Archer unveils eVTOL Maker aircraft

Archer (Palo Alto, Calif., U.S.), a company designing and developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), debuted its composite Maker aircraft live in Los Angeles and streamed it to a global audience on the evening of June 10. The in-person event was held at the Hawthorne Hangar Operations and used industry-leading extended reality (XR) technology to take audiences on a virtual ride on Maker.

In order to create a unique and completely immersive experience, Archer built a 2,400-square-foot XR volume space that simulated a commercial flight and demonstrated how Archer will shape the next era of travel. By creating a mass shared simulation using the film industry’s cutting-edge technology, Archer says attendees were able to virtually ride Archer’s aircraft, experiencing the next transportation revolution. 

“Archer has a big, bold company vision and our approach to this milestone moment had to match that,” says Louise Bristow, who leads marketing and communications for Archer and assembled the creative team. “We wanted to deliver an experience that went beyond the conventions of normal product launches and to bring together a unique group of partners to create something truly immersive for our audience.”

According to Archer’s co-founder and co-CEO, Brett Adcock, Maker’s unveil has been years in the making and marks a pivotal juncture for the eVTOL industry and future of transportation. “Every day at Archer, we’re working to build the future, and we have never felt closer than we did introducing the world to Maker,” Adcock says. 

Archer’s new Chief Creative Officer Kenny Taht, was at the helm of the event’s creative direction, drawing on more than three decades of experiential design and television production to bring Maker to life. “True innovation requires inspiration, which is why the team at Archer put great emphasis on creating a groundbreaking, highly engaging moment for Maker’s unveil,” says Kenny Taht. “In order to progress UAM [urban air mobility], continuous education is needed and, with this experience, we’ve helped introduce travelers to this new reality.” 

Maker’s unveil is said to be the latest example of Archer’s continued momentum, setting the stage for the next phase of engineering and flight testing. With backing from the United Airlines commercial order and the recently announced merger with Atlas Crest Investment Corp., the company is valued at $3.8 billion, Archer reports that it is in an excellent financial position to continue on its accelerated timeline toward commercial launch in 2024. 

To experience the industry milestone, access the full recording here.