AutoFlight has chosen Frank Stephenson to be its Director of Design. Together, they will create the flying vehicle startup’s latest electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the Prosperity I.
“Frank is one of the world’s most renowned and influential designers of our time,” said Mark Robert Henning, the managing director of AutoFlight Europe. “His unique style is already evident on Prosperity I with its sleek, sculpted, uncluttered and dynamic feel that has been inspired by a natural sense of flow and dynamics. It’s uplifting to work with him as we bring our vision of unlocking the skies for mass individual transportation to life.”
AutoFlight calls itself a global eVTOL pioneer and has an R&D headquarters in Augsburg, Germany, with a manufacturing center in China. It is working to provide autonomous aerial transportation for urban areas.
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“During my career, I’ve aspired to create vehicles that are efficient, safe, technically brilliant, and beautiful and I’m hugely excited to now be applying these principles to the eVTOL industry,” said Stephenson.
Although the Prosperity I has already completed a number of full-scale tests, and set a world record for the longest flight by an eVTOL in February, the final design hasn’t yet been unveiled. Frank Stephenson Design will be in charge of the preparing that for both the interior and the exterior of the vehicle, which will be unveiled this fall. The third eVTOL overseen by the company, Stephenson is now an expert in the field.
“The aviation landscape is shifting, and we are on the cusp of entering a new era where electric air transportation is affordable and available to everybody,” explained the designer. “The AutoFlight name is synonymous with simplicity, safety, and efficiency. I’m delighted to be part of its fantastic team and join them on their inspiring journey.”
Prosperity I is envisioned as a way to connect airports to business centers, nearby cities, and even for travel between different parts of the same city. AutoFlight predicts that the eVTOL will be ready for commercial flights in 2026.
