Aerospace & Defense Technology - December 2023 - 37

Application Briefs
to GE Aerospace. On average, the site ships 1,000 parts per day,
5,000 part per week and 250,000 parts per year.
" With more than 1.2 billion engine flight hours logged, the
CFM56 engine delivers for our customers 24/7, 365 days a year, "
said Jérôme Morhet, CFM Executive Vice President at Safran AirAir
Force Receives First Joby eVTOL
Joby Aviation
Santa Cruz, CA
831-201-6700
www.jobyaviation.com
T
he U.S. Air Force received its first electric vertical takeoff and
landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Joby Aviation six months ahead
of the expected 2024 delivery date. The delivery was completed
during a September ceremony at Edwards Air Force Base, where the
Emerging Technologies Integrated Test Force (ET-ITF) and 412th
Test Wing will begin flight testing and evaluating Joby's eVTOL.
Joby's aircraft is the first electric air taxi to be stationed on a U.S.
military base and is believed to be the first delivery of an electric air
taxi in the U.S., as part of Joby's $131 million AFWERX Agility Prime
contract to deliver up to nine aircraft to the Air Force. The first
eVTOL delivery to Edwards marks the latest battery-powered aircraft
milestone for the Air Force, after BETA Technologies delivered
the first electric aircraft charging station to Duke Field, Florida a
week before Joby's delivery.
" Just looking at that. I mean you're looking at the future. That
is obvious, " Col. Douglas Wickert, Commander, 412th Test Wing,
said during the live-streamed delivery ceremony at Edwards.
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 Air Force
personnel. NASA will also use the aircraft for research focused on
how these aircraft could fit into the national airspace, benefiting
the entire air taxi industry.
The aircraft, which was the first built on Joby's pilot production
line at its Marina, California facility, will be stationed at
Edwards 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. According
to Joby, the Air Force will flight test the eVTOL in " realistic
mission settings " and Air Force pilots and maintenance crews will
also receive training on the new aircraft.
Ahead of the first delivery, ET-ITF test pilots spent time with
the eVTOL aircraft and systems at Joby's Marina, California facility.
This has allowed for a swift transition into developmental
flight test operations at Edwards. Test sorties are anticipated to
begin eminently.
In partnership with the Air Force's AFWERX program, NASA will
also be supporting this testing at Edwards Air Force Base with
NASA's pilots, researchers, and equipment as part of their commitment
to advancing the integration of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)
aircraft into the National Airspace System (NAS). NASA's Armstrong
Flight Research Center is located on Edwards Air Force Base, and has
Aerospace & Defense Technology, December 2023
craft Engines. " We continue to invest in both product and support
upgrades for this fleet. With the introduction of the new HPT
blade, we are focused on building inventory to support our customers'
future shop visits. "
www.cfmaeroengines.com
a long history of supporting important technological milestones in
aviation and space, including supersonic and hypersonic flight,
digital fly-by-wire control systems, and the space shuttles.
" NASA's participation in the Joby and AFWERX project will
provide our researchers with hands-on experience with a representative
eVTOL vehicle, concentrated on how these types of
aircraft could fit into the national airspace for everyday use,
that will inform NASA's effort in supporting the entire eVTOL
industry, " said NASA Research Pilot Wayne Ringelberg. " The
research will include a focus on handling qualities evaluation
tools, autonomy, and airspace integration, which is all needed
research to push the industry forward. "
A second Joby aircraft is on track to be delivered to Edwards
in early 2024.
www.jobyaviation.com
mobilityengineeringtech.com
37
http://www.cfmaeroengines.com http://www.jobyaviation.com http://www.jobyaviation.com http://mobilityengineeringtech.com
Aerospace & Defense Technology - December 2023

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