Archer Wins FAA Airworthiness Criteria for Its Midnight eVTOL

There are more solutions than obstacles. Nicolas Zart

After our series on the differences between Joby and Archer comes news that Archer received the Federal Aviation Administration‘s (FAA) final airworthiness criteria for its Midnight electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This means that Archer can continue to work with the FAA for the final approval of its certification and test plans. Essentially, Archer has its regulatory milestone to reach the Type Certification for Midnight and can continue with its certification roadmap for its ongoing FAA certification program.

Archer: From Prototype to Mass Manufacturing

Before any of the eVTOL manufacturers can operate commercially, they need to prove their designs through a series of prototype demonstrations. This entails working closely with aviation regulatory bodies to show the airworthiness of its aircraft. Before mass production, there are many steps to overcome and approval ranging from prototype to mass-manufactured, each getting exponentially more difficult and costly.

This finalization of airworthiness criteria steps allows Archer to work with the FAA for the remaining final approvals. The company will continue its testing along with the FAA to begin the next phase, the piloted flight testing Archer says will happen later this year. The company announced the start of the construction of the first three piloted conforming Midnight aircraft, the first aircraft stated for piloted flight testing later this year. This piloted test flight will be used “for credit” flight testing with the FAA as the company progresses toward commercialization.

The FAA’s Certification Roadmap

The Midnight is a fly-by-wire aircraft to be certified in the powered-lift category. This is a New FAA category-type certificate in the powered-lift category under its “special class” process in FAR 21.17(b) of the regulations contained in Part 23’s small airplane regulations. However, the FAA has not yet established airworthiness standards for aircraft in the powered-lift category. eVTOL manufacturers must follow this “special class” process. This also means that the FAA must approve special airworthiness criteria for every model on a case-by-case basis.

Archer has some wiggle room to increase the performance of the Midnight eVTOL and the FAA can grant the increased performance approval “based on the aircraft’s ability to meet higher performance standards for continued flight under certain failure conditions.” 

Regardless of whether the aircraft’s performance is classified as “increased” or “essential,” it must be capable of executing a controlled emergency landing in the event that it loses power or thrust. The FAA clarified this expectation in the airworthiness criteria for both Archer and Joby. 

The FAA in December 2022 issued Archer’s proposed airworthiness criteria. In comparison, Joby Aviation received its own a month prior. Both Archer and Joby are the only eVTOL manufacturers to obtain final airworthiness criteria from the regulator in the US.

To date, the Archer Midnight prototype has not achieved a transition flight, meaning from vertical thrust-only take-off to horizontal wing-borne flight cruise. The company said it is “closing in on its transition milestone.” 

Archer Press Release.

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