Archer Electric VTOL Air Taxi Demo Passes Major Test

Six months after Archer Aviation unveiled its Maker demonstration electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft the project literally got off the ground for the first time, the company said Monday.

It’s a major step towards the startup’s goal of launching an air taxi service in 2024 to both reduce carbon emissions and traffic in urban settings.

The Maker left the ground for the first time during a hover test on Dec. 16 two weeks after receiving a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company the Maker hovered in place then landed safely at an undisclosed California test site. During the operation Archer technicians checked out the flight control system while in flight as well as flight software.

The successful hover test opened the door for Archer to put the Maker through more extensive test flights starting next year, including forward flight.

The battery-powered aircraft is a demonstration model for an eVTOL designed to take off and land like a helicopter and whiz up to 60 miles at 150 miles per hour to ferry folks between cities and airports or other short-hop destinations.

“It’s been humbling to build a leading eVTOL company and educate the public on clean transportation alternatives. Today is a milestone for both Archer and the future of travel. I’m extremely proud of this exceptional team,” said Archer co-founder and co-CEO Brett Adcock in a statement.

“With our first hover flight now completed, we’re one major step closer to that goal and have proven that Archer can work at a fast pace without sacrificing safety or quality. Our team stands ready to continue that pace as we work toward launching an aerial ride sharing service in late 2024” added Archer co-founder and co-CEO Adam Goldstein.

While the Maker is a demonstration aircraft, the company said it intends to unveil its four-seat production-intent aircraft later in 2022.

Things have been moving fast for Archer having gone public after merging last February with Atlas Crest Investment Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). A month earlier Archer struck a deal with Stellantis giving the startup access to the automaker’s low-cost supply chain and engineering and design capabilities to help boost production capacity and offset the costs of expensive composite materials used in the eVTOL’s structure.

In November, Maker was moved from Archer’s Palo Alto headquarters to the California test site and received Manufacturing Inspection District Offices (MIDO) Certificate of Authorization (COA) and Aircraft Limitations from the FAA, leading the way to being granted the Special Airworthiness Certificate and last week’s test flight.

Archer has already lined up a major customer for its planes. The company scored a $1 billion order for aircraft from United Airlines which also holds an option to buy an additional $500 million worth of the planes. The aircraft, to be delivered in 2024, would primarily be used to transport passengers between its major hubs.

“Working with United as an investor, a strategic partner, it’s synergistic,” Adcock told Forbes.com during a June interview. “One plus one equals three with them. They’re helping us get to market better, bring in resources in. It’s a great partnership. We’re not out there as a core business model saying, we’d love to sell you aircraft.”

Indeed, Archer plans to reserve roughly half its eVTOLs for an air taxi service it expects to launch in 2024, initially, in Los Angeles and Miami.

The company plans to charge $3.00-$4.00 per passenger mile, or about $50 for a flight between Manhattan and JFK International Airport in Queens, Adcock said.

He predicted each aircraft will generate over $2 million in annual revenues and over $1 million in operating profits when taking all costs into consideration including batteries, pilots, maintenance, landing fees and depreciation.

Everything starts, however, with the successful testing of the Maker demonstration aircraft, which, coincidentally left the ground one day short of the 118^th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on Dec. 17,1903. Eric Wright, a descendant of Orville and Wilbur, and head of certification at Archer, placed a historic piece of the Wright Flyer in Maker for its inaugural flight to mark the occasion.