Joby Aviation's latest iteration of its autonomous all-electric S4 air taxi VTOL aircraft has made its maiden flight. The new variant aimed at the defense market boasts a turbine-electric hybrid powertrain for greater range and endurance.
For years, Joby has been developing its air taxi technology with an eye on the civilian aviation market. The company's prototype has already accumulated 50,000 miles (80,467 km) of flight test miles and is well on its way to FAA certification.
Now, in conjunction with L3Harris, the latest flight on November 7, 2026 at Joby's Marina, California, facility marks the latest modification of its S4 air taxi to meet the needs of military customers by upgrading the electric propulsion system with a turbine to generate electricity to keep the batteries topped up.
The civilian version of the S4 has a range of 84 nautical miles (100 miles, 161 km), but if the rotorcraft is to become suitable for Loyal Wingman or low-altitude support missions, it will require much greater range and flight endurance – especially with the return of large land battles and geopolitics concentrating more on the Indo-Pacific region.
The turbine is intended to increase range this by acting as a top-up generator, though exactly how big a boost it will provide hasn't yet been disclosed. However, a hydrogen-electric hybrid conversion of an S4 demonstrator in 2024 achieved a non-stop flight of 561 miles (903 km).
In addition to the turbine, the new variant incorporates Joby's proprietary SuperPilot autonomous system, which handles complex flight functions, including mission management and navigation. The company seems to be going the whole hog with this because the image released of the prototype doesn't appear to have a cockpit, suggesting that the military version will be uncrewed and not a passenger carrier.
According to Joby, the maiden flight of the prototype took place only three months after the public announcement of the concept and it is expected to begin mission demonstrations this year.
"It’s imperative that we find ways to deliver new technology into the hands of American troops more quickly and cost-efficiently than we have in the past," said JoeBen Bevirt, CEO and Founder of Joby. "Our vertical integration puts us in a unique position to deliver on this goal, moving from concept to demonstration – and from demonstration to deployment – at a pace that is unprecedented in today’s aerospace and defense industry."
Source: Joby Aviation
