Archer Aviation announced that Maker, Archer’s eVTOL demonstrator aircraft (earlier post), completed its first successful hover flight. The flight marks the completion of the company’s first full and complete systems test and validation of every hardware and software component working as intended to move the aircraft into the air.

The flight test was completed at 10:30 am PT on 16 December and also resulted in the successful checkout of the company’s flight control system in flight and the end-to-end close of flight software. Now that flight has been achieved, Archer will move forward with an ongoing extensive flight test campaign into 2022 and beyond.

In November, Archer’s dedicated flight test team, consisting of experts in flight test, battery, propulsion, flight controls, software and avionics, moved from the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto to a new flight test facility to prepare for this important milestone.

Over the past two months, the team has been focused on Maker’s integration and ground testing in order to prepare Maker for a successful first hover flight, as well as ensuring it meets the FAA’s standards for airworthiness certification.

After being fully integrated, Maker moved into its ground-testing phase, which included verification of the control and propulsion systems, along with driving the motors at full power, and then putting those motors through stress testing to ensure all systems were operational and ready to withstand flight testing. After completing an untethered test, during which the Archer team verified that the entire propulsion and flight control system was functioning correctly, Archer’s flight test team approved the aircraft for its first flight.

The moment was particularly significant in aviation history as this week marks the 118^th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903. Eric Wright, a descendant of Orville and Wilbur, and Archer’s own head of certification, placed a historic piece of the Wright Flyer in Maker for its inaugural flight to mark the full circle moment.

As Archer flies into the new year, this testing campaign will broaden to include hover envelope expansion, advancing Maker’s design capabilities and reaching higher altitudes. Following the hover expansion, the team will begin the transition envelope expansion ensuring Maker is able to move from hover to forward flight. While expanding Maker's test flights, Archer also plans to unveil its piloted, four-seat production-intent aircraft in 2023.