Archer’s eVTOL Demonstrator Completes First Full Transition Flight at 105 MPH

Maker and Midnight are not some characters from a videogame, but two eVTOLs developed by Archer Aviation. One is the full-scale demonstrator, and the other one, which was recently unveiled, is the commercial model that’s soon to be certified with FAA.

After scoring a huge order from none other than United Airlines, the Californian startup now has more good news to share. In less than a year, its full-scale demonstrator went from the first hover flight to successfully completing a transition to full wing-borne flight.

This was achieved at the end of November, Archer announced. During that flight, Maker’s tilt propellers were locked in cruise position for the first time, allowing the aircraft to hit 105 mph (91 knots/169 kph).

Maker boasts 12 propellers, which are attached to six booms, on a fixed-wing. Thanks to these propellers, the Maker can take-off and land vertically. Once it takes off, six of them tilt forward, in cruise position. This is what provides propulsion during forward flight, while the wing creates aerodynamic lift, similar to conventional airplanes.

Archer claims that this 12-tilt-6 propeller configuration is what makes its eVTOLs special, together with other high-performance technologies, such as the flight control systems used for both the Maker and Midnight.

This recent achievement is important because it validates the same systems that will be implemented on the commercial model. Midnight is set to be certified in 2024 and start operating as soon as 2025.