by DRONELIFE Staff Author Ian J. McNabb
Archer Aviation, a San Jose-based eVTOL developer, recently held an event with the Federal Advanced Air Mobility interagency working group at its facility, where they showcased their recent eVTOL technology. The working group, comprising of representatives from the FAA, NASA, the White House, and a bunch of other government agencies, is in search of recent investment opportunities in advanced air mobility, which they define as “a transportation system that may move people and property by air using highly automated aircraft with advanced technologies in controlled and uncontrolled airspace inside america”. Archer’s recent “Midnight” eVTOL, first unveiled late last 12 months, actually matches the bill, with advanced technologies including their proprietary twelve-tilt-six configuration.
Around 70 representatives saw a live flight test of the “Midnight” eVTOL, which is around 1000x quieter than a helicopter and may operate for 20-minute stints with minimal charging time in between for a spread of roughly 100 miles. Of their recent press release, Adam Goldstein, CEO of Archer, stated, “For lots of our guests, this was the primary time they’ve been capable of witness an eVTOL aircraft flight in person. Our showcase emphasized just how far along we’re, and demonstrated the security and low noise benefits of eVTOL aircraft.”
Archer Aviation has been within the news recently for hiring Billy Nolen, former Acting Administrator of the FAA, who championed AAM during his time there. By hiring Nolen and hosting high-profile events like this one, Archer is signaling its close relationship with US regulators, which helped contribute to a spike of their stock price Wednesday as Archer seeks approval for its Midnight. The FAA has increased its resources dedicated to advanced air mobility regulation and development recently, (publishing airworthiness criteria for the Midnight eVTOL in December) and the recent passage of the Federal Advanced Air Mobility Act has highlighted that the federal government is aware of the huge potential of the AAM sector in america. Overall, signs are looking strong for Archer’s efforts to bring their eVTOLs to the business market by 2025, a crucial step for the American AAM industry and the event of eVTOLs worldwide.
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Ian McNabb is a staff author based in Boston, MA. His interests include geopolitics, emerging technologies, environmental sustainability, and Boston College sports.