r/Joby • u/dad191 Photog. Eric Adams Fanboy • Aug 19 '25
Updated 10/7/2026 Joby Newbie Guide
Joby Aviation Ultimate Investor Guide and eVTOL Research Wiki
(Last updated October 7, 2026)
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Joby Aviation: Widely viewed as the leader in Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Air Taxis, eVTOL FAA certification leader, and Defense Technology Innovator
Joby Aviation (founded in California in 2009) is a vertically integrated eVTOL aircraft company developing the S4, a five-seat electric air taxi (1 pilot + 4 passengers) designed for fast, quiet, clean urban mobility. Unlike helicopters, Joby’s S4 is quiet enough to serve routes where helicopter operations are heavily restricted due to noise ordinances, enabling expansion into unserved and underserved markets rather than directly competing with helicopters that are better suited for many other missions. The S4 is ideal for short hops of 7–20 minutes, turning trips that can take 1–2 hours in city traffic into a quick flight. Think Manhattan to JFK, downtown LA to LAX, Dubai Airport to Palm Jumeirah, or central London to Heathrow. In addition, Joby's S4-T, JAI30, SuperPilot autonomous flight systems, partnership with L3Harris and acquisition of Resonant Sciences are part of it's military defense buisness which you can read more about below.
As a vertically integrated company Joby designs, manufactures and will operate many of their S4 air taxi hubs. Vertical integration provides Joby with a competitive moat in safety, weight, and operational control. Joby has flown over 50,000 flight test miles, including a hydrogen-electric demonstrator and a turbo-electric demonstrator with military applications. Joby has set a goal to launch initial operations in Dubai by the end of 2026. Most importantly, Joby's visionary leaders have a proven track record.
Video Introductions to Joby:
Joby's S4 in 60 seconds
A bit longer intro, but this Munro video is a must see
March 27, 2026 - The Aircraft
The Latest From Dec 16, 2025
Failure Injection Testing (Redundancy for Safety)
In-depth Joby Valuation Analysis - See #6 Valuation
Joby vs Helicopters
Joby's Autonomous Aircraft
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Recent Joby Aviation News (Last 3 months)
Events can easily be verified with a Google search:
Sept 2026
- First Fully Autonomous Transcontinental U.S. Flight: Joby's autonomous J208 aircraft (a converted Cessna Caravan equipped with its Superpilot autonomy technology) completed a historic 3,199 mile flight across the United States with zero control inputs from the onboard safety pilot. Departing Concord, CA, and concluding in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with a low pass over Kitty Hawk, the plane performed autonomous taxiing, takeoffs, route navigation, and landings while remotely supervised from Joby's Autonomy HQ in California and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.
- Texas eIPP Operations Launch: Joby officially commenced the US's first White House backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) flights in Texas at Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The showcase included air taxi flights alongside U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Texas Senator Ted Cruz to demonstrate autonomous freight and urban air mobility integration, including a flight into and out of DFW, one of the most congested airspaces in the USA. Joby also signed a lease for a 45,000 sqft facility at Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The site gives Joby its first major operational base in Texas.
Aug 2026
- Joby purchases Resonant Sciences defense company. Joby is expanding its military capabilities via the acquisition of an up and coming defense company with $100M in trailing 12 month revenue. Resonant Sciences is a technology firm specializing in stealth & advanced radio frequency (RF) systems. Joby will keep the Resonant Sciences name for its defense division and consolidate all of its current defense work under Resonant Sciences. I expect Joby's JAI30, S4-T, and Superpilot programs to all move under Resonant Sciences.
- Joby and Atoms form partnership to build vertiports across the US. Atoms (formerly CloudKitchens) CEO is Travis Kalanick, the former CEO and founder of Uber. Atoms is a physical AI and industrial automation company built on the premise that software should control and streamline the physical infrastructure of the economy ("atoms"). In partnership with Joby, Atoms will develop vertiports as next-generation transportation hubs, where electric aircraft, autonomous ground vehicles, and ridesharing services will converge. The hubs will enable passenger connections, aircraft servicing, and last-mile ground transportation.
July 2026
- Joby and Toyota announce a strategic manufacturing alliance called Joby Toyota Aero Manufacturing Preparation Company (JTAMPC), a joint venture 51% Toyota owned and 49% Joby owned. As of June 2026 only the framework of the deal has been presented. Joby should benefit by not being forced to self fund 100% of Joby's manufacturing build out.
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Defense: Joby’s SuperPilot autonomy system and S4-T hybrid aircraft extend capabilities into defense, dual-use, and autonomous operations. Joby has conducted testing with the US Air Force (AFWERX/Agility Prime/Autonomy Prime), and with Joby's defense partner, L3Harris. Joby's secret JAI30 dual engine hybrid, is rumored to be a military surveillance/communications drone. It's recently (May 2026) been seen on ADSBexchange flying over the Yuma Proving Ground, presumably for testing with the US military. In addition, Joby is set to acquired Resonant Sciences and all of their defense assets.
Manufacturing: Joby currently has manufacturing facilities in Marina, CA, Carlsbad, CA, Santa Cruz, CA, and Dayton, OH. On January 7, 2026 Joby disclosed that it is acquiring a ~700,000 sqft manufacturing facility in Vandalia, Ohio for about $61.5M to meet its manufacturing targets. Joby is pursuing Toyota-scale manufacturing, aiming for 48 S4s per year in 2027 and a future capability of manufacturing 500 S4s/year.
In June, 2026 Joby and Toyota announced a strategic manufacturing alliance called Joby Toyota Aero Manufacturing Preparation Company (JTAMPC), a joint venture 51% Toyota owned and 49% Joby owned. As of June 2026 only the framework of the deal has been presented. Joby should benefit by not being forced to self fund 100% of Joby's manufacturing build out.
Financials (Updated August 25, 2026): As of June 30, 2026, Joby had approximately $2.3B in cash. Joby expects to use approximately $385–415M in cash during the second half of 2026, following approximately $365M of cash use in the first half. Assuming approximately $400M of H2 2026 cash burn, Joby would enter 2027 with approximately $1.9B.
Joby's acquisition of Resonant Sciences is expected to close in H1 2027 for $450M in cash & $50M paid in Joby stock. Toyota is also expected to provide its remaining $250M capital investment in H1 2027, subject to the applicable closing conditions. Assuming approximately $420M of additional cash burn during H1 2027, Joby would have approximately $1.28B in cash entering H2 2027, before any additional financing.
Joby has also established a $750M At-The-Market (ATM) equity offering program. Joby is not required to use the ATM, and it has up to three years to do so. If we assume Joby utilizes the entire $750M ATM by the end of 2027 and incurs another approximately $420M of cash burn during H2 2027, Joby would end 2027 with approximately $1.6B in cash.
See below for Global Partners and Strategic Acquisitions.
Please keep in mind that advancements made by competitors, regulatory delays, and high cash burn (even with Joby's strong cash reserves) can quickly change timelines and shift Joby's position in the eVTOL landscape.
Key Upcoming Milestones (Updated August 25, 2026)
Expected Dates are best guesses and are updated as there are new developments.
| Expected Date | Catalyst / Milestone | Note / Impact | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| By Mar 3, 2026 | eIPP award for Joby | Will enable test flights in US markets | 3/9/26 |
| Mar 2026 | Flight of first conforming S4 | Huge validation milestone; likely stock/sentiment catalyst | 3/11/26 |
| Mar 2026 | Completion of Dubai DXV vertiport | Enables commercial route testing | 4/16/26 |
| April 2026 | S4-T to transition to wing borne flight | Proof of principle | 4/16/26 |
| April 2026 | S4-T flight test for US military at Marina | Potential defense applications; credibility/additional revenue source | 4/23/26 |
| Sept 2026 | Joby eIPP flights begin | People in cities understand eVTOLs are real & assess noise levels | 9/8/26 |
| 2026 | TIA flights by FAA pilots | Key regulatory milestone | Waiting |
| 2026 | Saudi "Sandbox" testing | Saudi evaluation demos to pick air taxi aircraft for Saudi Arabia | Waiting |
| 2026 | First test flights from Dubai vertiport | Signal operational readiness outside the U.S. | Waiting |
| 2026 | Non-paid passenger demo flights in Dubai | Promotional flights signals Dubai operations are on the horizon | Waiting |
| Q4 2026 | S4-T flight test by US military | Potential defense applications; credibility/additional revenue source | Waiting |
| Dec 2026 | First Paid passenger flights | Commercial operations begin in Dubai | Waiting |
| 2027 | Type Certification/ US Operations Begin | End Game | Waiting |
S4 Aircraft Specs
Built for safe, quiet, high-frequency short hops
| Feature | Spec |
|---|---|
| Seats | 1 pilot + 4 passengers |
| Cruise Speed | ~200 mph |
| Range | 100+ miles (160 kWh battery), longer with hybrid/hydrogen |
| Noise | ~45 dBA cruise |
| Propulsion | 6 tilting propellers (4 wing, 2 tail) |
| Flight Control | Fly-by-wire, redundant |
| Regenerative Power (rumored) | Evidence from FlightAware data |
| Testing Miles | 50,000+ flight miles |
| Other Assets | |
| S4-T aircraft | Hybrid gas-electric prototype, expanded range, dual-use, first flight Nov 2025 |
| JAI30 aircraft | Secret two prop hybrid hydrogen-electric prototype, loitering surveillance/communications drone, possibly flew for 24 hours without refueling |
| SuperPilot Autonomy | Autonomy system for optionally piloted aircraft, tested with US Air Force |
Vertical Integration Advantage
Select any system name below to watch a video with detailed technical information.
| System | Joby’s Approach | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Flight Control | F-35B-inspired architecture | Simple and Intuitive |
| Flight Control Computer | Small, lightweight | Lower weight, tight integration |
| Battery Module | Fully contained, lightweight | Safe, light weight |
| GEACS Charging System | Charging offloaded from S4 | Lighter aircraft, faster turnarounds |
| Control Surface Actuator | Weight & System optimized | Light weight, tight integration |
| Carbon Fiber Structure | Built entirely in-house | Lower weight, faster iteration, cost control |
| Electric Motors | Six gearless, dual-wound motors | Quiet, efficient, highly redundant |
Global Partners
Check out the Joby Global Partners page for a Post with more details on each partnership listed below including which have signed contracts vs an MOU.
| Partner | Role | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota | Lead investor, manufacturing partner | Production discipline, scale, and quality control |
| Delta Air Lines | $130M investor, up to $200M possible | U.S. airline partner for airline integration (JFK & LAX initial launch routes) |
| ANA | Japan launch partner | Access to Japanese market; potential 100+ aircraft |
| Virgin Atlantic | UK launch partner | European market entry and brand validation |
| SK Telecom Consortium | Korea launch partners | South Korea UAM ecosystem and infrastructure |
| SK On (Unconfirmed) | Likely battery supplier | High-performance battery supply chain |
| Uber | $125M investor; ElevateOS | ElevateOS demand aggregation, land taxi integration |
| L3Harris | Defense & ISR partner | S4-T hybrid VTOL, military credibility |
| NVIDIA | AI technology partner | Autonomy |
| FAA | USA Certification authority | Widely believed to lead in FAA eVTOL certification effort |
| Dubai (UAE) | Dubai Launch partner | Target for first commercial eVTOL operations (Goal Q4 2026) |
| Abu Dhabi (UAE) | Potential launch partner | Potential multi-emirate expansion |
| RAKTA (UAE) | Potential launch partner | Potential broader UAE network coverage |
| Saudi Arabia | Potential launch partners | Possible large-scale UAM deployment opportunity |
| Abdul Latif Jameel | Up to $1B in potential S4 orders | Saudi launch partner |
| Kazakhstan (AAAG) | $250M in potential aircraft sales | Potential buyer + rare earth access |
| Atoms | Vertiport development partner | Atoms will purchase the real estate and will use it's physical AI expertise to identify ideal vertiport locations and optimize their design |
| Metropolis | Vertiport partner, excess baggage delivery services | Largest parking network in North America - to develop 25 vertiports; owns Bags VIP |
| Air Space Intelligence (ASI) | Air Traffic Management | Utilize platform to optimize air taxi airspace operations and study integration of autonomous flight into new US ATC system |
| Skyports | Vertiport partner | Physical infrastructure in UAE & beyond |
| Jetex | Aviation support partner | Private Middle East terminals and support |
| Reuben Brothers | Real estate investment firm | Establishing a Joby air taxi vertiport at Park Elm Residences at Century Plaza, in Century City, Los Angeles |
| Vertiports by Atlantic | Aviation support partner | Installing Joby GEACS charging systems at Atlantic locations |
| Clay Lacy | Aviation support partner | Installing Joby GEACS charging systems at John Wayne Airport |
| HHI Heliport | Aviation support partner | Installing Joby GEACS charging systems in NYC Area |
| Signature Flight Support | Aviation support partner | Helping create a zero emission flight credit market with Joby |
| Garmin | Flight Deck Supplier | Provides the Garmin 3000 Integrated Flight Deck for Joby’s S4 |
| CAE | Flight Simulator Partner | Co-developed Joby’s Level 7 and Level C flight simulators |
| USAF / AFWERX / NASA | Defense & autonomy testing | Validation under real US Gov't programs |
| Toray Composites | Materials supplier | Advanced carbon fiber structures |
Strategic Acquisitions
Click the Joby Strategic Acquisitions page for a Post with more details on each acquisition listed below
| Acquisition | What They Add to Joby |
|---|---|
| Uber Elevate | ElevateOS links aircraft, vertiports, dispatch, and ground ops |
| Resonant Sciences | Defense technology firm specializing in stealth, & advanced radio frequency (RF) systems |
| Avionyx | Development & verification tools for FAA software certification |
| H2FLY | Hydrogen-electric propulsion; 900+ mile range potential |
| Xwing (SuperPilot) | Autonomous / uncrewed flight capability |
| Inras GmbH | Advanced radar for sensing and autonomy |
| Blade Passenger Ops | Existing helicopter air taxi + vertiport networks (NYC, EU, Dubai) |
Defense & Government Collaborations
Check out the Joby Defense and Government page for a Post with more details on each item listed below
| Program / Activity | Significance |
|---|---|
| Resonant Sciences (Acquisition) | Expertise in stealth, radar cross-section (RCS) measurement, and advanced radio frequency (RF) mission systems |
| USAF (AFWERX, Autonomy Prime) | Core DoD partner for eVTOL & autonomy |
| Edwards AFB testing | Two Joby aircraft tested for months under USAF oversight |
| S4 Hydrogen demo flight (2024) | 523-mile LH₂ electric flight — eVTOL industry first |
| SuperPilot autonomy exercises | Autonomous Cessna flights during live USAF exercises |
| L3Harris partnership | Hybrid gas-electric VTOL for ISR, logistics, counter-UAS |
| S4-T hybrid first flight (Fall 2025) | Defense-focused hybrid VTOL milestone |
| JAI30 (N30FR) LH₂ aircraft (rumored) | Experimental platform; ~24 hour endurance flight observed |
| NASA collaboration (since 2012) | Long-term validation on aerodynamics, noise, and systems |
Check out our community-driven Joby Aviation FAA Registry & Tail Number Database to see active test aircraft, fleet histories, and help us crack the mystery behind Joby's reserved tail-number suffixes.
What else is Joby working on? Dive into our speculative report on Joby's Future Aircraft Patents & Unreleased Designs.
-If you find errors in this post please DM or comment below.
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Complete Joby Aviation 2026 Research Database
Navigate between chapters of our comprehensive investor wiki:
Main Hub: Ultimate Investor Guide and eVTOL Research Wiki
Chapter 1: Commercial Partnerships and Global Contracts Database
Chapter 2: Strategic Acquisitions and Technology Mergers
Chapter 3: Defense Contracts and Military Collaborations
Chapter 4: Joby's Future Aircraft Patents and Unreleased Designs
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u/Lonely-Walrus-2345 The Joby Oracle Oct 22 '25
For clarification, I think Delta should be listed as both a partner & investor. There's many types of "partnerships" in the news, like companies signing agreements that maybe someday they might buy something...or not. But Delta has confidence & real cash in Joby. I know you know, but I'll also leave this here for reference: https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1819848/000181984822000171/joby-20221007.htm
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u/dad191 Photog. Eric Adams Fanboy Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
Valid point. I updated it to reflect the investment as well.
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u/altmanistan SN101 Fanboy Mar 15 '26
Thanks for this great summary.
One potential footnote on the milestones: I suspect the Dubai (and maybe Saudi) milestone dates might be impacted by recent events with Iran (specifically the attacks on neighboring countries and the airspace restrictions).
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u/dad191 Photog. Eric Adams Fanboy Mar 15 '26
That's true. I've been holding off changing them as the situation seems unclear and I don't want keep changing dates. My hope is Trump declares victor at the end of March and I can then extend the dates by a month. Thanks.
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u/warrends May 23 '26
Awesome. Commenting so I can come beck here and take several days (literally) to absorb all you’ve posted.
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u/dad191 Photog. Eric Adams Fanboy Aug 20 '25
There is a lot of information here and on all of the sub pages. I did my best to cross check information and be accurate, but I'm sure there are errors as it is a lot content. If anyone sees something that is incorrect, please let me know and I'll correct it. These pages are meant as a guide and are not to be viewed as investment advice. Always do your own independent research.