XTI Aerospace has completed initial flight operations for its Sparrow and Kestrel subscale aircraft. The company says these represent important steps toward building its full-scale TriFan 600 demonstrator.

Over the past six months, Sparrow and Kestrel have undergone flight testing to validate aerodynamic performance, flight control logic and stability across mission profiles. XTI says the results de-risk future development stages and help keep the TriFan 600 on schedule. Sparrow, a 1:15 scale aircraft, was completed in Q2 2025, and Kestrel, a 1:12 scale design, in Q3 2025. The next phase will be TriHawk, expected to fly in Q4 2025, followed by a full-scale demonstrator in 2027.

At the same time, XTI has launched its Founders Club, a fellowship for early TriFan 600 buyers and aviation enthusiasts. Launch events are planned for Palm Beach, Dallas and Denver this autumn. Members will be among the first to own the TriFan 600 and gain access to private demonstrations and curated lifestyle experiences.

“Our subscale aircraft programme develops smaller versions of our anticipated TriFan 600 regional vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to test new technologies and designs in a cost-effective and low-risk way, enabling validation of flight dynamics before full-scale development,” says Scott Pomeroy, CEO of XTI Aerospace. “We are encouraged by our Sparrow and Kestrel results, and this programme will continue to the TriHawk and conclude with the full-scale, piloted TriFan 600, anticipated in 2027.”

Pomeroy adds: “Induction into the Founders Club is more than ownership; it’s about joining a movement. Just as visionaries transformed aviation in the 20th century, Founders Club pioneers will help usher in a new era of vertical flight in the 21st.”

Dave Ambrose, VP of engineering at XTI Aircraft, says: “The success of Sparrow and Kestrel demonstrates the viability of key design elements of the TriFan 600 under flight conditions.”

Alex Williams, PhD, senior advisor to XTI Aircraft, adds: “Subscale aircraft and models have been an important component of design validation throughout the history of aerospace engineering. It’s encouraging to see the success and learnings of the scaled aircraft yield such positive results.”