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Joby Aviation teams with NASA to measure noise footprint of electric air taxi

Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) is developing an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which it intends to operate as part of an air taxi service beginning in 2024. The aircraft can transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, and has a maximum range of 150 miles.

Joby recently conducted a flight of its eVTOL aircraft as part of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign, which is designed to promote emerging aviation markets through flight testing in realistic scenarios and data analysis that will inform the development of regulatory standards.

As part of a two-week test campaign at Joby’s Electric Flight Base near Big Sur, California, NASA and Joby will study the acoustic signature of the Joby aircraft. NASA engineers will deploy their Mobile Acoustics Facility and more than 50 pressure ground-plate microphones in a grid array that allows for multi-directional measurement of the aircraft’s sound emissions. Using this data, NASA and Joby will generate noise hemispheres for the aircraft that capture the intensity and the character of the sound emitted in comparison to other aircraft.

These readings, in combination with the noise profile of urban communities, can be used to verify how proposed aircraft operations will blend into the existing background noise. Once testing is complete, a team of acoustic experts from NASA and Joby will analyze the data before sharing their findings later in the year.

“From day one, we prioritized building an aircraft that not only has an extremely low noise profile, but blends seamlessly into the natural environment,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO at Joby. “We have always believed that a minimal acoustic footprint is key to making aviation a convenient part of everyday movement without compromising quality of life, and we’re excited to fly with NASA, our long-time partners in electric flight, to demonstrate the acoustic profile of our aircraft.”

“Data from industry leaders like Joby is critical for NASA’s research activities and future standardization of emerging aircraft configurations,” said Davis Hackenberg, NASA AAM Mission Integration Manager. “Industry partnerships are imperative for the United States to become a leader in the development of a safe and sustainable AAM ecosystem.”

Source: Joby Aviation

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