Archer UAM Aircraft Moves Forward with Honeywell’s MicroVCS

Archer UAM Aircraft Moves Closer to Commercial Viability with Honeywell Flight Control and Thermal Technology

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M Crosby

Archer Aviation [NYSE: ACHR] is one of the holdings in the AdvisorShares Drone Technology ETF [NYSE ARCA:UAV], the only ETF dedicated to the drone economy. The AdvisorShares Drone Technology ETF is a thematic investment strategy seeking to capture the growth opportunities in drones and autonomous vehicles (AV).  AdvisorShares is a DRONELIFE sponsor.

Archer Aviation and Honeywell Aerospace have entered into an agreement regarding the supply of flight control actuation and thermal management technologies for Archer’s production aircraft. Honeywell’s offerings are invaluable to Archer’s operations, with the aerospace company’s actuation technology playing a crucial role in Archer’s 12 tilt 6 configuration, and its thermal management technology to be utilized to elevate Archer’s in-cabin experience.

Developed for flight in complex urban environments, Archer’s aircraft will require pinpoint accuracy from its flight controls and actuators. Honeywell’s actuators are able to receive hundreds of micro adjustments and commands each second from fly-by-wire computers, resulting in exacting navigation. Implementing the most recent technological innovations into its aircraft for improved safety benefits, Archer adapts the unique capabilities of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. To that end, Archer has chosen Honeywell’s MicroVCS thermal management system, which grants a number of benefits over conventional systems, such as lower weight, higher efficiency, and higher reliability in its size and power class.

With over 60 years of experience providing actuation and thermal management systems for space, aerospace and naval applications, Honeywell offers a full line of avionics, navigation, electric propulsion, radar and communications systems, as well as flight controls and actuation technology.

“Honeywell’s position as an established leader in delivering advanced aerospace technologies will be critical to our delivering on our goal of certifying our production aircraft in 2024,” said Archer CEO Adam Goldstein. “It is evident to us that Honeywell shares our belief that the key to commercializing eVTOL aircraft is working with leading aerospace suppliers to ensure we can deliver as safe an aircraft as possible.”

“Honeywell has a wide variety of ready-now solutions that will create a more sustainable future for the aviation sector, and the technology we’re providing Archer is a great example of that,” said Stéphane Fymat, Honeywell Aerospace’s VP and general manager of Urban Air Mobility and Unmanned Aerial Systems. “We’re committed to making Urban Air Mobility an everyday form of travel, and Archer’s aircraft will help bring that vision to life.”

Read more about Archer and Honeywell:

• Archer and Hexcel Partner: Ramping Up eVTOL Manufacturing
• Archer eVTOL Gets FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate: Check Out These Images!
• Honeywell Drone-Mounted Radar: Helping Unmanned Systems Avoid Mid-Air Collisions
• Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Passenger Drones: Honeywell Purchases Ballard Unmanned Systems Assets
• Honeywell Partners with Intel on UAV Inspection Service

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.