Toyota took a step into aviation and created the mysterious TAA-1
- Toyota’s reputation among car manufacturers is enviable
- Lesser known is their attempt to break into aviation
- The project was shrouded in secrecy and received little attention at the time
Published on Jul 22, 2024 at 3:48 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jul 22, 2024 at 7:17 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Toyota are known around the world for their cars, but their excursion into aviation is largely forgotten.
In the early 2000’s, the Japanese automaker was enjoying a prestigious reputation thanks to its reliable cars.
But with Honda and Mitsubishi trying their hand at aircraft, Toyota decided to dip their toe into the water.
The backstory to Toyota’s mysterious plane
Between the 1990’s and the early 2000’s, Toyota designed a plane called the TAA-1.
The prototype was designed in line with construction concepts that were already familiar to the Toyota production system.
Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites were brought in to assemble and test out the plane, which would have a 180 hp Lycoming IO-360 engine.
Capable of carrying four people at a time, the TAA-1 flew for the first time on May 31, 2002 at California’s Mojave Airport.
Despite their project officially have lift off, the project was barely mentioned by Toyota at the time.
To avoid generating press attention, they opted to use a small company as a front.
There’s not much known about the plane itself, but among the things we do know is that the fuselage and wings were molded in a unique shape in carbon fiber.
These parts would then be passed over to Scaled, who would assemble it.
When it came time for the first flight, Toyota gave sparing information.
Xavier Dominicis, the spokesman for the US sales division, said: “The only thing we are saying is that we did indeed conduct a test flight. We are studying the potential for a single-engine piston plane but there is not a lot we can say.”
The son of Toyota’s founder has a little more to say on the matter.
Shoichiro Toyoda, speaking to a Singaporean newspaper, said: “Our main business will still be automotive-based, we are studying the opportunities for a light aircraft.
“In the US, there are 200,000 propeller planes, many of them aging.”
Eventually, the company offered an official statement.
They said: “Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has successfully completed the first test flight of an experimental aircraft built to verify small aircraft technology in a joint project with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS).
“The test was part of TMC-TMS research to examine whether Toyota’s aerodynamics and low-cost production technologies could be applied to the small aircraft sector.
“Based on technology accumulated through its auto manufacturing experience, Toyota plans to continue with similar research in the area of personal aviation, with the aim of making contributions to general aviation technology.”
The fate of Toyota’s plane prototype
Despite the speculation, the TAA-1 ultimately remained hidden away for years after its first flight.
The plane was discontinued with no explanation from Toyota.
It was kept in Scaled Composites’ hangar in Mojave from 2008 onwards.
In March 2011, the registration of the aircraft was cancelled by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
With Toyota flirting with the idea of flight as recently as 2023, who knows how long it’ll be until we see Toyota truly take to the skies?
Ben Thompson
Ben got his start in journalism at Kennedy News and Media, writing stories for national newspapers, websites and magazines. Now working as a freelancer, he divides his time between teaching at News Associates and writing for news sites on all subjects.
