Archer Aviation’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft has completed a transition while flying at a speed of more than 100mph last week, a key milestone in the test program.
Transition is a key maneuver when an eVTOL aircraft takes off vertically and then adjusts its propulsion system so it moves from thrust-borne flight like a helicopter to wing-borne flight like an airplane.
Archer has now achieved transition with two different full-scale eVTOL aircraft. Transition is a difficult maneuver only a handful of companies developing eVTOL aircraft have achieved. According to Archer Midnight, which weighs around 6,500 lbs, is one of the largest eVTOL aircraft to complete transition.
Archer’s first generation full-scale eVTOL aircraft, called Maker successfully achieved transition in November 2022, and is flying regularly in the company’s flight test program.
Dr. Geoff Bower, Archer’s Chief Engineer said, “Successfully completing the transition from hover to wing-borne flight with a full-scale eVTOL aircraft is a tremendous engineering feat that only a handful of companies in the world have achieved.
“Over the seven eVTOL aircraft I’ve built and flown in my career, they have gotten progressively larger as we pursued payloads that made the aircraft platform commercially viable. Midnight is believed to be one of the largest eVTOL aircraft ever to achieve transition and one of the first that is purpose-built to carry enough passengers to be able to operate a successful air taxi business.
A flight test program will next fly simulated commercial routes to demonstrate the aircraft’s operational readiness, demonstrating high-rate flight operations and additional flight maneuvers that will be used during operations, while engineers continue to expand its speed and endurance flight envelope.
Archer has received the Part 135 and Part 145 certificates from the FAA, which are needed to operate passenger services commercially and maintain aircraft. Midnight is also in the final phase of its Type Certification program with piloted flight testing on track to begin later this year.
