Rival eVTOL air taxi developers Archer Aviation and Wisk Aero have squashed their row over intellectual property and will now collaborate on autonomous flight technologies, the companies announced August 10.
The automotive manufacturer will mass produce Archer's Midnight eVTOL air taxi at a new facility in Georgia and will also provide $150 million in fresh capital.
The FAA published its notice of proposed airworthiness criteria for Archer’s eVTOL, called Midnight, in the Federal Register on December 20. The agency is seeking public comments on the proposals by Jan. 19, 2023.
Archer Aviation has successfully conducted the first-ever transition flight with its Maker eVTOL technology demonstrator aircraft, moving from vertical hover to horizontal, wing-borne cruise mode.
At the first public reveal of its Midnight eVTOL air taxi last week, Archer's engineers explained how they designed and optimized the proprietary battery packs and motors that power the fully electric, four-seat aircraft.
United Airlines has reinforced its commitment to purchasing eVTOL air taxis from Archer Aviation with a $10 million down payment on 100 units of the initial production version of the aircraft.