Luxury Vertically Capable Aircraft Hopes to be Market-Ready in 2026

Seemingly out of nowhere, UK aviation start-up SkyFly has arrived at EAA Oshkosh AirVenture with an already airborne, fully-electric aircraft. The Axe is a two-seat, vertically capable device that targets luxury-style personal aviation with hopes to later expand into defense and emergency operations.

SkyFly began designing the Axe six years ago and currently has one airframe in operation, with a second in development. The aircraft uses two sets of fixed canard-style wings and eight rushless electric motors—two housed in each wingtip unit. That redundancy is paired with a certified Veronte 4x flight control system, which claims triple backup and no single point of failure. The manufacturer kept things simple on purpose: air-cooled systems, no tilting rotors, and no flashy tech likely to fail under pressure.

Endurance is currently around 45 minutes in fixed-wing flight, though SkyFly promises the production model, expected in Q2 2026, will fly longer. A hybrid option may offer up to 300 miles.

Plus, unlike many eVTOLs, the Axe comes with a slight layer of aerodynamic safety baked in. Thanks to its two canard-style wings, it can glide with around a 6:1 ratio in case of total power loss.

The aircraft’s American debut comes alongside this year’s EAA Oshkosh AirVenture and the associated release of the FAA’s MOSAIC ruling, allowing SkyFly to expand its already-strong network of US supporters. The Axe is on display, and company representatives are in for questions at Booth 421.

“We’ve got 42 paying customers already, with a majority of those in the US,” explained SkyFly CEO Michael Thompson. “So that’s why we’re here today.”

Deliveries will begin as kit-only builds with a heavily recommended builder-assist program, but no factory-complete aircraft just yet. A U.S. production site is being scouted (Maryland is the current front-runner) as SkyFly sets its sights on 40 aircraft in the first year.

FMI: https://skyfly.aero