Air Force Receives First Archer Midnight Air Taxi
The military is intrigued by the aircraft’s mix of vertical takeoff and landing capability and low noise.
Air Force personnel watch Archer’s Midnight eVTOL air taxi during a recent test flight. [Courtesy: Archer Aviation]
Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation has delivered one of its flagship Midnight air taxis to the U.S. Air Force, the first of up to six such deliveries under a contract worth up to $142 million.
The agreement, signed last August with AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm, will allow Air Force pilots to gauge the aircraft’s usefulness for defense operations and could be leveraged by other military branches.
“Together, our goal is to prove Midnight’s potential and ensure the United States continues to lead the way with the world’s most advanced technology,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer.
Archer’s Midnight is a piloted, zero-emission model designed to carry up to four passengers on 20-to-50 sm (17-to-43 nm) trips, cruising at about 130 knots. The manufacturer is selling the aircraft to airlines and other operator customers who intend to use it for home-to-airport services, round-trip tourism routes, and other flights largely handled by helicopters.
The military, however, will get its hands on Midnight first. Defense leaders are drawn to the aircraft’s unique combination of vertical takeoff and landing capability and low noise profile.
“Archer's Midnight aircraft has the potential to significantly enhance our operational capabilities,” said Colonel Elliott Leigh, director of AFWERX and chief commercialization officer for the Air Force.
The U.S. Department of Defense earlier this month accepted the aircraft’s military airworthiness assessment, “a critical approval that confirms Midnight’s readiness for flight testing by AFWERX,” Archer said.
According to the company, Air Force personnel were on-site for the inaugural Midnight delivery and have already performed simulations of medical evacuation, cargo, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) flights.
The military’s interest in eVTOL designs is not limited to Archer.
Competitor Joby Aviation, for example, has its own multimillion-dollar contract with AFWERX for the delivery of nine aircraft, one of which arrived at Edwards Air Force Base in California last year. Electric aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies is also working closely with the Air Force and has already conducted what it describes as “real-world” missions.
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