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Joby Aviation and defense contractor L3Harris to test autonomous hybrid aircraft
Joby's years of R&D with the DoD may be paying off. The company has signed an agreement with defense contractor L3Harris to develop a gas-turbine hybrid VTOL that can fly autonomously — for defense applications.
Joby Aviation is often cast as a developer of commercial electric air taxis, but the publicly traded company has also pursued a separate track to market through a long-standing relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense. The company has focused on developing the S4 with an all-electric powertrain, but it last year demonstrated under government contract a hydrogen-electric hybrid version that flew 521 miles — more than two times farther than its battery electric prototype. Joby has spent years developing and seeking Type 1 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for its all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, which will be used to shuttle passengers short distances in urban areas.
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