Joby Begins Producing Air Taxi Propeller Blades in Ohio
Joby has begun manufacturing air taxi propellor blades at its factory in Dayton, OH. Photo courtesy Joby Aviation Inc.
DAYTON, OH—Joby Aviation Inc. has begun to manufacture propellor blades at its factory here. The company’s Midnight air taxi uses five blades per propeller and 30 per aircraft.
“This milestone expands in-house manufacturing of a critical conforming component and builds on the work already underway in Ohio, including testing, underscoring Dayton’s historic role in aircraft production ahead of commercial launch,” says Eric Allison, chief product officer at Joby.
“Dayton gives us the resources, talent and speed to scale one of the most technically demanding parts of our aircraft,” explains Allison. “[Our] propeller blades are a key part of what makes our aircraft special—central to its low acoustic profile and the result of a decade of complex engineering.
“Designed for quiet flight and built with extreme precision, the propeller blades require complex carbon manufacturing processes and a highly skilled workforce, both available in Dayton,” Allison points out. “Production could [someday] reach up to 15,000 blades a year.”
Eventually, Allison says the Dayton facility will be able to support the assembly of up to 500 aircraft a year, making it a strategic site for the mass-production of its aircraft components.
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