Electric vehicles are developing by leaps and bounds, but only on land – if literally anyone who reads the news at least once a week has heard about electric cars and even electric trucks, electricity on water and in the air is still in extremely low demand. But the American company Archer plans to radically change the situation in the near future – yesterday, November 17, the manufacturer officially introduced the world’s first production model of an electric aircraft called Midnight. And if everything goes according to plan, this vehicle will go into commercial use as early as 2025.
The creators of the Midnight electric plane said that their vehicle is an aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing, which greatly simplifies the operation process. The fact is that for conventional aircraft, an impressive runway is required, while for vertical takeoff and landing, a small area is sufficient (as for helicopters). Already in 2024, the developers plan to receive a certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration, which will allow this vehicle to move through the airspace on a par with the same helicopters and small civil aviation aircraft, and in 2025 the first flights with passengers on board are planned.
However, although the Archer Midnight is the first mass-produced electric aircraft, its characteristics, to put it mildly, are inferior to classic small civil aviation aircraft. For example, an electric aircraft has a maximum speed of 240 km/h, which may seem like an impressive achievement, but the aircraft has only a range of 160 kilometers. Accordingly, if Archer Midnight moves at its maximum speed, then it will stay in the air for only 40 minutes (in fact, even less, since take-off and landing also require energy). This suggests that electric taxis will be used exclusively within the city or for flights over short distances.
Moreover, the manufacturer said that the built-in Midnight battery supports fast charging technology, which allows you to get a range of 30 kilometers in ten minutes, but after three thousand recharge cycles, the battery will need to be changed. In this case, of course, the battery will gradually degrade, so that after the first thousand recharges, the power reserve can fall catastrophically. However, the vehicle also has advantages – the developers of the electric aircraft note that Midnight is much quieter than small civil aviation aircraft or helicopters, its operating costs are noticeably lower, plus the cost of a flight for one passenger will be at the level of a trip in a regular taxi.
And although the plane now looks like a very controversial pleasure, its design is extremely interesting. The cabin of the electric aircraft is equipped with four seats for passengers and one seat for the pilot (it is placed in the nose of the vehicle with a huge view). During takeoff, the aircraft uses twelve propellers pointing upwards, and when Midnight gains an altitude of 610 meters, the six rear propellers are disabled, and the six front ones turn in the direction of the vehicle, creating the necessary thrust. When landing, the propellers return to their original position, allowing the aircraft to land on a platform slightly larger than the helicopter.
Source: Trash Box
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
