Incredible moment Britain's first ever flying taxi takes to UK skies with speeds of 150mph and room for four passengers
BRITAIN'S first ever flying taxi has taken to the skies in a successful flight over the Cotswolds.
The electric aircraft has room for four passengers, can reach speeds of 150mph and can take of and land vertically like a helicopter.
4
The aircraft use a bank of propellers on each wing
Credit: Vertical Aerospace
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The innovative craft can take off and land vertically
Credit: Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd
The prototype VX4 electric aircraft was flown by pilot Simon Davies across the Cotswolds.
Footage of the flight showed the aircraft spinning up its rotors and taking to the skies.
With propellers that can hold the craft in a hovering pattern or rotate and perform like a traditional plane the aircraft can use a runway or take off vertically.
It boasts a range of up to 100 miles which it can cover in less than an hour of flying.
Developed by Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace, the flying taxi took off and landed using Cotswolds Airport's runway after receiving approval form the Civil Aviation Authority.
Video footage of the flight showed off the aircraft's impressive capabilities in its first flight outside of strictly controlled test conditions.
It comes after the government set a target to make flying taxis a reality by 2028.
Vertical Aerospace's VX4 flight marked the first open airspace flight of a flying taxi in Europe.
A hover test of the aircraft was carried out in January and rivals have undertaken test flights in the US and Dubai.
Vertical Aerospace has received millions of pounds in UK Government funding to develop the aircraft.
The company has also received tens of millions of pounds of funding from private investors.
Last month the Government announced £20 million of funding for the Civil Aviation Authority to make flying taxis a reality.
Further flights of the VX4 are expected later this year with the craft's transition from hovering to cruising using its wings set to be tested.
A group of several companies in the UK are currently working on developing flying taxis.
4
The aircraft have a range of 100 miles and can reach speeds of 150mph
Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
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The craft, powered by electricity, are designed to be quiet
Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
It is hoped that the zero emissions aircraft will be used to ferry passengers in or between urban areas.
The aircraft are designed to be quiet, zero emission modes of transport.
A trip from Liverpool to Leeds in a flying taxi could take as little as 26 minutes.
Flying car promises to transform into plane in two minutes
Flying taxis are able to undertake a whole trip without stopping for traffic and travel much faster than conventional ground based transport.
Pilot Simon Davies said: 'Taking the aircraft beyond the airfield and cruising over the Cotswolds for the first time was truly special and a career highlight for me.
'Our performance predictions were absolutely spot on, and the aircraft took off as a natural extension of all the ground tests and preparation we've done.'
Earlier this year, Vertical Aerospace received a £70m bailout from Mudrick Capital, a US investment fund.
Founder Stephen Fitzpatrick ceded control of the business as part of the rescue plan.
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