Joby completes maiden flight of hybrid-electric demonstrator

The flight took place in California and follows the company's partnership with L3Harris, with defence demonstrations expected to begin in 2026.

Joby Aviation has flown its turbine electric, autonomous VTOL demonstrator for the first time. The hybrid aircraft builds on Joby’s fully electric air taxi platform and integrates a turbine powertrain with its SuperPilot autonomy stack to improve range and payload.

The first flight occurred on 7 November at Joby’s Marina, California site. Ground and flight testing will continue ahead of government demonstrations in 2026.

The demonstrator was revealed three months ago, alongside a collaboration with L3Harris Technologies to support platform missionisation and defence operations such as contested logistics and low-altitude support. L3Harris will equip Joby’s hybrid aircraft with sensors, communication systems and autonomy features.

The U.S. government has requested over $9 billion in its FY26 budget for hybrid and autonomous platforms.

“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,” says Joby CEO and founder JoeBen Bevirt.

The hybrid aircraft is based on a platform with more than 50,000 flight test miles. In July, Joby used a Cessna 208 to log 7,000 miles of autonomous operations in a Department of War exercise in the Pacific.