Joby Moves Forward “to Next Phase of eVTOL Test Program”
Joby Aviation announced this week, it has successfully completed its pre-production flight test program and is now focused on the next phase of trialling, where the company is to employ a production prototype aircraft to prepare for upcoming for-credit flight testing, reports a press release.
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, remarked, “Over the course of this program, tens of thousands of miles have been flown using today’s battery technology. Our pre-production aircraft are the second full-scale generation of Joby’s design, and their performance met or exceeded our predictions, successfully achieving targets for maximum range speed and acoustic footprint.”
Joby first began flying full-scale pre-production prototype aircraft over four years ago, and “the company’s two pre-production aircraft subsequently completed more than 1,500 flights, spanning a total distance of over 33,000 miles, including more than 100 flights with a pilot onboard,” explains the release. “The second pre-production aircraft also completed the first electric air taxi exhibition flights in New York City, when it flew from the Manhattan Downtown Heliport over the Hudson River in November 2023.”
Bevirt continued, “Successfully completing this rigorous trial program has allowed us to proceed to ramp production with full confidence, with the second eVTOL aircraft rolling off the line at our production facility in Marina, California, earlier this week.”
He added, “Learnings from the flight testing have been invaluable to our certification program as well as to the broader development of regulatory frameworks around electric VTOL aircraft, validating the performance, safety and acoustics of our design, while providing insight into daily operations and maintenance.”
James ‘Buddy’ Denham
James ‘Buddy’ Denham, Joby Chief Test Pilot, and the first person to fly onboard Joby’s full-scale prototype aircraft, commented, “Over the past four years, we have thoroughly tested and studied the aircraft in flight, from precision landing and outwash to human factors. We often flew multiple flights per day, demonstrating an ability to fly in a wide variety of weather and operational conditions. As a result, we have the most experienced and professional eVTOL flight test team in the world.”
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(Images: Joby Aviation)
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