Archer’s Midnight eVTOL Completes First Transition Flight

Midnight achieved speeds greater than 100 mph on the remotely controlled flight before reverting to vertical mode for landing.

Mark Phelps

Thursday, June 13, 2024 at 10:54 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Archer's Midnight aircraft flying at 100+ mph during transition flight. [Courtesy: Archer Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Archer Aviation successfully completed the first full transition flight of its Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft on June 8, reaching speeds over 100 mph.
The Midnight is among the largest eVTOLs to achieve this milestone, which Archer deems critical for carrying commercially viable passenger payloads.
This achievement, the second for Archer's full-scale eVTOL models, marks significant progress toward FAA type certification and the company's goal of launching air taxi services to replace long commutes.

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Archer Aviation announced Wednesday it completed the first successful transition flight of its Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft on June 8.

In transitioning from vertical takeoff mode to wing-borne flight, the six front-facing electric motors tilt forward as it picks up speed to power the aircraft like a conventional fixed-wing aircraft. As shown in a company video, the Midnight achieved speeds of greater than 100 mph on the remotely controlled flight. It then reverted to vertical mode for landing.