Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft. (Photo: Business Wire)
Archer’s engineering and industrial design teams worked hand-in-hand to create its visually stunning Midnight aircraft, while meeting the strict aerodynamics and weight demands required.
SANTA CLARA, Calif.—The MUSE Design Awards have recognized Archer Aviation Inc.’s Midnight aircraft as the Transportation Design of the Year for 2023. The MUSE Design Awards is an international design competition that honors “the world’s best in design and innovation,” Archer Aviation said in a release.
Archer Aviation is a designer and developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for use in urban air mobility networks. Its team of world-class design professionals was led by Julien Montousse, former head of design at Mazda North America; Niki Smart, who is said to have reshaped the Cadillac vehicle design at General Motors; and Greg Warmsley, former executive creative director at Mazda. According to Archer, the team broke boundaries of aerospace design with its Midnight aircraft.
“Midnight is poised to unlock freedom of movement within and around cities on an entirely new level,” Montousse said in a statement. “After spending most of my life designing cars, I saw from a distance that technology breakthroughs were happening in aerospace and that they would unlock new aircraft architectures. When developing a product in a completely new space like eVTOL aircraft, it’s important to instill confidence and earn the trust of consumers.”
A view of the interior of Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft. (Photo: Business Wire)
The skin of an eVTOL aircraft cannot be designed alone. The entire aircraft must be designed collectively, with engineering and industrial design teams working hand-in-hand to achieve a final product. In the case of Midnight, that product was visually stunning while meeting the strict aerodynamics and weight demands required for the aircraft to perform at the level required.
“When setting out to design Midnight, we focused on creating a powerful aircraft design that forged an emotional connection between passenger and aircraft,” said Montousse. “Midnight combines high function with high emotion, delivering a travel experience unlike any other. From the moment you lay eyes on the aircraft, to the experience of gazing down at the community you live in, Midnight’s design delivers an unparalleled sense of connection to the world around you, creating a sense of inspiration like nothing else.”
The MUSE Design Awards is an international design competition dedicated to recognizing excellent and original design work from around the world. Its mission is to honor and celebrate outstanding design innovators, while inspiring others to elevate the standards of the design world, the release said.