Photo courtesy of Archer, Midnight in the front and Maker in the back
Archer Aviation has completed the final assembly of its first Midnight aircraft. Now that the final assembly and initial testing are complete, the aircraft has been shipped from the Palo Alto facility to a flight test facility in Salinas, California where it was reassembled.
With the reassembled Midnight at the flight test facility, Archer will run through a series of ground tests to lead up to the planned first flight this summer. The Midnight has already received attention from the U.S. Department of Defense for its payload capabilities. With the Midnight model, Archer will be able to perform company testing to speed up its certification program with the FAA, while mitigating some potential risks.
This testing will be done ahead of the “for credit” certification testing that is set to start next year with piloted Midnight aircraft. The plan is to use the Midnight to allow Archer to fly many of the same test points needed during piloted “for credit” flight testing to further validate the plane before the FAA is brought in to participate in testing.
The component manufacturing has begun for the Midnight, with Archer planning for the completion of the final assembly of its first conforming aircraft in Q4 2023. Archer hopes to begin piloted flight test operations in early 2024.
“Today we announced our exciting progress that the final assembly of our first Midnight aircraft is now complete and it is preparing for its flight test program,” Archer’s Founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said. “This aircraft will accelerate and reduce risk on our certification program paving the way for our team to focus on building and conducting piloted operations with conforming aircraft to support the goal of entering into service in 2025.”
Archer’s team is working with Stellantis and United Airlines to continue the advancement of its aircraft development and commercial operations with both speed and efficiency. Archer has also gotten a lead over many of its industry peers in the manufacturing and commercial operation fronts through the build-out of its manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia. The company has also already announced plans for electric air taxi routes in New York and Chicago.
The Midnight has a range of up to 100 miles and is designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time in between. The goal is to transform inner-city travel by replacing a 60-90-minute commute by car with a 10-20-minute electric air taxi flight. The air taxi flight is a safer, quieter, more sustainable and cost-competitive option compared to ground transportation.
Archer and United Airlines announced in March that O’Hare International Airport (ORD) would be the site for the first air taxi route in Chicago. The route would go between ORD and Vertiport Chicago, North America’s largest vertical aircraft takeoff and landing facility.
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Archer unveiled its Midnight eVTOL aircraft at its open house in November, validating its twelve-tilt-six configuration and key enabling technologies. With a payload of over 1,000 pounds and the ability to carry four passengers, the Midnight has caught attention since its launch. Archer has been quick with testing for both its Midnight and its Maker aircraft. Archer completed a six-week-long wind tunnel test campaign for the Midnight and kept the company on track to conduct flight testing.
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