Archer Receives Certification Standards Approval in G1 Issue Paper from FAA

Archer announced on September 7th that the G-1 Issue Paper it had previously submitted to the FAA, which establishes the airworthiness and environmental requirements necessary to achieve FAA Type Certification has been approved and signed, enabling Archer to move further down the runway towards its goal of obtaining an FAA Type Certification for its eVTOL aircraft.

The G-1 Certification Basis is based on the FAA’s certification standards contained in 14 C.F.R. Part 23. With Part 23 as the foundation, the G-1 Certification Basis sets forth the specific Airworthiness Standards and Environmental Standards required for FAA Type Certification. With these requirements now established, Archer can focus on finalizing its G-2 Issue Paper with the FAA, which will set forth the means of compliance to meet the requirements set forth in the G-1 Issue Paper. Archer has been working on the means of compliance for the G-2 Issue Paper with the FAA since earlier this year, as well as the necessary testing and methods required to demonstrate safety and compliance of our aircraft.

The Maker eVTOL. Image // Archer Aviation

According to the company’s press release, Archer has focused on ensuring that its design, engineering and business decisions align with what it believes is necessary to design and develop an aircraft that meets the FAA’s rigorous safety standards and achieve FAA Type Certification as soon as possible. Today’s achievement results from a collaborative relationship Archer has established with the FAA, led by Archer’s Head of Certification, Eric Wright, an accomplished aviation professional with a decades-long history of designing and obtaining FAA Type Certificates for aircraft.

“We’re certainly proud to have hit this historic milestone for Archer. Obtaining the G-1 Certification Basis is a significant step forward towards Archer’s and the eVTOL industry’s goal of changing how people will move around urban environments,” said Archer’s Head of Certification Eric Wright. “This is an exciting time to be a part of the aviation industry as we work to electrify the skies, and we look forward to continuing to partner with the FAA on revolutionizing aircraft transportation.”

“Our team is pragmatic and realistic about the steps towards launching our urban air mobility network. The aircraft is just one part of the business Archer is building, and we will never lose sight of that final goal,” said Adam Goldstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Archer.

Why it’s important: The approval of this certification basis by the FAA is another example of usage of existing Part 23 guidance in the vein of certification of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. While EASA’s special issuance paper contains approved methods for compliance, the FAA adopted a slightly different approach toward certification requirements, instead maintaining regulations already in existence to account for the certification of a new “type” of aircraft (though the term “type” is not used colloquially as in aviation when referred to the configuration of an airplane). Continue to monitor Archer’s progress towards the G2 Issue paper in coming months.

Source // Archer Press Release