Joby Aviation recently began FAA conformity testing for the four-passenger eVTOL aircraft it aims to bring to market in 2024. The company described the tests, which involve an FAA-designated engineering representative observing and documenting the production process, as a key milestone to achieving type certification.
The first series of conformity tests were completed this week at the Toray Advanced Composites facility in Morgan Hill, California. The aerostructures specialist is a manufacturing partner for the Joby eVTOL vehicle.
The tests have been developed by Joby engineers to confirm the material strength of composite coupons that are representative of aerostructures used to assemble the all-electric aircraft. The resulting compliance data will inform future testing of other structural components as the type certification process advances.
This marks the start of the implementation phase of the type certification process that will see multiple aircraft systems and structures tested for conformity following the completion and approval of requirements definition and compliance planning. This will involve thousands of inspections and tests to demonstrate the airworthiness and safety of the aircraft that are required to complete type certification.
The first of the coupons, constructed from toughened epoxy and carbon fiber, was tested back in November. This confirmed that this batch used on “for credit” testing conformed to the attributes and specifications of their associated design data.
Joby began engaging with the FAA over the type certification process in 2015. “Entering this stage of testing demonstrates that we’re capable of manufacturing composite parts in accordance with their design, [that] our quality system is capable of producing conforming composite parts for the aircraft and that we have the requisite traceability and design verification processes in place to progress toward our type and production certifications,” said Lina Spross, Joby’s quality, and supply chain lead.
