Three conforming, piloted Midnight aircraft are under construction
Component assembly of Archer Aviations’ eVTOL aircraft, to be used in FAA “for credit” testing, is well underway, with final assembly on track to begin in the coming weeks.
Source | Archer Aviation
Archer Aviation Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.) announces that the company is well underway in constructing the company’s first three conforming Midnight aircraft, with the first aircraft set to begin final assembly in the coming weeks. Archer’s initial fleet of piloted aircraft will begin piloted flight testing later this year, and subsequently be used in “for credit” flight testing with the Federal Aviation Administration — which is planned to start later this year — as the company progresses toward commercialization.
This latest milestone is another demonstration of Archer’s ongoing progress as the company continues to execute against its commercialization plans. Archer notes that the aircraft will have components and systems that conform to the intended type design. Final assembly will be done at Archer’s manufacturing facility in San Jose, California.
“The key to achieving FAA certification is flying a conforming aircraft. I believe we are positioned to be the first in the sector to do so,” Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein says. “From day one, Archer’s strategy has been to build an aircraft that is certifiable and manufacturable at scale. This focus is what has allowed us to move quicker and more efficiently than any other company in the industry over the last few years.”
The company has made several announcements over the last few months, including:
- Completion of Phase 1 flight testing with Midnight.
- Battery cells R&D with NASA for eVTOLs and space applications.
- Extension of its aircraft services in the UAE and India.
According to Archer, Midnight’s primary structure (fuselage, wings, tail, rotors, propellers) will be fabricated with composite materials.
Related Content
-
Midnight production aircraft completes full transition flight
This is Archer’s second full-scale eVTOL aircraft to achieve this milestone, critical to being able to carry commercially viable passenger payloads.
-
Braided thermoplastic composite H2 tanks with co-consolidated molded boss areas to fit EV battery space
BRYSON project demonstrates possible designs, automated manufacturing and low permeability concepts, including EVOH liner and novel PPA matrix.
-
Composites end markets: New space (2025)
Composite materials — with their unmatched strength-to-weight ratio, durability in extreme environments and design versatility — are at the heart of innovations in satellites, propulsion systems and lunar exploration vehicles, propelling the space economy toward a $1.8 trillion future.
