The race of the eVOLT continues and one of the biggest competitors is Archer, a company that has just achieved another great milestone and taken an important step to achieve its goal of air taxi service with its model midnightwhich has just completed its first horizontal flight, just seven months after making its maiden flight.
For us mortals, a transition flight might not sound so interesting or relevant, but in the aeronautical industry it is a gigantic and fundamental step in the development of any model. It is the moment when the plane shows that it can do just what it should and fulfill the functions for which it was created.
At the moment only some eVOLT have achieved this feat such as the Joby Aviation S4 and the Autoflight Prosperity 1, although for now Archer has the lead, as this is the second time it has achieved it, since the Marker previously did the same at the end of 2022 .
Midnight eVOLT’s big step towards being an air taxi
During a transition flight the eVOLT rises into the air like a helicopter, accelerates forward, changes from thrust flight to wing flight, and then decelerates before landing vertically.
In a statement, Archer’s chief engineer, Dr Geoff Bower said the Midnight is one of the largest eVOLT aircraft to ever achieve this transitional flight and one of the first built specifically to be a successful air taxi.
Archer has shared an uncut video of the Midnight performing this flight that took place on June 8, in the clip of about 9 minutes we can see how it takes off from the Salinas, California airfield, proceeds to float in place for a few seconds and then It shoots forward, soaring around the surrounding landscape before returning and landing at the same point it took off.
Archer’s eVOLT reached speeds of flight over 100 mph during this important exercise, in addition to executing it successfully, so the company is more than sure that it could soon begin its service as an air taxi.
Equipped with 12 wing-mounted tilting propellers, the aircraft is designed to carry one pilot and four passengers, with a payload capacity of more than 450 kg. This air taxi draws its power from a series of six battery packs and according to the firm will soon be able to reach a speed of more than 150 mph, as well as be able to make consecutive 20-mile trips (approximately 32 km) with a small load and breaks in between.
The next step is to begin flying simulated commercial routes in the coming months and then move on to pilot testing later this year, however even if everything goes according to plan, Archer must continue seeking the necessary certifications for its eVOLT air taxi.
If you want to stay up to date with every step along the way through the Midnight air, visit the official website of the firm archer.com
