FutureFlight
Samad Aerospace Prepares to Fly Half-scale e-Starling eVTOL Prototype
Despite Covid delays, the UK-based company still hopes to get the full-scale version in the air during 2023.
Samad Aerospace eStarling
Samad Aerospace's eStarling is a piloted eVTOL aircraft with five passenger seats. [Image: Samad Aerospace]

Samad Aerospace is preparing to begin flight testing a 50 percent scale version of its planned e-Starling eVTOL aircraft in the second half of September. The UK-based company will start with a series of conventional takeoff and landing sorties, followed in October by vertical takeoffs, with transitions between hover and cruise flight.

Two half-scale prototypes are in the final stages of construction for these trials. The Samad engineering team will use these to finalize the design of the e-Starling, which will carry a pilot and up to five passengers. The company has already flown 10 and 20 percent scale models at its headquarters at Cranfield airfield.