Source | Vertical Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace (London, U.K.) has formed a long-term strategic partnership with Aciturri Aerostructures (Mirando de Ebro, Spain) to build the airframes for Vertical’s electric and hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the VX4. 

The VX4 features a fixed-wing configuration with four forward-tilting propellers for vertical and cruise flight. Its fuselage (Syensqo and Leonardo) and tilt-shift propellers all incorporate carbon fiber composites. Aciturri itself is widely recognized for its expertise in the manufacture of composite aerostructures

Under this partnership agreement, Aciturri will supply the entire airframe, including the wing, empennage, pylons and fuselage, of both the pre-production and — subject to certification — certified VX4 that will enter into service. In addition, Aciturri will also have engineering responsibility for several structural components and will provide concurrent manufacturing engineering for the airframe program, providing the conditions for the VX4 to be built efficiently, reliably and at scale.

Aciturri brings nearly 50 years of experience in commercial aircraft programs, including the design and manufacturing of major airframe components for Airbus, Boeing and Embraer, including the A320, B737 and Embraer KC-390, as well as proven experience developing airframes for eVTOL programs, such as those for Eve Air Mobility and Lilium.

The combined expertise of Vertical’s engineering team with Aciturri’s proven track record in high-quality aerospace manufacturing continues Vertical’s progress towards certification and scalable production of the VX4.

This partnership reflects Vertical’s strategy of initiating production with long-range parts purchasing, a key element of the company’s Flightpath 2030 plan, as it moves to certification and production. It follows the announcement of Vertical’s expanded partnership with Honeywell to supply flight control and aircraft management systems for the VX4 and builds on Vertical’s recent milestone of completing its first airport-to-airport flights.