Eve Air Mobility, a subsidiary of Embraer, announced on August 3, 2026, that its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) engineering prototype completed its first partial transition flight while activating its pusher propulsion system. According to the company, the prototype flew for three minutes and nine seconds supported by the pusher propulsion system, marking the start of the transition phase from vertical takeoff to wing-borne flight.
During the flight test, the eVTOL prototype stabilized at an airspeed of 27 knots and achieved a maximum ground speed of 30 knots with the rear pusher propeller operating at up to 1,200 RPM. The aircraft covered approximately 0.84 nautical miles and climbed to an altitude of 90 feet above ground level. The company highlighted that the test successfully validated key performance targets for the initial transition phase.
Eve Air Mobility Chief Executive Officer Johann Bordais stated that activating the pusher propulsion system in flight validates a key aspect of the aircraft design. Head of Engineering Marcelo Basile noted that data collected during the test flight will support continued flight envelope expansion as the program advances toward higher airspeeds and more complex transition testing scenarios.
The flight test engineering team is continuing ongoing structural and loads analyses to support future envelope expansion. Over the coming weeks, Eve Air Mobility expects to expand the aircraft's airspeed envelope through additional test flights with pusher activation. Following this phase, the company plans to conduct datalink testing to evaluate radio link performance and support flight operations at speeds up to 50 knots.
