Skyfly’s Axe SN001 eVTOL has reached the first of three crucial milestones in its flight testing programme since being granted approval for manned test flights earlier this year.
The Axe SN001 has been progressing well through its flight testing programme approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, having now reached the first of three crucial milestones in the testing process.
This first phase of testing has been used to tune the aircraft’s handling during vertical take offs and landings, hovering, and low-speed rotor-borne flight. Test flights have been carried out by Skyfly’s CEO, Michael Thompson.
Now that the aircraft has proven out of the hover phase, attention will shift to the next major milestone: testing the wing-borne forward flight mode, including conventional take-offs and landings on a runway.
In forward flight, the Axe uniquely uses mechanical control linkages from the stick and pedals directly to the control surfaces, as opposed to a servo driven fly by wire system. This is for total security for the pilot in the event of a power failure and the aircrafts ability to glide and land.
Once the Axe has mastered forward flight, the third milestone will be to begin testing the airborne transition between the two flight modes, bringing the Axe from wing-borne flight into the hover, and vice-versa.
The Axe’s ability to conduct vertical take offs and landings, while still offering the efficiency and speed of a conventional fixed wing airplane, is a key differentiator compared to the previous generation of light aircraft. At the same time, the Axe offers considerably lower costs, a smaller noise and environmental footprint, and more layers of safety redundancy than a helicopter.
Michael Thompson, CEO of Skyfly, said, “We are thrilled with how the hover testing has progressed — it’s truly an exhilarating experience to feel this aircraft lift off with the quiet hum of electric motors instead of the roar of a piston engine. The calm and smooth sound, combined with minimal vibration, makes for an incredibly reassuring flight.
“We were particularly pleased with the forward visibility under the wing, which has been a concern for many. By installing a wide angle forward-facing camera, we also vastly improved situational awareness. This is unlike anything I’ve ever flown. I can’t wait to see this aircraft advance to forward flight soon, ticking off another major milestone.”
