Joby Aviation S4 (production prototype)
S4 (production prototype)
Joby Aviation
Santa Cruz, California, USA
www.jobyaviation.com
Founded in 2009 by JoeBen Bevirt, CEO and Chief Engineer, Joby Aviation is a venture-backed startup aerospace company is located in Santa Cruz and San Carlos, California (USA), that is developing and will manufacture piloted all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) passenger aircraft for fast, quiet, and affordable on-demand air taxi services for the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry. Bevirt also founded the company Joby, which sells camera, mobile phone and lighting accessories and other consumer products. It has been reported that Joby Aviation has 1,422 employees as of January 2023. According to one website, Joby Aviation has raised over $2 billion USD in funding as of June 30, 2023. (Photo credit: Joby Aviation)
Joby Aviation S4 (production prototype) passenger eVTOL aircraft
On June 28, 2023, Joby Aviation revealed to the world its new Joby Aviation S4 (production prototype) passenger eVTOL aircraft, tail number N5421A. The ceremony took place in Marina, California, USA with JoeBen Bevirt, Joby CEO and Chief Engineer and Tetsuo “Ted” Ogawa, President and CEO of Toyota Motor North America, who recently joined Joby’s board of directors. The S4 production prototype eVTOL aircraft is Joby’s third full-scale aircraft as of June 2023 and the company plans to offer on-demand air taxi service to the public. According to FAA records, the aircraft was built in 2022. Joby Aviation has revealed they have flown more than 30,000 miles with their three full-scale prototype eVTOL aircraft from 2017 to June 2023.
The aircraft holds a one pilot, four passengers and has amble room for luggage. The aircraft has a maximum cruise speed of 200 mph (322 km/h) and has a range of 100 miles (161 km) including energy reserves. Approximate weights of the aircraft are as follows, an empty weight of 4,300 lb (1,950 kg), a maximum payload of 1,000 lb (453 kg) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 5,300 lb (2,404 kg). The aircraft has six tilt-propellers. Four of the propellers tilt vertically including the entire electric motor nacelle. The two propellers tilt vertically with a linkage mechanism. The aircraft also boasts six high performance dual wound electric motors powered with batteries. According to the company, the aircraft delivers a peak power of almost twice the Tesla Model S Plaid automobile. The Model S Plaid has the quickest acceleration of any vehicle in production, according to Tesla.
The Joby Aviation S4 (production prototype) received a special airworthiness certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowing the aircraft to operate in U.S. airspace with certain restrictions. According to Bevirt, the pilot manufacturing line could build several tens of aircraft per year and Joby is working on selecting a manufacturing site to build hundreds of aircraft each year. Bevirt stated air taxi service with his aircraft will be competitively priced to the cost of ground transportation but travel five times faster and with a much better experience for the passenger.
Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force
Joby Aviation has an Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force and is worth up to $131 million USD. After initial flight testing and securing military airworthiness certification, two aircraft will be sent to Edwards Air Force Base (Kern County, California, USA) by March 2024.
Expected air taxi service target date
Joby Aviation expects to start on-demand air taxi service in 2025.
Specifications:
- Aircraft type: Passenger eVTOL aircraft
- Piloting: 1 pilot
- Capacity: 4 passengers
- Maximum cruise speed: 200 mph (322 km/h)
- Range: 100 miles (161 km), including energy reserves
- Empty weight (approximately): 4,300 lb (1,950 kg)
- Maximum payload (approximately): 1,000 lb (453 kg)
- Maximum takeoff weight (approximately): 5,300 lb (2,404 kg)
- Propellers: 6 tilt-prop, 4 propellers tilt vertically including the entire electric motor nacelle, 2 propellers tilt vertically with a linkage mechanism
- Electric motors: 6 high performance dual wound electric motors
- Power source: Batteries
- Noise Footprint: 45 dBA in cruise
- Peak Power: 236 kW per electric motor
- Weight of Dual-Wound Motor Plus Inverter: 28 kg
- Peak Torque: 1,237 lb•ft (pound-feet) 1,800 N•m (newton-meters)
- Continuous Torque: 1,027 lb•ft (1,380 N•m)
- Cell-Level Specific Energy: 288 W•h/kg (watt-hour per kilogram)
- Flight Cycles: 10,000 plus
- Pack-Level Specific Energy: 235 W•h/kg
- Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
- Windows: Large windows for the entire cabin for spectacular views for the passengers
- Tail: V-tail
- Landing gear: Tricycle wheeled landing gear
- Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft.
Related Aircraft:
- Joby Aviation Monarch (defunct)
- Joby Aviation Lotus (defunct)
- Joby Aviation S2 (defunct)
- Joby Aviation S4 1.0 (technology demonstrator)
- Joby Aviation S4 2.0 (pre-production prototype)
Company Insights:
Resources:
- Joby Aviation website
- Joby Aviation Facebook
- Joby Aviation Twitter
- Joby Aviation YouTube
- Joby Aviation Instagram
- Joby Aviation LinkedIn
- U.S. Patent: Aerodynamically efficient lightweight vertical take-off and landing aircraft with pivoting rotors and stowing rotor blades, Joby Aviation, Mar. 18, 2014
- Article: The Joby S2 VTOL Concept, Vertiflite, Nov. 1, 2014
- Article: AHS International Leads Transformative Vertical Flight Initiative, Electric VTOL News, Nov. 1, 2014
- Article: Lift Where You Need It, Vertiflite, Nov. 1, 2016
- Article: The Demand for On-Demand Mobility, Vertiflite, Jan. 1, 2017
- Article: Air Mobility Bonanza Beckons Electric VTOL Developers, Vertiflite, Mar. 1, 2017
- Press release: Joby Aviation Secures $100M in Series B Funding, Joby Aviation, Feb. 1, 2018
- Press release: The Next Phase at Joby, Joby Aviation, Feb. 1, 2018
- Article: Air-Taxi Startup Joby Has a Working Prototype and a Fresh $100M, Bloomberg, Feb. 1, 2018
- Video: JoeBen Bevirt from Joby Aviation at The Second Annual - Titans of Tech, Santa Cruz Works, Mar. 14, 2018
- Article: Ready for liftoff? Two flying taxi startups got Pentagon funding, The Guardian, July 10, 2018
- Article: Joby Unveils More S4 eVTOL Performance Details, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Feb. 5, 2019
- Video: Joby Aviation - Inventing the Future of Air Taxis, Intel Capital, Feb. 5, 2019
- Video: Joby Aviation CEO on the Efficiency of Flying vs. Ridesharing, Climate One, Sept. 13, 2019
- Article: Toyota Makes a New $394 Million Bet on Flying Taxis, Bloomberg, Jan. 15, 2020
- Press Release: Joby Aviation Unveils S4, Joby Aviation Raises $590 Million in Series C Financing to Launch Air Taxi Service, Joby Aviation, Jan. 15, 2020
- Press Release: Toyota Invests $394M More in Joby, Toyota and Joby Aviation are Flying to New Heights Together, Joby Aviation, Jan. 15, 2020
- Article: Santa Cruz aviation company anticipates flying cars in 3 years with Marina-based factory, KSBW Action 8 News, Jan. 17, 2020
- Article: The First Electric VTOL Unicorn: Joby Aviation, Vertiflite, March/April 2020
- Article: Beta and Joby advance in U.S. Air Force Agility Prime campaign, Vertical Magazine, May 30, 2020
- Article: Joby and Beta Sign Prototyping Contracts for USAF’s Agility Prime Initiative, Transport Up, June 3, 2020
- Article: Agile Change in Air Force “Agility Prime” Launch Pays Off, Vertiflite, July-August 2020
- Article: Where did the Joby Generation 2 eVTOL go?, Vertical Magazine, July 17, 2020
- Article: Joby Unveils EVTOL Design Details And Certification Plans, Aviation Week Network, Sept. 25, 2020
- Article: Catch An Air Taxi? Aviation Week Flies Joby’s EVTOL Simulator, Aviation Week Network, Sept. 25, 2020
- Article: Inside Joby’s Unicorn: Recent Flood of Patents Reveal New Details, Electric VTOL News, Nov. 1, 2020
- Article: Why Does Joby Aviation’s Air Taxi Reverse Standard Helicopter Inputs?, Aviation Week, Nov. 10, 2020
- Article: Has Joby Cracked The Power Problem To Make Electric Air Taxis Work?, Forbes, Nov. 23, 2020
- Article: With Toyota’s Help, This Secretive Entrepreneur May Finally Give Us Flying Cars, Forbes, Nov. 23, 2020
- Article: Scoop: Uber in talks to sell air taxi business to Joby, Axios, Dec. 2, 2020
- Article: Uber reportedly in talks to offload Elevate to Joby Aviation, Vertical Magazine, Dec. 2, 2020
- Article: Joby Aviation Welcomes New $75M Investment from Uber as it Acquires Uber Elevate and Expands Partnership, Joby Aviation, Dec. 8, 2020
- Article: It’s official: Joby Aviation acquires Uber Elevate, including $75 million in new funding, Vertical Magazine, Dec. 8, 2020
- Article: U.S. Air Force Gives Lift to Flying Taxis, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 10, 2020
- Article: After Buying Uber Elevate, This California Company Is the New King of the eVTOL World, Robb Report, Dec. 15, 2020
- Article: Agility Prime completes airworthiness evaluation report of Joby S4 eVTOL, Air Force Technology, Dec. 21, 2020
- Article: The Air Force Has Big Plans for Its Flying Car in 2021, Military.com, Dec 31, 2020
- Article: Joby Transitions, Vertiflite, January/February 2021
- Commentary: Uber's Legacy: Elevating the Electric VTOL Revolution, Vertiflite, January/February 2021
- Article: Exclusive: Air taxi start-up Joby explores deal to go public - sources, Reuters, Jan. 21, 2020
- Article: Joby Aviation agrees on eVTOL certification class with the FAA, New Atlas, Feb. 9, 2021
- Article: Joby Aviation established certification basis with FAA last year, company reveals, Vertical Magazine, Feb. 9, 2021
- Article: Joby Aviation Generates First Revenue, Takes Key Step Towards Certifying Aircraft, Electric VTOL News, Feb. 9, 2021
- Article: Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck selected by Joby Aviation for revolutionary eVTOL aircraft, Garmin, Feb 10, 2021
- Article: LinkedIn and Zynga founders near deal to buy flying taxi start-up Joby, Financial Times, Feb. 11, 2021
- Article: Joby Aviation to announce $5.7 billion SPAC deal, Lilium and others to follow in banner month for eVTOL industry, Vertical Magazine, Feb. 11, 2021
- Video: A Special Message From CEO And Founder, JoeBen Bevirt, Joby Aviation, Feb. 24, 2021
- Article: Joby Aviation To List On NYSE Through Merger With Reinvent Technology Partners, Joby Aviation, Feb. 24, 2021
- Article: Joby Aviation raises $1.6 billion in SPAC merger at $6.6 billion valuation, Vertical Magazine, Feb. 24, 2021
- Video: Joby eVTOL in Flight, eVTOL Magazine, Feb. 24, 2021
- Article: Joby Aviation expects to have ‘first-mover advantage’ in aerial ridesharing, Vertical Magazine, Apr. 5, 2021
- Article: Joby touts a 10,000 flight cycle eVTOL battery. Can it deliver?, Vertical Magazine, Apr. 12, 2021
- Article: Joby Lauded and Plans to Deliver, Electric VTOL News, May 2, 2021
- Article: Joby is next up as NASA concludes advanced air mobility helicopter tests, Vertical Magazine, May 13, 2021
- Article: Joby signs up partners to develop skyport network for eVTOL air taxis, Future Flight, June 2, 2021
- Article: Joby’s Plan for Air Taxis Takes Shape, Bloomberg, June 2, 2021
- Article: Joby Aviation Analyst Day, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, June 3, 2021
- Article: Joby and Uber Elevate, Joby Aviation, July 12, 2021
- Article: Joby Increases Flight Test Capacity in Support of FAA Certification Goal, Joby Aviation, Jan. 6, 2022
- Article: Joby Aviation wants to conduct dramatic eVTOL flights over San Francisco Bay. Air taxi developer lays claim to fastest, longest and highest eVTOL flights, TechCrunch, Jan. 28, 2022
- Article: Joby partners with SK Telecom to develop eVTOL air taxi network in South Korea, Vertical Magazine, Feb. 7, 2022
- Article: Flying Taxi Pioneer Joby Sees Crowded U.K. as a Prime Market, Bloomberg, Apr. 5, 2022
- Article: Joby Acquires Aerospace Software Engineering Firm Avionyx to Support FAA Certification Testing, eVTOL Insights, 19 May 2022
- Article: Joby’s Air Taxi Fleet Is One Step Closer to Launch After Receiving Its First FAA Certificate. The startup still needs two certificates before it can legally fly passengers., Robb Report, May 26, 2022
- Article: Joby Receives Part 135 Certificate From the FAA, Joby Aviation, May 26, 2022
- Article: Joby receives FAA Air Carrier certification to start air taxi services, New Atlas, May 27, 2022
- Video: Joby CEO on Future of Air Mobility, Bloomberg, June 7, 2022
- Article: Q&A: Joby’s Bonny Simi on the company’s Part 135 air carrier certificate, Vertical Magazine, June 9, 2022
- Article: Joby Receives Part 135 Certificate From FAA Ahead of Schedule – UPDATED, Aviation Today, June 14, 2022
- Article: Findings from NASA and Joby’s first published eVTOL acoustic test data, Vertical Magazine, July 14, 2022
- Article: Flying Taxi Firm Joby Applies For UK Approval to Add to US, Bloomberg, July 17, 2022
- Article: eVTOL Leaders Continue Apace, Vertiflite, Jul/Aug 2022
- Article: Joby Expands Partnership with US Department of Defense, Joby Aviation, Aug. 10, 2022
- Article: Joby cites momentum toward type certification despite FAA curveball, Vertical Magazine, Aug. 15, 2022
- Article: eVTOL Leaders Continue Momentum, Vertiflite, Sept/Oct, 2022
- Article: Joby and Skyports partner to deliver Living Lab for UAM, Vertical Magazine, Oct. 6, 2022
- Article: Delta, Joby Aviation partner for home-to-airport transportation, Vertical Magazine, Oct. 11, 2022
- Article: The fascinating fine print behind Delta's bet on Joby, The Air Current, Oct. 12, 2022
- Article: Joby Aviation: “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”, eVTOL Insights, Oct. 18, 2022
- Article: Joby applies for Japan aircraft certification, Vertical Magazine, Oct. 18, 2022
- Article: eVTOL Leaders Continue Progress, Vertiflite, Nov/Dec, 2022
- Article: Flying Cars? Uber Sold Its Air Taxi Business — Now It Might Want Back In, Business Insider, Jan. 12, 2023
- Article: Joby Aviation to report fourth quarter and full-year 2022 financial results, Vertical Magazine, Feb. 9, 2023
- Article: Joby Completes Second Stage of Certification Process, Joby Aviation, Feb. 9, 2023
- Article: Joby Begins Final Assembly of First Company-Conforming Aircraft, Joby Aviation, Feb. 14, 2023
- Article: Joby flies towards 2025 commercial launch with final assembly of eVTOL, Tech Crunch, Feb. 14, 2023
- Article: Joby Begins Testing at the World's Largest Wind Tunnel Facility, Joby Aviation, Feb. 16, 2023
- Article: ANA Holdings and Joby Aviation Selected to Operate Electric Air Taxi Flights at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, Joby Aviation, Feb. 21, 2023
- Article: Joby Reports $1.1 Billion in Hand at Close of Fourth Quarter, Flying Magazine, Feb. 23, 2023
- Article: Joby Aviation: Resounding “Thumbs Up” from Financial Markets after Release of Q4 Shareholder Letter, eVTOL Insights, Feb. 28, 2023
- Article: eVTOL Leaders Continue Developments, Vertiflite, Mar/Apr, 2023
- Article: eVTOL Leaders Continue Advancements, Vertiflite, May/Jun, 2023
- Article: Joby Aviation reports Q1 2023 financial results, Vertical Magazine, May 4, 2023
- Article: Joby Aviation to report Q1 2023 financial results in May, Vertical Magazine, Apr. 20, 2023
- Article: GKN Aerospace to supply thermoplastic flight control surfaces to Joby Aviation, Vertical Magazine, June 20, 2023
- Article: Joby unveils first production prototype aircraft, Flight Global, June 28, 2023
- Article: Joby Rolls Out First Aircraft from Production Line, Flying Magazine, June 28, 2023
- Article: Joby Marks Production Launch, Receives Permit to Fly First Aircraft Built on Production Line, Joby Aviation, June 28, 2023
- Article: Joby Aviation receives permit to fly first eVTOL built on production line, TechCrunch, June 28, 2023
- Article: Joby Aviation rolls first eVTOL off production line and is already FAA certified to begin test flights, Electrek, June 29, 2023
- Article: Joby Welcomes $100 Million Investment as It Expands Partnership With SK Telecom, Yahoo Finance, June 29, 2023
- Article: Joby receives FAA nod to begin flight testing of electric air taxi, Reuters, June 30, 2023
- Article: Joby submits stage three certification plans to FAA, Vertical Magazine, July 6, 2023
- Article: This electric flying taxi has been approved for takeoff — sort of, National Public Radio, July 1, 2023
- Article: Joby Aviation reports second quarter 2023 Results, Vertical Magazine, Aug. 3, 2023
- Article: Joby selects Dayton, Ohio, birthplace of aviation, for first scaled manufacturing facility, Vertical Magazine, Sept. 18, 2023

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