Archer's Midnight eVTOL reaches 7,000-foot milestone as testing advances
Questions and answers:
Q: What is the Archer Midnight aircraft? A: Midnight is a five-seat eVTOL aircraft designed for urban air mobility, capable of flying up to 100 miles per charge with a payload exceeding 1,000 pounds.
Q: What technologies does Midnight use? A: Midnight uses a proprietary electric powertrain, redundant motors, lithium-ion battery packs, and advanced avionics from Safran Electronics & Defense.
Q: Who are Archer’s industry partners for Midnight? A: Key partners include Stellantis (manufacturing), Safran (avionics), Molicel (batteries), United Airlines (customer and investor), and Jetex (infrastructure).
SALINAS, Calif. - Archer Aviation Inc. in Salinas, Calif., announced that its Midnight aircraft completed its highest altitude flight to date, reaching 7,000 feet as part of ongoing envelope expansion testing.
The flight is part of a series of tests designed to validate Midnight’s operational range. Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft like Midnight are primarily intended for urban airspace at altitudes between 1,500 and 4,000 feet. The ability to fly higher provides flexibility for managing traffic in congested areas and enables operations in elevated cities.
Midnight is a five-seat aircraft with a pilot and four passengers, a payload capacity exceeding 1,000 pounds, and a maximum range of 100 miles per full charge. The aircraft uses a proprietary electric powertrain with multiple redundant motors and lithium-ion battery packs. Hybrid-electric and fully electric configurations allow for quiet, low-emission flight. Noise at ground level is targeted around 45 dBA during cruise.
Related: Archer Aviation partners with defense company Anduril for DoD contract
Stellantis serves as the manufacturing partner, Safran Electronics & Defense supplies flight control avionics, and Molicel provides the lithium-ion cells. United Airlines is both a customer and investor, while Jetex and international partners.
During the 7,000-foot flight, a test pilot conducted a steady climb, leveled off, and completed 45 miles at speeds over 120 mph. This follows a previous milestone in which Midnight flew 55 miles in 31 minutes at speeds exceeding 126 mph.
“I’m proud of the team for consistently proving Midnight’s performance capabilities while maintaining the highest safety standards,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer. “Our test pilots will continue to safely and methodically test Midnight’s speed, duration, and mission profiles to prepare for early commercial operations.”
