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JP-1
LAS VEGAS–DTA Aircraft has secured 28 reservations for its two-seat JP1 hybrid-electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft and plans to begin U.S. flight testing in April 2027, CEO Théo Parant said during an interview at NBAA-BACE here.
Parant said chassis No. 29 is the next available production slot, following the company’s expansion into the U.S. market this summer. The JP1 is priced at $385,000, with a $12,000 reservation deposit, of which $10,000 is refundable. The reservations earmark a place in the production queue, but they are not firm orders.
The aircraft displayed at NBAA-BACE was DTA’s sole flying prototype, which the company disassembled and shipped from France for the exhibition. Parant said the aircraft has accumulated more than 200 flight hr., all unmanned and remotely piloted because French regulations prevented testing with an occupant.
DTA hopes to begin its U.S. flight-test campaign in Arizona in April 2027. Parant said the company has already conducted engine-failure, parachute and structural testing, among other areas.
The JP1 features eight sets of rotors powered by batteries and an onboard auxiliary power unit that burns jet fuel to generate electricity during flight. DTA is advertising 2 hr. of endurance and a 90-mph cruise speed, although those performance figures have not yet been demonstrated with two occupants aboard.
Parant acknowledged that the multicopter configuration is less efficient in forward flight than winged eVTOLs. The JP1’s small wings provide only about 10% of its lift, he said, but its compact size offers advantages in terms of storage and transportation.
DTA is developing telescoping booms that would reduce the aircraft’s width from 10 ft. to 8 ft., potentially allowing owners to store it in a garage or tow it on a trailer.
Prospective customers include ranchers with large properties, commuters and business jet owners interested in flying between their homes and airports, Parant said. Some reservation holders are experienced pilots, while others have no flying experience.
DTA plans to manufacture the JP1 in the Phoenix area, where it operates a showroom in Scottsdale. A factory location has not been selected. Parant said the company plans to replicate manufacturing processes established in France, where DTA has produced gyroplanes and ultralight trikes for decades.
The company is pursuing light-sport approval under the FAA’s Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (Mosaic) framework. Parant estimated the approval process could take nine to 12 months, with a target of initial customer deliveries in 2028.
Development of the JP1 began under Gautier Meyers, who acquired the French aircraft maker DTA in 2022 with the goal of building a safer personal aircraft for his own use. Parant subsequently joined the venture and co-founded DTA Americas to commercialize the aircraft in the U.S.
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