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Strategic move expands Hexa product family to include Ultralight, Light Sport and Type Certified models, unlocking full commercial air taxi capabilities.
LIFT Aircraft (Austin, Texas, U.S.) has officially commenced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification (TC) process for a “Certified Edition” of its flagship Hexa electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The milestone marks the final pillar in LIFT’s strategic roadmap to offer a comprehensive family of eVTOL aircraft based on a unified, proven airframe architecture.
While substantially similar to its sister models, the Type Certified Hexa edition will undergo the process of proving it meets the rigorous design and safety standards required for commercial air taxi, remotely piloted and fully autonomous operations.
With this announcement, LIFT Aircraft solidifies a three-tiered product strategy designed to meet diverse regulatory environments and use cases:
Hexa-U (Ultralight). Operated under 14 CFR Part 103. This model requires no pilot’s license, is outfitted with floats for added safety when flying over water and has lightweight battery packs (10 kilowatt-hours) to meet the strict Ultralight weight limit. Hexa-U is currently in use at LIFT’s flight experience centers but is limited to daytime flights over uncongested areas, speeds less than 63 miles per hour and personal, non-commercial use.
Hexa-S (Sport). Designed for the recently enacted Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates (MOSAIC) light sport aircraft (LSA) regulations. This model will require additional training and a pilot’s license but will be approved to fly over congested areas and at night. With more aerodynamic fixed skids as landing gear instead of floats, the Sport Edition can fly at speeds up to 90 miles per hour, and has higher capacity, extended range (ER) batteries (20 kilowatt-hours) that double its flight time to 25 minutes.
Hexa-C (Type Certified). The newest edition, undergoing full FAA TC. This aircraft is intended for high-frequency commercial use, as well as unmanned and autonomous uses including fully autonomous air taxi services. Hexa-C will be capable of flying in instrument/IFR weather conditions and has long-range battery packs (30 kilowatt-hours) capable of flight times approaching 40 minutes.
By using a similar airframe across all three categories, LIFT Aircraft leverages flight data accumulated through thousands of Hexa-U operations to support the certification of the new model.
“From day one, our strategy has been to launch first in the Ultralight category to validate our technology, gather real-world flight data and refine the user experience without the immediate burden of TC,” says Matt Chasen, founder and CEO of LIFT Aircraft. “Now, with a mature, safe and proven platform, we are taking the next logical step. The Type Certified Hexa will allow us to expand into autonomous full self flying, point-to-point commercial air transportation.”
The Type Certified Edition will incorporate an upgraded avionics package required for commercial certification, but maintain the same proven distributed electric propulsion, and beginner-friendly flight control systems that define the Hexa brand. This approach reduces development risk and cost compared to competitors attempting to certify unproven aircraft from scratch.
