Midnight Executes Transition Flight | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.14.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.16.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.17.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Fri, Jun 14, 2024

Midnight Executes Transition Flight

Archer Continues March Toward Commercialization

Archer Aviation’s second full-scale eVTOL aircraft Midnight successfully completed its transition flight on June 8. In the eVTOL industry, transition flight is a well-known benchmark that is difficult to achieve. 

It occurs when the aircraft takes off vertically like a helicopter (hover), transitions into wing-borne forward flight as the engines tilt forward and flies like an airplane. As it approaches its destination it decelerates, the engines tilt upward and the craft lands like a helicopter. The process is similar to that seen with the US military’s tiltrotor V-22 Osprey operation.

Midnight’s gross takeoff weight is about 6,500 pounds, making it one of the largest and heaviest eVTOL aircraft to achieve transition flight, a maneuver crucial for transporting commercially viable passenger payloads.

Midnight is slated to continue its piloted flight test program flying simulated commercial routes showing the aircraft’s operational readiness. 

The program will also test additional flight maneuvers and high rates of flight operations likely to be used in the commercial realm.

The goal of the program is to offer urban commuters the opportunity to replace drives that typically take 60-90 minutes with shorter 10-20 minute flights in electric air taxis. Such flights would be safe, low-noise, sustainable, and competitive with the cost of ground transportation. Midnight is designed as a piloted four-passenger aircraft capable of rapid flights with minimal time for recharging between flights.

FMI: www.archer.com

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.15.25): Charted Visual Flight Procedure Approach

Charted Visual Flight Procedure Approach An approach conducted while operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan which authorizes the pilot of an aircraft to proceed >[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.15.25)

“When l became the Secretary of Defense, I committed to rebuild our military to match threats to capabilities. Drones are the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation, >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.15.25)

Aero Linx: Stearman Restorers Association Welcome to the Stearman Restorers Association. The Stearman Restorers Association is an independent “Not for Profit” 501C-3 Co>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Kjelsrud Gary Kitfox

Airplane Exhibited A Partial Loss Of Engine Power When It Was About Halfway Down The Runway Analysis: The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane was departing from his pr>[...]

NTSB Prelim: Cessna A150L

The Flight Path Was Consistent With Low-Altitude Maneuvering On June 18, 2025, about 0922 mountain standard time, a Cessna A150L airplane, N6436F, was substantially damaged when it>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC