Archer Aviation, a leader in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has released that its flight test programme hit another key milestone as the company's Midnight aircraft took flight. This milestone builds on Archer's four years of flight testing, including two years of full-scale flight testing with Maker.
“This next phase of Archer's flight test programme is only possible because of the four years of flight testing we've done. Midnight is building on the successes of its predecessor aircraft and represents another significant step forward in Archer's path to commercialisation,” said Archer's founder and CEO Adam Goldstein. “The next year and a half will be focused on continuing to rapidly advance our flight test programme and Archer's electric air taxi operations as we prepare to bring Midnight to market in 2025.”
As Archer's flight test programme continues to advance, Midnight's flight envelope is expected to progress rapidly from hover to full wing-borne transition flight in the coming months, paving the way for the company to begin “for credit” testing of its Midnight aircraft with the FAA next year as it works towards entry into service in 2025.
Simultaneous with the Midnight flight test programme, Archer intends to continue Maker's flight test programme as well as flying simulated commercial routes to continue to advance the company's operational readiness.
Archer's goal is to transform urban travel, replacing 60–90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10-20-minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low in noise and cost-competitive with ground transportation. Archer's Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights.
