Joby Aviation has released a new study study over how its electric air taxi blends into the sounds of the city when compared to traditional helicopters.
The company claims that sound has been a focus since the eVTOL’s early days. Every part of its design was designed to keep noise to a minimum. Joby engineers modeled how the aircraft would sound against typical city noises of sirens, traffic and construction using Los Angeles as a base.
The study was modeled between a vertiport near the Los Angeles Convention Center downtown and a vertiport at the John Wayne Airport (SNA), as well as areas nearby that are sensitive to noise such as a school, a university, and two parks. Joby claims that noise from the aircraft was louder than ambient noises for 0.17 miles, which dropped to 0.004 miles when cruising. Noise from a traditional helicopter could be heard above the city’s noises for 45 miles.
Joby states that the research builds on NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign. During those tests, noise performance of the eVTOL was tested in a controlled environment. The company combined the data with comprehensive ambient noise modeling and data from high-fidelity simulations for takeoff and landing to predict noise across the metro area.
RELATED STORIES:
Joby announces first eVTOL air taxi flight between two public airports
Joby prepares for final assembly of its first conforming aircraft for TIA testing
Joby purchases Blade Air passenger business to expand air taxi service
Traditional helicopters are typically restricted in cities due to noise concerns and emissions issues. Joby believes that its air taxi will be able to integrate more transportation networks in urban areas with reduced noise impact and 0 operating emissions. It hopes the eVTOL will have less restricted flight paths and more operational hours.
In order for customers to compare the air taxi’s noise level to real world settings, Joby has released the Joby Sounds app that compares the noises of its air taxi, a jet and a helicopter to environments like a park or cafe.
Recent Comments