First Archer Midnight eVTOL Finishes Production Ahead Of Initial Summer Test Flight – SlashGear

Archer Aviation made waves earlier this year when it announced a partnership with automaker Stellantis for $150 million toward making the flying taxis a reality. This partnership is on the heels of an existing agreement with U.S. legacy carrier United Airlines to purchase up to 200 aircraft in a deal worth $1 billion. Initially, United intends to utilize the Midnight to ferry passengers to and from its aviation hubs at Chicago’s O’Hare and Newark Liberty airports from the nearby city centers of downtown Chicago and Manhattan, respectively.

The Midnight — a successor to Archer’s experimental testbed called Maker — will have seating for four passengers, plus room for one pilot. It’s said to have a range of 100 miles, which will allow multiple consecutive short flights with only 12 minutes of recharging in between. The Midnight is capable of cruising at an altitude of 2,000 feet, at speeds approaching 150 mph. Furthermore, its 12 motors are “1,000 times quieter than a helicopter.”

The manufacturing of components to build conforming aircraft has already started, with completion of the first production model expected in the fourth quarter of 2023.