ERC System has begun flight testing Romeo, its third-generation, full-scale eVTOL prototype, in Erding near Munich. The aircraft is optimised for critical missions including interhospital patient transport and emergency medical services.

Weighing 2,735kg and spanning 16 metres, Romeo is among the largest and heaviest eVTOL aircraft flown in Europe so far. For DRF Luftrettung, a German non-profit air rescue organisation and strategic partner, the maiden flight represents a shift from concept to practical testing.

“The prototype's successful maiden flight represents the transition from concept to practical testing,” says Dr. Krystian Pracz, CEO of DRF Luftrettung. “As a key strategic partner of ERC System, DRF Luftrettung is contributing medical, technical and flight operations expertise from over five decades of air rescue experience. Together, we are developing an additional option for patient transport and emergency medical services. Current trends in healthcare, namely the reduction and specialisation of clinics, longer distances and an increasing shortage of skilled workers, require new solutions. That is why we are convinced that the ERC aircraft will have a permanent place in our fleet in the 2030s as a useful addition to established air rescue with rescue helicopters.”

The aircraft is intended to demonstrate value in interhospital transfers and postprimary transport, particularly time-critical missions where an emergency physician or advanced medical care is not required during flight.