Archer has set a new type best for Midnight in a recent CTOL closed-circuit test, the company has announced. According to Archer, the flight lasted 31 minutes, and the aircraft flew 55 statute miles around a closed circuit at Archer’s Salinas Airport test centre, recording speeds up to 126 mph during the flight. The company said that in recent test flights, the prototype recorded a top speed described as “nearly 150 mph” as it continues to expand the flight envelope of the Midnight aircraft.
The announcement is further evidence that, for now, flight testing is in two forms: hover and low-speed flights using the prototype with four-blade lift props or wing-borne flights, which use the prototype with two-blade lift props in the low drag position. In the latter tests, the aircraft is launched and recovered using CTOL. It is yet to complete a piloted transition flight to or from wing-borne flight or reveal an expected timeline for that event. Archer has been approached for comment.
Image: Archer
