From Concept to Hand: Unveiling the VMe-001 at 1:5 Scale

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/3694c9_e3e82630238b462a8c91ceda2fbddc25/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

A tangible step in our journey to redefine urban air mobility.

At Vayu, the VMe-001 has lived inside design files, simulation runs and engineering reports for months. Today, we're excited to share that it has stepped out of the screen and into the workshop. Our 1:5 scale concept demonstrator is complete, and for the first time, you can walk around our aircraft.

Why a Demonstrator, and Why Now

Aviation is a discipline of detail. Spans, sweep angles, rotor placements, the geometry of a duct. Every dimension carries an aerodynamic, structural and regulatory consequence. A scaled physical model lets us validate proportions, communicate intent to stakeholders, and ground every future conversation, with regulators, partners and the public, in something real.

The VMe-001 demonstrator is our way of saying: this is the aircraft we are building.

The Aircraft, In Brief

The VMe-001 is a fully electric eVTOL designed to carry six passengers plus a pilot, with a target cruise speed of 402 km/h and a range of 193 km on a single charge. Its defining feature is a 10-rotor distributed propulsion architecture. Four tilting ducted fans sit around the fuselage, two tilting props at the wingtips, and four fixed lift rotors are embedded in the wing. The result is a configuration that takes off vertically, cruises like a fixed-wing aircraft, and remains controllable even with a motor offline.

The 1:5 Demonstrator

Built to scale from our latest baseline geometry, the demonstrator captures the proportions and proportionate detail of the full-scale aircraft.

• Span: ~2.72 m

• Length: ~1.68 m

• Height: ~0.70 m

• Configuration: Faithful 10-rotor lift + cruise layout
  

It is a static, non-flying model, purpose-built for geometry validation, design reviews and stakeholder communication. No flight performance is claimed or implied.

The demonstrator was built in partnership with Makers Global, Hyderabad.

Built by a Small Team. With Big Ambitions.

The VMe-001 programme is led from the United Kingdom by a tightly focused founding team.

We are also proud to be working with BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, our first academic partner, under a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding.

Looking Ahead

This demonstrator is the visible tip of a much larger programme. Behind it sits a preliminary performance report, a UK-first certification strategy aligned with EASA SC-VTOL Enhanced and FAA Powered-Lift, and a roadmap targeting Type Certification by 2030 and first full-scale flight by 2028.

We are actively exploring further collaborations with UK-based universities, research groups and industry partners as we move from concept towards prototype.

If you would like to learn more, partner with us, or simply follow the journey, get in touch.

The VMe-001 is real. And it is only just getting started.

Vayu Aviation Services Ltd, United Kingdom