Archer Aviation

Archer Aviation Inc. is a publicly traded company headquartered in San Jose, California, which is developing eVTOL aircraft.

Its eVTOL aircraft is designed to allow airline operators to transport people in and around cities in an air taxi service and are claimed to have a range of up to at speeds of up to . United Airlines is its first major corporate partner, having ordered two hundred Archer electric aircraft.

Aircraft and air taxi service

Maker, Archer's full size demonstrator aircraft, was unveiled on June 10, 2021, at an event in Los Angeles, California. Maker was a fully electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with 12 electric propellers: six tilt-props (each with five blades) for forward and VTOL flight and six aft propellers that are stationary (each propeller with two blades) for VTOL-only flight. The aircraft is powered by six independent battery packs. In November 2021, Archer moved Maker from its headquarters to its flight test facility to start initial test flights. Maker also received its airworthiness certificate to start flight test operations from the FAA in December 2021. Archer completed its first flight in December 2021.

Archer's aerial ridesharing service, also referred to as Urban Air Mobility (UAM), has been pushed back one year to 2025 and is planned to begin operations in Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California. Archer is working with Urban Movement Labs and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to help build the necessary infrastructure and service routes. It is also working with the City of Miami on similar plans.

Midnight

Midnight is Archer’s planned production aircraft. The aircraft was unveiled on November 17, 2022 at an event in Palo Alto, California. Archer’s Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights. Midnight has 12 propellers: six tilt props in the front of the wing for forward and VTOL flight and six aft propellers that are stationary for VTOL flight only. Midnight is designed to travel at up to 150 mph (240 km/h) with a maximum range of 100 miles (161 km). The aircraft is powered by six independent battery packs. On June 12, 2024, Midnight completed its first transition flight. Archer flew over 400 test flights in 2024.

History

Archer was founded on October 16, 2018, by Adam Goldstein and Brett Adcock to develop electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The company was originally started by Goldstein and Adcock and privately funded. Later, Marc Lore, a Walmart executive, also supported its launch.

In 2022, Adcock departed from both the leadership team and the board. Goldstein is currently the sole CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company.

Initially, Archer worked on developing aircraft with the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida; Goldstein and Adcock are both alumni. Archer now operates a research lab on the University of Florida's campus in Gainesville, Florida, which was funded by Goldstein and Adcock .

In August 2022, United Airlines paid Archer a $10 million deposit for 100 electric flying taxis. On November 10, 2022, Archer and United Airlines announced plans for the first electric air taxi route in the US, with an initial route between Newark Liberty International Airport and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. Archer became an IPO (ACHR)on September 20, 2021.

On November 17, 2022, Archer unveiled details of its production vehicle dubbed "Midnight". The aircraft is a piloted, four-passenger air taxi the company said will enter flight testing by the second quarter of 2023 and service by 2025. It is designed to carry passengers on short trips of around between airports and downtown city centers.

In November 2022, Archer unveiled its Midnight production aircraft, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can carry four passengers and a pilot. It is designed to be optimized for back-to-back 20-mile trips, with a payload of over 1,000 pounds. Midnight is the evolution of Archer's previous aircraft, Maker, and is expected to be certified by the FAA in late 2024.

Archer announced its Maker prototype had achieved full transition from vertical to horizontal flight on November 29, 2022. This milestone was said to be an important validation step for the flight control systems and aircraft architecture that is also applicable to its Midnight production aircraft.

In January 2023, Archer announced a partnership in which Stellantis, a multinational automobile manufacturer, would provide up to $150 million in equity capital to support Archer's growth and to collaborate on the development and production of Archer's eVTOL aircraft for urban air mobility. The purpose of the partnership solidifies Stellantis as Archer's exclusive contract manufacturer for mass production of its eVTOL aircraft.

In March 2023, Archer and United Airlines announced plans for an electric air taxi route between O'Hare International Airport and Vertiport Chicago on the city's near west side.

On June 5, 2024 Archer received its Part 135 Air Carrier and Operator Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In July 2024, Archer and Southwest Airlines established an agreement to develop operational concepts for air taxi networks.

On Feb, 2025 Archer Aviation has received its Part 141 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), enabling the company to establish its pilot training academy.

See also

*eVTOL
* Vertical Aerospace
*Joby Aviation
*Lilium
* Urban Air Mobility
* Volocopter GmbH

References

External links

*
{{Finance links
, symbol=ACHR
, bloomberg=ACHR:US
, google=ACHR:NYSE
, sec_cik=1824502
, yahoo=ACHR
, reuters=ACHR.N

2018 establishments in California
Aircraft manufacturers of the United States
Companies based in San Jose, California
Electric aircraft