controllers, Electromagnetic Test Services, Electronic Flight Instrument Systems, Emergency Locator Transmitters, Engine Parts, Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS), Environmental Testing Services, Fibre Optic Gyroscopes, Flight Management Systems, Flight Recorders, Fly-by-Wire Systems, Fuel Tanks & Systems, Glide Slope Receivers, GPS, Heading Indicators, Horizontal Situation Indicator, IFF Interrogators, Inertial Components & Systems, Inflight Entertainment, LCD Displays, Magnetometers, Moving Maps, Multi-Mode Receivers (MMR), Onboard Intercom Systems, Pneumatic Systems Equipment, Precoolers, Proximity Sensors, Radar Transponders, Radar/Radio Altimeters, Radio Communications Equipment, Starter Generators, Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems, Testing Services, Transceivers, VOR (Omnirange) Receivers, WAAS Equipment, Weapons Countermeasures, Weather Mapping Radar |
| Honeywell Unmanned Aerial Systems and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) | Airborne Communication Systems, Airborne Electrical Power Supplies, Aircraft & Helicopter Controllers, Automatic Flight Control Systems, Autopilots, Avionics Controls, Avionics Management Systems, Certification Services, Collision Avoidance Systems/TCAS, Cooling Systems, Electric Drives, Electric Motors, Electric Power Controllers, Electromechanical Actuators, Engine Heat Exchangers, Flight Directors, Fly-by-Wire Systems, Pressure Altimeters |
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| Vertical Aerospace VX4 |
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