Joby Aviation has delivered its first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to the US Air Force (USAF) six months ahead of schedule.
The aircraft was delivered to the Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) on September 25 and is part of a Joby’s $131m AFWERX Agility Prime contract with the UAF. A second aircraft is planned to be delivered to Edwards in early 2024.
“Agility Prime’s stated objective in 2020 was to work towards an operational capability for transformative vertical lift in the DoD [Department of Defence] by 2023. The arrival of Joby’s aircraft at Edwards AFB is an important step towards achieving this objective,” said Col Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force.
The Agility Prime contract includes the provisioning of up to nine aircraft to the USAF and other federal agencies, reinforcing the US government’s continued leadership in developing and adopting eVTOL technology, and ushering in a new era of electric aviation.
Joby’s eVTOL is thought to be the first electric air taxi to be delivered in the US and will be stationed at the Edwards AFB for 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.
On-base operations will also include the training of Air Force pilots and aircraft maintenance crews, which will provide the Department of Defence with insight into the performance of eVTOL aircraft. It will also give Joby on-the-ground operational and training experience as the company prepares for the launch of commercial passenger service in 2025.
“We’re 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.
Image: Joby Aviation
