Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, November 21 (Xinhua)-- with the successful test flight of the Maker prototype, Archer Aviation officially launched its full-size Midnight four-person eVTOL aircraft, commonly known as an aerial taxi, on November 17. The company aims to achieve FAA certification by the end of 2024 and put it into commercial use by 2025.

The Midnight uses the same propulsion layout as the Maker, including 12 rotors. The biggest difference between the two is that Midnight is much larger than Maker.

According to reports, the Midnight not only can hold twice as many passengers, but also has a longer wingspan. CTOnews.com learned that the two-seater Maker has a wingspan of 40 feet and weighs about 3500 pounds, while the Midnight has a wingspan of 47 feet and weighs nearly 6500 pounds.

Archer said that the mass-produced version of the Midnight can achieve a payload of more than 1000 pounds, while the FAA has a weight and carry-on baggage allowance of 200lbs for men and 179lbs for women, which means it is difficult to put too much on the basis of meeting four passengers.

The company said the plane would be optimized for a continuous range of 20 miles, with about 10 minutes to recharge the battery between flights.

According to reports, the aircraft has a top speed of 150mph (241km / h) and can fly as far as 100mph after charging. It also supports fast charging and can achieve a back-to-back 20-mile (32km) range in 10 minutes, and the company claims it can fly at least 3000 consecutive flight cycles, after which it may need to update the battery pack.

Compared with electric helicopters, Archer promises that it will be unobtrusive in urban operations, and most importantly, it will be 100 times quieter and cheaper, requiring only "the price of Uber-style services" per mile, which is the key to the rapid expansion of the eVTOL industry.

Archer is said to be building a new plant in Georgia that aims to produce 650 aircraft a year. If all goes according to plan, they will soon reach a capacity of 2300 aircraft a year.

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