Midnight eVTOL aircraft reaches highest altitude flight to date

Source | Archer Aviation

On Sept. 22, Archer Aviation’s (Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.) Midnight aircraft successfully completed its highest altitude flight to date, reaching altitudes of 7,000 feet. The flight took off from Archer’s test facility in Salinas, and represents the latest milestone in Midnight’s envelope expansion testing program.

This flight marked one in a series of upcoming aircraft performance test flights designed to test and showcase Midnight’s operational range — electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, like Midnight, are primarily intended to operate in and around cities at altitudes between 1,500 and 4,000 feet. However, having the operational capability to operate at higher altitudes provides flexibility for managing air traffic in high-density environments and enables these aircraft to be able to operate in certain cities at elevation.

During this flight, Midnight’s test pilot conducted a steady climb after takeoff, leveled off at altitude, then continued to fly for 45 miles in total at speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour. The achievement follows August’s record-setting flight in which the aircraft covered approximately 55 miles in 31 minutes at speeds exceeding 126 miles per hour.

Test pilots will continue to safely and methodically test Midnight’s speed, duration and mission profiles to prepare for early commercial operations.