Securing our supply chain for UK’s pioneering eVTOL
Delivering concept to flight-test-ready blade technology & fuselage solutions for Vertical Aerospace.
Vertical Aerospace needed to deliver the practical strength-to-weight ratio critical for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft such as its full-scale prototype. Composite blades provide advantages over traditional metallic blades, most importantly significant weight savings and safety improvements which are critical to the performance and viability of an eVTOL aircraft.
NCC worked with Vertical to deliver unique composite blades for an experimental aircraft under UK Special Condition VTOL, providing expertise in blade engineering and design-for-manufacture, as well as the supply chain connections to help secure UK production.
Vertical’s full-scale prototype programme has since reached a series of significant milestones. It completed its first full piloted transition flight in April 2026 at Cotswold Airport, soon followed by a world first two-way piloted eVTOL transition flight.
Vertical successfully completed the UK's first public demonstration flight of a full-scale wing tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft at Farnborough International Airshow 2026.
Why these blades are different
A helicopter rotor is large, with relatively low revolutions per minute (RPM). A turboprop blade is small, with higher RPM. An eVTOL propeller blade sits between the two and, in the case of the full-scale prototype’s forward blades, must perform both functions quietly, without sacrificing safety and efficiency.
In hover, the blades carry the full weight of the aircraft: five people, luggage, batteries, airframe. To achieve cruise, the forward rotors tilt horizontally and the loading changes completely as the aircraft transitions to windborne flight akin to a fixed-wing aircraft. A single blade must work across both regimes making the structural design problem unusual. There are also distinctive safety challenges for novel eVTOL designs, including cascade failure where release of a high-speed blade component from one rotor may impact other propellers or flight control lines, compromising control of the aircraft.
The engineering problem is finding a blade architecture that meets all requirements: structural, weight, noise and safety.
Innovation
Conventional blade designs deliver structural integrity against potential bird or other foreign object strikes through the thickness of the material in the impact zone or by using heavier, more impact tolerant materials. Vertical’s aircraft requires very thin and lightweight blades to meet performance requirements whilst also being safe.
NCC’s team worked with Vertical Aerospace across the full development cycle to design novel blade architecture to meet these strict requirements. The team began by assessing a range of alternative blade concepts, before arriving at a novel architecture and a robust manufacturing process where the structural performance comes from how the blade is built: the internal arrangement of reinforcement, and the way impact energy is directed through the structure, rather than relying on material toughness alone.
NCC’s team also worked closely with Vertical’s technical and procurement teams to identify a suitable supply chain to manufacture the Gen 2 blades for the crewed full-scale prototype test aircraft. This selection process assessed suppliers across a range of materials, designs and manufacturing processes, narrowing down to those that could be achieved within the timescale and to the required maturity.
These Gen 2 blades are now flying on the full-scale prototype test aircraft at Cotswold Airport as the company makes history. NCC and Vertical followed a design-for-manufacture approach from the very beginning, ultimately producing a blade that can be produced repeatedly, at rate, and to consistent quality, which will aid the company as it moves from the testing and certification process into commercial deliveries.
The industrial question
For Vertical to maximise the impact of its growth for the UK economy, finding suppliers that can deliver at the required rate, quality and cost was critical. NCC therefore built on the design-for-manufacture approach by concurrently supporting a supplier identification and selection process that connected Vertical with capable suppliers.
Rockwood Aerospace was selected for the front blades and went on to build a direct working relationship with Vertical well beyond the original scope. Polar Technology went on to support the company on further activities. Three NCC engineering experts were recruited directly by Vertical, a clear demonstration of valuable capability transfer and long-lasting impact after project close.
NCC’s supply chain identification and selection process has contributed to Vertical deploying around 60% of procurement spend with UK suppliers, with 30% of spend concentrated in the South West.
What comes next
Vertical is developing Valo, its certification aircraft, with plans to build seven type-conforming test aircraft in the UK and a target of 2028 for commercial entry. The company projects production volumes of over 225 aircraft per year and a programme supporting around 2,000 UK jobs in electric aviation.
NCC works with a range of scale-up companies, like Vertical, across the UK to provide engineering expertise and manufacturing capability to help them progress novel aerospace technologies. NCC's High Rate Manufacturing Capability (HRMCap) programme is developing the processes that could scale blade manufacturing to the rates and tolerances future series production will require.
For composites SMEs considering the propulsion sector, the Vertical programme shows how RTO capabilities can anchor an OEM in the UK and integrate it with the supply chain, securing real industrial impact. UK blade manufacturing capability exists, the supply chain is live, and the production volumes ahead are real.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:
"Aerospace and advanced manufacturing are a vital part of the West's economy, and our region helps lead the way in electric aircraft research, development, and design. Companies like Vertical Aerospace support jobs and the supply chain in the West of England. By backing regional capability, including here in the country's fastest-growing regional economy, we can continue to drive growth and deliver real benefits for communities while cutting pollution."
Michael Cervenka, Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, Vertical Aerospace said:
“Working with NCC has helped us tackle one of the critical engineering challenges in electric aviation - developing lightweight, efficient and safe propeller blades that can be manufactured to aerospace standards. Their expertise in composites and design-for-manufacture has supported our flight test programme and helped connect that progress to the UK supply chain. Partnerships like this are vital as we move towards generating long-term industrial value in the UK.”
Richard Oldfield, CEO, NCC, said:
"The successful public flight of the Vertical Aerospace full-scale prototype is a landmark moment for UK aerospace, built on British engineering. Supporting high-growth companies like Vertical is how the UK secures its leadership in next-generation aviation. NCC de-risks novel engineering that turns ambitious start-ups into globally competitive manufacturers. Vertical is proof.”