Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Archer Aviation announced this week,
Six months after the first flightof the Maker prototype at Archer's test facility in California, chief engineer Jeff Bauer said the prototype resumed flights last week. “The system worked as expected,” noted the developer. “We have now returned Maker to the air with an updated configuration that supports transient flight.” The prototype is equipped with 12 screws in total.
Archer will leverage existing infrastructure by transforming conventional helipads into eVTOL sites. Credit: Archer Aviation
Archer said it is still inon the way to testing the complete transition from vertical (propeller) to horizontal (wing) flight. Most likely, it will take place at the end of this year. Improving the transition phase is known to be one of the most challenging obstacles in eVTOL aircraft development.
Still no developer in thisThe nascent aviation sector has not received certification for an eVTOL aircraft, although some, including Archer and Joby Aviation, have made significant progress. Archer officials said they aim to achieve FAA certification in time to launch an air ride-sharing service by the end of 2024.
Read more:
Scientists uncover how vitamins affect the incidence of cancer
The space probe flew 200 km from Mercury. Look what he saw
The satellite of Jupiter was looked at in a new light: what scientists saw there
</ p>