Archer Aviation has flown a full-scale prototype of its Midnight eVTOL aircraft for the first time, the company announced on Wednesday. Archer said that over the next few months, it will expand the four-passenger vehicle’s flight envelope from hover to full wing-borne flight as it prepares to start testing with the FAA next year that will accrue credits for type certification.
The Midnight’s first flight in Santa Clara, California, follows earlier testing of a full-scale two-seat Maker technology demonstrator, with testing of previous subscale models having started in 2019, according to Archer. The manufacturer said it expects to achieve its goal of being ready for entry into service with air taxi flights before the end of 2025, with initial use expected to be mainly for 10- to 20-minute flights in urban areas.
“Having taken seven full-scale eVTOL aircraft from design to flight test during my career in the eVTOL industry, today’s milestone with Midnight marks the most significant flight to bringing Archer and the eVTOL industry another step closer to bringing a scalable and commercially viable aircraft to market,” said the company’s COO, Tom Muniz. He previously held senior engineering positions with eVTOL aircraft developers Wisk and Kitty Hawk.
Archer said it will continue flight testing the Maker vehicle. It will also start flying simulated commercial routes to advance plans for operational readiness for customers including United Airlines.
On October 24, Archer investor Ken Cenderelli voluntarily moved to dismiss a federal securities lawsuit he had initiated against Archer and several of its senior executives. In a case launched on September 21, Cenderelli had alleged that the company had misrepresented the progress made in bringing the Midnight to market.
Joby Aircraft has been flying its full-scale conforming eVTOL prototype for some time and is also targeting service entry in 2025. Earlier this month, it achieved the first flights with a pilot on board. The company also recently delivered the first of nine aircraft to the U.S. Air Force under an Afwerx Agility Prime contract.
