US electric air taxi developer Joby Aviation last month reached a landmark moment in its eVTOL test program by successfully completing full-transition flights from vertical to cruise and back with a pilot onboard.
The first such flight, made on 22 April in prototype N544JX, involved test pilot James Denham taking of from Joby's test facility in Marina, California in vertical mode, before transitioning to forward flight and back to vertical for landing again.
Denham later reported that the eVTOL "flew exactly as expected, with excellent handling qualities and low pilot workload.”
Joby's eVTOL is a tilt-rotor design capable of carrying pilot and four passengers. Powered by six electric motors, the eVTOL is expected to be capable of 173 knots.
Joby is thought to be the first eVTOL company to routinely achieve crewed full-transition flights.
“Achieving this milestone is hugely significant for Joby," said Didier Papadopolous, Joby President of Aircraft OEM. "It not only demonstrates the high level of confidence we have in the performance of the aircraft as we prepare for commercial service in Dubai, it also paves the way to starting TIA [type inspection authorisation] flight testing with FAA pilots onboard.
“We have taken a very methodical approach to achieving this long-planned milestone, with an immense amount of testing, both in the air and on the ground, helping form a solid foundation that allowed us to move from one historic flight to routine pilot-on-board transitions almost overnight.”
Joby has since completed several full-transition test flights and expects to deliver an airframe to Dubai for further testing and eventual passenger flights in the region.