Eve Air eVTOL hits milestone with first partial transition flight
Eve Air Mobility has announced that it has reached a milestone in its eVTOL programme with the first partial transition flight advancing the aircraft towards wing-borne flight.
During the test flight the rear pusher prop was activated propelling the electrical vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft forward towards traditional winged flight.
The aircraft reached a stabilised forward speed of 27 knots with a groundspeed maximum of 30 knots which meant lift was still being created by the lift motors rather than the wings but is a major step to prove the technology.
“This first partial transition flight is an important milestone in Eve’s development journey,” said Johann Bordais, chief executive officer of Eve Air Mobility. “Successfully activating the pusher propulsion system in flight validates a key aspect of our aircraft design and brings us one step closer to delivering safe, efficient and scalable air mobility solutions.”
Transitioning from vertical to horizontal flight is one of the critical aspects of eVTOL aircraft and manufacturers are finding different ways to achieve this.
Eve Air Mobility’s eVTOL aircraft uses a lift-plus-cruise design rather than a tilt-rotor system. Eight dedicated electric lift propellers provide the vertical thrust needed for take-off and landing, while a separate rear-mounted pusher propeller drives the aircraft forward during cruise.
As the aircraft accelerates, its fixed wings progressively generate more aerodynamic lift, allowing the lift rotors to reduce power and eventually switch off once wing-borne flight is established. This approach avoids the complexity of moving wings or tilting rotors, simplifying the aircraft’s mechanical design while improving reliability, maintainability and the certification process.
Eve Air Mobility eVTOL – Overview and Specifications
The Eve Air Mobility eVTOL has been designed primarily for urban and regional air mobility missions such as airport transfers and short inter-city routes. The aircraft accommodates one pilot and four passengers, with a future autonomous version expected to carry up to six passengers. It features a lift-plus-cruise configuration with eight vertical-lift electric propellers and a single rear pusher propeller, powered by fully electric propulsion. The fixed-wing design provides efficient cruise performance while eliminating the need for complex tilting mechanisms.
Key specifications
- Capacity: 1 pilot + 4 passengers
- Future autonomous capacity: Up to 6 passengers
- Configuration: Lift-plus-cruise eVTOL
- Vertical propulsion: 8 electric lift propellers
- Cruise propulsion: 1 rear pusher propeller (dual-motor drive for redundancy)
- Cruise speed: Approximately 200 km/h (125 mph)
- Range: Up to 100 km (60 miles)
- Power source: Battery-electric
- Intended role: Urban and regional air mobility, airport transfers and short-distance passenger transport.
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