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NASA has started testing a future air taxi that could soon carry goods and passengers to bustling cities, helping to alleviate annoying traffic jams.
The all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, designed by California startup Joby Aviation, is a helicopter powered by six rotors. It has been designed to be as quiet as possible in order to integrate into the hectic life of the city without disturbing the residents.
During the two-week test campaign, which is part of the space agency’s National Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) campaign, NASA and Joby Aviation will pilot the aircraft at the Joby Electric Flight Base near Big Sur, California. NASA engineers will focus particularly on measuring the noise produced by helicopters in order to collect data that would lay the groundwork for a future regulatory framework governing the use of such vehicles in cities.
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“NASA’s National AAM Campaign is essential to fostering scientific understanding and public acceptance of eVTOL aircraft,” said Joby Aviation Founder and CEO Joe Ben Bevirt. a statement released by NASA. “We are incredibly proud to have worked closely with NASA on electric flight for the past 10 years and to be the first eVTOL company to fly as part of the campaign.”
NASA engineers will use the Mobile Acoustics Facility, consisting of more than 50 pressure plate microphones arranged in a grid, which will accurately measure sound emissions during the various phases of the helicopter’s flight. The teams will then use the data to compare the noise of Joby’s eVTOL with conventional helicopters, drones and other aircraft to assess how this would add to background noise in urban areas.
“From day one, we have given priority to building an aircraft that not only has an extremely low noise profile, but which blends in perfectly with the natural environment,” Bevirt said in a statement posted by Joby. “We have always believed that a minimal acoustic footprint is essential to making aviation a practical part of everyday travel without compromising quality of life, and we are delighted to be flying with NASA, our long-time partners in the flight. electric, to demonstrate the acoustic profile of our aircraft. “
The blades of the aircraft’s six rotors have been carefully designed to minimize noise. The rotors can individually adjust their pitch, rotational speed, and blade pitch during takeoff and cruise to reduce the blade vortex that generates the typical sound associated with traditional helicopters.
“The National Campaign Development Testing is an important strategic step in NASA’s goals to accelerate the AAM industry timeline,” said Davis Hackenberg, responsible for integrating NASA’s AAM mission into the NASA press release. “These test cases will help fill gaps in current standards for the benefit of industry advancements in integrating AAM vehicles into airspace.”
Joby’s all-electric helicopter can cover a distance of up to 150 miles (240 kilometers) in one go, according to Joby’s release, and reach speeds of up to 200 mph (320 km / h). The company, recently listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has been testing its full-size prototypes since 2017 and has performed more than 1,000 test flights. Joby hopes to receive certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in 2023 and begin providing commercial passenger service by early 2024, the company said in the statement.
Joby’s plane is the first to be tested as part of the NASA campaign, marking an important step towards a possible future that will see air taxis safely traverse bustling cities, fully integrated into national airspace. .
Follow Tereza Pultarova on Twitter @TerezaPultarova. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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