California, USA-based eVTOL aircraft developer Archer has begun the next phase of its Midnight aircraft’s flight test program by showcasing a piloted flight, with the aircraft taking off and landing on a runway.
One of the key characteristics of an eVTOL aircraft is vertical take off and landing. However, according to Archer, the capability to take off and land conventionally as well as vertically provides operational flexibility and safety and has always been a requirement from government regulators and civil and defense customers.
The conventional take-off and landing test flight was also done to demonstrate the robustness of Midnight’s landing gear, the company added.
Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft that uses a proprietary twelve-tilt-six propeller configuration and is intended for short-distance trips of around 20 miles (32km) with a rapid charging time of approximately 10 minutes. The aircraft has a maximum range of 100 miles (160km).
The aircraft has been tested taking off vertically and achieved its first transition – taking off vertically then changing to horizontal flight, a key and technically tricky maneuver – last July, albeit remotely controlled without a pilot onboard.
During the flight last week the Midnight aircraft cruised at speeds up to 125mph (200km/h) and reached a maximum altitude of over 1,500ft above ground level during the first test flight.
During this next phase of Midnight’s flight test program, Archer’s test pilots will continue to test key elements of the aircraft, such as flight control responsiveness, stability and aerodynamic and control model validation in addition to gathering data to support its certification and commercialization efforts in both the USA and UAE.
Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer said, “Midnight’s VTOL and CTOL capabilities are a strong differentiator for us as they are critical for delivering an aircraft that can integrate into a wide range of operational scenarios while also providing enhanced safety.”
The piloted flight was flown by Jeff Greenwood, chief test pilot at Archer Greenwood is a former test pilot for Bell Textron and served as a pilot in the US Marines.
“Flying Midnight felt just like flying the simulator – everything responded exactly as we trained for, which is exactly what you hope for during a test flight,” said Greenwood. “That level of consistency is no surprise. It’s a testament to the engineering and operational excellence of our team, whose attention to detail and dedication to safety made this milestone possible.”
