California-based eVTOL developer, Joby Aviation, announced that its full-size pre-production aircraft has successfully demonstrated its revolutionary low noise profile following acoustic testing completed with NASA.
As part of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign, Joby’s S4 prototype aircraft flew over NASA’s Mobile Acoustics Facility, with more than 50 pressure ground-plate microphones placed in a grid array at Joby’s Electric Flight Base near Big Sur, CA. The aircraft was shown to have met the revolutionary low noise targets the Company set for itself.
NASA engineers measured the aircraft’s acoustic profile during planned take-off and landing profiles to be below 65 dBA, a noise level comparable to normal conversation, at a distance of 330 feet (100 meters) from the flight path.
To measure the Joby aircraft’s acoustic footprint during overhead flight, it flew over the grid array six times at an airspeed of 100 knots (185 km/h) and at an altitude of 1640 feet (500 meters). Engineers read the noise level of only 45.2 dBA.
Joby conducted more than 20 take-off and landing tests above the grid array, using a variety of acceleration rates and climb angles to get these results. This data will be used to adjust flight software and take-off and landing procedures for further low-noise optimization.
“We’re thrilled to show the world just how quiet our aircraft is by working with NASA to take these measurements,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby. “With an aircraft this quiet, we have the opportunity to completely rethink how we live and travel today, helping to make flight an everyday reality in and around cities. It’s a game-changer.”
The Company says the eVTOL aircraft was designed with acoustics in mind, with every component in it being carefully chosen to minimize its acoustics footprint and improve the character of the sound produced.
Joby’s piloted five-seat eVTOL aircraft can carry four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, with a maximum range of 150 miles on a single charge and zero operating emissions. With more than 10 years of development and over a thousand flight tests completed, Joby plans to launch its aerial ridesharing service in 2024.
