Editor's note: A previous version of this story stated in the headline that Archer achieved "forward" flight rather than "cruise" flight. This has been corrected and we regret the error.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., - Archer Aviation Inc. said its Maker prototype eVTOL aircraft made its first transition from a vertical takeoff, powered-lift mode of flight to fully wingborne forward flight. The aircraft made the critical transition less than 12 months after its first hovering flight, the company said, Jonathan Welsh reports for Flying. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
6 December 2022 - Achieving this full transition milestone is critical to validating the flight physics of Archer’s proprietary 12-tilt-6 propeller configuration that it uses on Maker as well as Midnight, which is the aircraft Archer recently unveiled at its Open House on November 16th and is working to certify with the FAA in late 2024. The success of the Maker flight testing program also demonstrates a number of the key enabling technologies for Midnight, such as the aircraft’s flight control system. The Maker flight test program has generated invaluable data that Archer has leveraged in the development and certification process for Midnight. Archer has made rapid progress on Maker’s flight testing program, completing this transition to fully wing-borne flight in less than 12 months after its first hover flight.
“From day one, Archer’s strategy has always been about finding the most efficient path to commercializing eVTOL aircraft,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO. “The data and experience we’ve gathered from Maker’s rigorous flight testing program has been invaluable to the development and certification path of Midnight, and lends further confidence to our belief that Archer will be the first company to certify an eVTOL aircraft in the US with the FAA.”
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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
