California-based air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation has begun testing its eVTOLs at the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex (NFAC), the world’s largest wind tunnel, located at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California.
The NFAC contains the two largest operating wind tunnels in the world..
NFAC propeller test data, widely considered the gold standard of aircraft aerodynamics and performance, has been instrumental in the development of a number of iconic vehicles, including the Space Shuttle, the V-22 Osprey, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and several new generations. helicopters.
The company is believed to be the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) company to test its propeller in NFAC’s 40ft by 80ft wind tunnel.
Testing is an essential part of our aircraft program, and the opportunity to collect data on the performance of our propellers in one of the largest wind tunnels in the world is an exciting step towards commercialization. This facility helped introduce historic aircraft to the world and is now doing the same for the next generation of sustainable aviation.
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.
The test campaign will cover all bank angles and all speeds within the planned flight envelope. This will provide Joby with consistent, high-fidelity data on the performance, loads and acoustics of its propeller systems in support of its certification program with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Joby will have the support of not only NASA, but also the US Air Force at all times. Working with them, Joby is installing an electric propulsion unit and set of propellers in the wind tunnel, mounted on a six-degree-of-freedom force-moment balance, to obtain performance data. The blades are instrumented to measure the loads experienced during turns, and a representative wing section of Joby’s aircraft allows detailed analysis of aerodynamic interference effects.
The entire NFAC propeller test campaign should last several months and produce data of unprecedented quality.
Joby and NASA have previously collaborated on various projects exploring electric aircraft technology, including the design of the agency’s all-electric X-57 Maxwell prototype.
The all-electric aircraft piloted by Joby is designed to provide a faster, quieter method of air travel through cities and communities with zero operational emissions and has flown over 1,000 test flights. Joby hopes to launch a commercial air-sharing service in the United States in 2025.
More information: www.jobyaviation.com
