Archer Aviation and defense technology company Anduril have unveiled a co-developed autonomous aircraft platform. The platform is designed for both commercial and military applications.
Details of the Platform
The defense variant, called Thunder, is a Group 5 autonomous attack rotorcraft intended to fly alongside current and next-generation crewed attack and assault aircraft. Archer CEO Adam Goldman stated that the company built a specific aircraft rather than retrofit an existing one.
The Archer-Anduril platform uses a series hybrid-electric powertrain and tilt rotors designed to vary rotor speed across flight conditions. It has capabilities to support missions including military strikes, cargo movement, remote logistics, and other operations from austere locations.
Archer plans to unveil its commercial variant and announce the platform’s first commercial customers later this week. The company is best known for developing electric air taxis and is looking to expand beyond urban air taxi services.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
