New agreements add specialist seating and navigation capabilities as Valo advances towards certification and commercial production
Vertical Aerospace, a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation, announced long-term supplier agreements with ANH Structure Co., Ltd., a specialist in advanced aircraft seating systems, and Northrop Grumman LITEF GmbH, one of the leading companies in the development and manufacturing of navigation and sensor systems, to supply key systems on its Valo electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Under the agreements, ANH Structure will design, develop, certify and manufacture Valo’s bespoke pilot and passenger seating system, while NG LITEF will supply its LCR-110 as the aircraft’s inertial reference system, providing essential position, attitude and heading data to flight-critical systems.
The agreements further strengthen Vertical’s established supplier network, which includes Honeywell Aerospace, Sonaca, Evolito, Hyundai WIA, Synesqo, Isoclima and Astronics.
The agreements support the development of the electric Valo aircraft. Vertical’s “one platform” strategy encompasses four- and six-passenger cabin configurations, alongside electric, hybrid-electric and autonomous variants for the commercial and defence markets. A versatile platform with common systems is intended to support an efficient path through certification, manufacturing, and in-service support.
Safety focused seating for the Valo cabin
South Korea-based ANH Structure will design, certify and manufacture a common seating platform for Valo’s pilot, observer and passenger seats. Its lightweight, bespoke design will incorporate ANH’s proprietary 30G energy-absorption technology to support Vertical’s safety, comfort, weight and cabin requirements.
With European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Design Organisation Approval and Production Organisation Approval, as well as integrated engineering, testing and manufacturing capabilities, ANH will support the programme from detailed design through certification, industrialisation and serial production.
Flight critical inertial reference technology
NG LITEF, a German company within the global Northrop Grumman Corporation with 65 years’ experience in inertial navigation, positioning and reference systems, will supply its LCR-110 inertial reference system for Valo. The LCR-110 is approved to applicable EASA and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technical standards for inertial reference equipment.