Joby Aviation, Inc. has announced completion of its prototype flight test programme, focusing all ongoing efforts on the next phase of trials, which will see Joby’s prototype aircraft units prepare for for-credit flight testing.
Joby’s two pre-production prototype aircraft have fulfilled over 1,500 flights since 2020, spanning a distance of more than 33,000 miles. In late 2023, Joby commenced pilot-controlled test flights of its eVTOL units, and one of the two aircraft also completed an exhibition flight in New York City in November 2023, the first to be performed in the city.
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, said:Over the course of this test program, our team has shown the world how real electric air taxis are, with tens of thousands of miles flown using today’s battery technology. Our pre-production aircraft were the second full-scale generation of Joby’s design, and their performance met or exceeded our predictions throughout the program, successfully achieving our targets for maximum range, speed, and a revolutionary acoustic footprint.
Successfully completing this rigorous test program has allowed us to proceed to ramp production with full confidence, the second of which rolled off the line at our production line in Marina, California, earlier this week. Learnings from the flight test program have been invaluable to our certification program and 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.
The company’s piloted electric air taxi has been designed to carry up to four passengers, with the second prototype unit planned to be used for research-and-development on future aviation technology innovation.
James Denham, Joby Chief Test Pilot, commented:Over the past four years, we thoroughly tested and studied our aircraft in flight, from precision landing and outwash to human factors. We often flew multiple flights per day, demonstrating our 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, and I’m proud to be a part of this program.
