Three conforming, piloted Midnight aircraft are under construction

Archer Aviation Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.) announces that the company is well underway in constructing the company’s first three conforming Midnight aircraft, with the first aircraft set to begin final assembly in the coming weeks. Archer’s initial fleet of piloted aircraft will begin piloted flight testing later this year, and subsequently be used in “for credit” flight testing with the Federal Aviation Administration —  which is planned to start later this year — as the company progresses toward commercialization.

This latest milestone is another demonstration of Archer’s ongoing progress as the company continues to execute against its commercialization plans. Archer notes that the aircraft will have components and systems that conform to the intended type design. Final assembly will be done at Archer’s manufacturing facility in San Jose, California.

“The key to achieving FAA certification is flying a conforming aircraft. I believe we are positioned to be the first in the sector to do so,” Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein says. “From day one, Archer’s strategy has been to build an aircraft that is certifiable and manufacturable at scale. This focus is what has allowed us to move quicker and more efficiently than any other company in the industry over the last few years.”