Skyfly Technologies successfully completed what is reported to be Europe’s first airfield-to-airfield flight of a fully eVTOL aircraft using the Axe prototype.
The flight was conducted by Skyfly’s Chief Technical Officer and test pilot Dr. William Brooks, who piloted the Axe prototype—classified as a “Vertically Capable Aircraft”—from Turweston Aerodrome in Northamptonshire to Bicester Airfield in Oxfordshire, and back again.
This round-trip flight concludes the conventional phase of Skyfly’s test program, which focuses on validating the aircraft’s airframe and control systems in wing-borne flight. The flight also demonstrates the Axe’s capability to take off and land both vertically and conventionally, offering a wide range of use cases and flexibility in operations.
Dr. William Brooks, Chief Technical Officer at Skyfly, commented, “The aircraft performed very well. It has a gentle feel in turbulence, giving the impression of more span because of the motor masses at the tips. The comfort, outstanding view and lack of noise make for enjoyable flying.”
Flight Details
The outbound leg of 10 nm took 12 minutes, cruising at the lowest cruise power setting of around 57 kW. The maximum speed was 71 kt. The return trip took 8 minutes.
Upon returning to Turweston, the aircraft climbed to 3,500 ft to conduct aerial photography and to drain the batteries to a safe transport state of charge ahead of the Axe’s upcoming trip to the United States.
Future Developments
Following successful hover tests in 2024, Skyfly received UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) clearance to proceed with conventional fixed-wing flying, and was subsequently authorized to conduct airborne transitions between vertical and wing-borne flight—an essential step for commercial eVTOL operations.
With this approval, Skyfly’s development program will now shift to testing the full transition phase.
Skyfly is concurrently building its next Axe prototype, which will conform to the final production design. The Axe features eight electric motors—two on each wingtip enclosed in a single nacelle—powered by high-capacity lithium batteries housed within the fuselage. These batteries are swappable and removable for convenient charging.
The company will showcase the Axe prototype at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, taking place 21–27 July 2025 in Wisconsin, USA. The show attracts over 500,000 visitors and 10,000 aircraft each year.
Michael Thompson, CEO, Skyfly, added, “I’m incredibly excited to take our aircraft to Oshkosh. It’s a milestone moment for Skyfly, and we’re proud to be flying the Axe into the show, assuming we receive our experimental permit in time. Demonstrating the aircraft in flight, not just as a static display, will show the world just how far we’ve come.”
