Wisk, Archer Settle Lawsuit, Embark On Collaboration

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developers Archer Aviation and Boeing-owned Wisk Aero have reached a settlement to resolve federal and state litigation between them. Wisk filed the lawsuit, which alleged that Archer misappropriated trade secrets and infringed on Wisk’s patents, in April 2021. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Along with resolving their legal differences, the companies report that they have now entered into a collaboration that “looks forward to the growth and development of the AAM [advanced air mobility] industry.” As part of the agreement, Wisk will become the exclusive provider of autonomy technology for any future variants of Archer’s eVTOL design. In addition, Boeing is investing an undisclosed amount aimed at supporting the integration of Wisk’s technology and Archer’s aircraft.

Archer unveiled the production version of its Midnight eVTOL in November 2022. Archer says Midnight will seat a pilot and four passengers, have a range of up to 100 miles, cruise at up to 150 MPH and carry a payload of around 1,000 pounds. An earlier version, called Maker, completed its first hover flight in December 2021.

Wisk introduced its sixth-generation autonomous air taxi in October 2022. The four-seat sixth-generation model is expected to cruise at 120 knots and have a range of 90 miles with reserves. The company reports that it has conducted over 1,600 test flights with its eVTOL designs to date.