Honeywell Partnership Provides Flying Car Control Technologies

Archer AviationHoneywell Partnership Provides Flying Car Control Technologies The company has teamed with Archer Aviation on systems for its ridesharing eVTOL aircraft Written by John Yellig 4th August 2022 Urban-air mobility (UAM) developer Archer Aviation selected Honeywell to provide flight-control actuation and thermal-management systems for its Maker electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The technologies are critical components of the Maker, which Archer says will provide aerial ridesharing transportation between urban vertiports when it goes into commercial service, a milestone currently set for 2024. The aircraft flies using a “12 tilt 6” configuration of 12 independent, electric rotors, six of which tilt to provide lift at takeoff before rotating to move the aircraft forward, and six of which provide lift at takeoff and landing only. Honeywell says its flight-control actuators can process hundreds of micro adjustments and commands per second from fly-by-wire computers, which provide precise navigation — a must-have for the vehicle, which is designed to operate in dense, urban environments.