00:00It lands like a helicopter, but flies like an airplane, and its makers hope it could one day change how
00:08people travel.
00:09This is Velo, Vertical Aerospace's electric air taxi, making its first public take-off flight at the 2026 Farnborough International
00:17Air Show.
00:17The flight highlights the aviation industry's push to develop electric aircraft through advances in batteries, propulsion, materials, and flight controls.
00:26Those advances are central to Velo's ambition of flying up to 100 miles on a single charge.
00:32Here's Vertical Aerospace Test Pilot Tim Eldridge.
00:35So it's eight very large battery packs.
00:39Imagine eight big Teslas in the bottom of this thing, battery packs, driving eight propellers, four at the front, which
00:46can tilt, four at the back, which just provide a lift.
00:49So if we're going to go into a vertical take-off, all eight of those propellers will be lifting upwards,
00:56giving you upwards lift.
00:58It's simple to fly. It's got a good field of view. It's got lots of power.
01:02You really feel the power when you're getting airborne.
01:051.2 megawatts of electrical power at take-off. That's a lot of energy, and you can feel it.
01:11Also at the air show, Archer Aviation showcased its vision for electric flight.
01:15The company displayed midnight, its electric air taxi.
01:19Archer has been flying midnight since 2023 and hopes to carry passengers around Los Angeles during the 2028 Olympic and
01:26Paralympic Games.
01:27Here's Archer Aviation Chief Technology Officer Tom Muniz.
01:31The idea is we want this vehicle or this capability to be accessible to a broad swath of the population.
01:38So, you know, what we're competing against is somebody that might go hire a car, you know, to avoid or
01:44to take a, you know, 10, 15-kilometer trip for, say, $100.
01:48We want to be able to give them a seat on an aircraft like this for somewhere in that ballpark.
01:52Vertical, Archer, and other rivals may be pursuing different paths toward the same goal, but all face the same challenges.
01:59Can they win regulatory approval?
02:02Can they keep the aircraft safe and reliable?
02:04And can they be affordable enough for ordinary people to choose over a car?
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