Joby delivers first eVTOL aircraft ahead of schedule to USAF Edwards Base
Joby Aviation yesterday announced that it delivered its first aircraft to the US Air Force (USAF) Edwards Base, approximately six months ahead of the expected 2024 delivery date.
On-base operations with Joby aircraft will be used to demonstrate a range of logistics missions, including cargo and passenger transportation, and will be operated by both Joby and USAF personnel.
NASA will also use the aircraft for research focussed on how these aircraft could fit into the national airspace. Joby’s aircraft is believed to be the first delivery of an electric air taxi in the US, as part of Joby’s $131 million AFWERX Agility Prime contract.
This includes up to nine aircraft to the US Air Force and other federal agencies. A second aircraft is planned to be delivered to Edwards in early 2024.
The aircraft, which was the first built on Joby’s Pilot Production Line in Marina, California, will be stationed at Edwards Air Force Base for at least the next year, with charging and ground support equipment provided on-base by Joby in a facility purpose-built by the Air Force for joint flight test operations.
The US Air Force and Joby will conduct joint flight testing and operations to demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities in realistic mission settings. On-base operations will also include the training of Air Force pilots and aircraft maintenance crews, as the company prepares for the launch of commercial passenger service in 2025.
“We are proud to join the ranks of revolutionary aircraft that first demonstrated their capabilities at Edwards Air Force Base, including the first American jet fighter, the first supersonic aircraft, and many others that have pushed the boundaries of aviation technology,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.
“The longstanding support of the DOD and NASA has been critical to the rapid development of electric aviation and eVTOL aircraft, and demonstrates how successful public-private partnerships can bring new technology to life at speed.”
Joby’s partnership with the DOD dates back to its 2016 engagement with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which granted the company early funding as well as access to test ranges and expertise that have aided its aircraft development program.
AFWERX director Colonel Elliott Leigh added: “Agility Prime’s stated objective in 2020 was to work towards an operational capability for transformative vertical lift by 2023. The arrival of Joby’s aircraft at Edwards AFB is an important step towards achieving this objective.
Emerging Technologies Integrated Test Force director Major Phillip Woodhull continued: “This partners private industry with the 412th Test Wing’s world-renowned test management execution. We are excited to test and evaluate this new technology for potential future national defence applications.”
NASA research pilot Wayne Ringelberg concluded: “NASA’s participation in the Joby and AFWERX project will provide researchers with hands-on experience with eVTOL vehicles.”
Over the past year, the USAF and Marines have made multiple visits to Joby’s manufacturing and flight test facilities in Marina, California. Four US Air Force pilots completed full remotely-piloted transition flights of the Joby aircraft in April, and two groups of Marines visited in May to conduct mission analysis regarding potential logistics and medical applications of the aircraft.
With a range of up to 100 miles plus energy reserves and a top speed of 200 mph, the Joby aircraft is capable of transporting a pilot and four passengers quickly and quietly with zero operating emissions.
