See How Joby Aviation's Air Taxi Gets Made

1 week ago 6

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Joby's production prototype

One of Joby Aviation's main airports for test flights is in Marina, California. This is one of the flight production prototypes waiting in the hangar.

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Joby propellers

The propellers are made from carbon fiber, with a titanium plug. Five propellers sit on rotors around the air taxi and these rotors tilt 90 degrees depending on the flight stage. In hover configuration, as pictured, the propellers face upward, then in flight mode they change to face forwards.

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Four passengers, one pilot

The air taxi has one pilot and can transport up to four passengers and their luggage.

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Joby pilot training

Joby will have a training curriculum for pilots, including flight time in this simulator. Pictured is Peter Wilson, director of flight standards and training at Joby. He's the former lead test pilot for the F-35B program. I'm getting expert instruction on flying the air taxi.

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Carbon fiber

Each of Joby's composite aircraft parts starts life as carbon fiber. Here, a technician lays out strips of carbon fiber in its raw state.

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Putting the pieces together

After the pieces for individual parts are cut out from sheets of carbon fiber, they go into the lamination process.

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Lamination process

All the pieces, or layers of carbon fiber, are put together in kits so technicians can laminate them.

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Larger components get laminated, too

Here, a team of technicians work to laminate a larger aircraft piece. Lasers from the ceiling project where each layer needs to sit.

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Up close with lamination

A closer look at the lamination process.

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Technician at work

One of Joby's technicians in the lamination area works on a component.

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Autmatic fiber placement

This is an automatic fiber placement machine, which lays down individual strands of carbon fiber onto larger parts like the wing.

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Ready for the autoclave

After each part is laminated, it then gets baked in a giant chamber called an autoclave.

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Ultrasonic testing and inspection

After cooking in the autoclave, this machine sprays each piece with water and can tell if there are any flaws or defects in the part.

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Ready for liftoff

Joby anticipates it will be ready for commercial flights as early as 2025. The company has filed for regulatory approvals in the US, Dubai and other locations around the world.

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Lightweight propellers

Each of the propellers is lightweight and designed with acoustics in mind. The propellers, combined with the electric propulsion unit, make the aircraft quiet when hovering and flying.

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