DEVELOPER VERTICAL Aerospace has unveiled the VA-1X, which the UK company says will be the first certified winged electric take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, The VA-1X will be a five-seat aircraft primarily providing passenger transportation on routes of up to 148km. It will feature a distributed propulsion system using lithium-ion batteries. At 13m long with a 15m wingspan, the aircraft is designed to operate from existing helipads and airports and be 30 times quieter than a helicopter. It will have a 450kg payload capability and a 130kts cruise speed. A company statement said assembly work will begin "shortly" An initial test flight is expected next year with certification and service entry targeted for 2024. Since its creation in 2016 by OVO Energy founder Stephen Fitzpatrick, Vertical Aerospace has flown multiple scale model and full-scale eVTOL prototypes, including the Seraph multirotor that took to the skies last year at Llanbedr Airfield in North Wales, UK. Honeywell is supplying flight control software and has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to provide a vehicle management system for the VA-1X prototype. Engineers with motor racing industry experience are also involved in the project. Vertical Aerospace has a presence in the Formula 1 cluster in Oxfordshire and Fitzpatrick established the Manor F1 team, The company is looking to combine F1 technology "with aerospace rigour and discipline" to develop its design.
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机译：开发人员垂直航空航天已经推出了VA-1X，英国公司表示将是第一个认证的翅膀电动起飞和着陆（EVTOL）Air Taxi，VA-1X将是一个五座飞机，主要是在路线上提供乘客运输高达148公里。它将采用锂离子电池的分布式推进系统。该飞机距离15米的翅膀铺有15米，飞机旨在从现有的Helipads和机场运营，比直升机更安静30倍。它将具有450kg有效载荷功能和130kts巡航速度。公司声明说，大会工作将开始“很快”预计明年的初始测试航班将与2024年有针对性的认证和服务条目。自从2016年由Ovo Energy Editor Stephen Fitzpatrick创作，垂直航空航天已经飞行多种规模模型和全部 - Scale Evtol原型，包括Seraph Multoror，去年在英国北威尔士的Llanbedr机场去了天空。霍尼韦尔正在提供飞行控制软件并签署了一封意图（LOI）的字母，为VA-1X原型提供车辆管理系统。具有赛车行业经验的工程师也参与了该项目。垂直航空航天在牛津郡的一级方程式群体中存在，Fitzpatrick成立了庄园F1队，该公司希望将F1技术“与航空公司严格和纪律”结合起来发展其设计。
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