Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company Archer Aviation announced that its Midnight aircraft successfully completed its longest piloted flight to date, flying approximately 55 miles (88.5 km) in 31 minutes at speeds exceeding 126 mph.
The flight took place at Archer’s flight test facility in Salinas, California, in front of United Airlines’ Chief Financial Officer, Mike Leskinen, who led United Airlines’ early investment in Archer.
Test flights in the preceding week reached speeds of nearly 150 mph (241 km/h) over a variety of patterns. This latest achievement marks another major milestone in Archer’s envelope expansion program as the company advances toward FAA certification in the U.S. and near-term commercialization in the UAE.
The flight was conducted as a conventional takeoff and landing mission. Four of Archer’s test pilots are now regularly conducting test flights in Midnight, underscoring the program’s continued progress and maturity.
Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO, said, “I was proud to be on the tarmac with the team for this flight. Crossing the 50-mile mark at speed is another clear step toward commercialization that shows the maturity of our program.”
Mike Leskinen, Executive Vice President and CFO of United, said: “I’ve been a longtime supporter of bringing sustainable forms of aviation to market. Congratulations to the Archer team on achieving this milestone flight—I was impressed by how quiet the aircraft was.”
The Experimental Test Pilot for this flight shared: “Throughout the thirty-minute flight, the aircraft performed consistently, with predictable handling. It was a beautiful day to be behind the controls.”
Midnight flight test pilots will continue to expand speed and duration, and test mission profiles that map to early commercial operations. This milestone follows a series of key developments in Archer’s commercialization roadmap, including the continuation of its manufacturing ramp throughout the U.S. and the activation of its Launch Edition program in the UAE.
[source: Archer Aviation]
