UK-based Vertical Aerospace has appointed Dean Moore to lead the flight test campaign its air taxi, which it plans to certify in 2024.
Moore joins Vertical Aerospace as its lead flight test engineer from Boeing, where he was the UK lead flight test engineer. Prior to this, Moore was principal flight test engineer at QinetiQ.
Vertical Aerospace is aiming for the production version of its all-electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the Seraph, to be capable of carrying a pilot and four passengers up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 240km/h. Vertical also plans to operate the Seraph itself.
The company has already flown two full-scale prototypes of the Seraph at a maximum speed of 80km/h and with a payload of 250kg.
Moore will be responsible for leading the flight test campaign for the first certifiable Seraph, including putting together the operations manual for flight testing, developing strategic plans to help deliver flight test efforts and maintaining alignment throughout the teams.
Moore said, “It is very exciting to be joining Vertical Aerospace at a pivotal period in a rapidly developing area of the aerospace industry. I am looking forward to working in a dynamic British aerospace startup that is changing the way we think about mobility and air transport.
“It’s a fantastic challenge to develop and deliver the flight test campaign, as we work towards the certification of our winged eVTOL aircraft. Vertical Aerospace has made significant steps with the proof of concept and Seraph demonstrators in such a short time and joining the team is a unique opportunity to be able to contribute to Vertical Aerospace’s next big advance in realizing carbon free air transport.”
Michael Cervenka, CEO of Vertical Aerospace said, “We are delighted to welcome Dean to this critical role as we continue to grow our world-class team. Dean brings extensive flight test experience across a range of novel platforms and he joins at the perfect time to shape the flight test program of our next generation winged eVTOL.”
Read more about the Seraph and Vertical Aerospace’s approach to risk management in its flight testing here.
