Several participants, comprised of test pilots, helicopter pilots, fixed-wing pilots, and other subject matter experts from the broader Urban Air Mobility (UAM) community and the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) evaluated multiple advanced control concepts for an electrical Vertical TakeOff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicle model in the
NASA Ames Research Center between May 24 to June 28, 2024. The vehicle model was a six-person fixed-wing vehicle with separate lifting rotors and a pusher propeller (Lift-Plus-Cruise). This model was developed as part of the
Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) project.
The scenarios considered in this experiment included different glide-path angles towards the helipad, various realistic weather conditions with respect to wind as well as visibility, and flight with other traffic in a high-density environment, as is expected for these kinds of UAM operations. Initial results and pilot feedback confirmed the benefits of the higher automation concepts, especially in scenarios that are more challenging and involve a higher workload. This simulator experiment is part of an ongoing series and will continue over the upcoming years. This includes participation from the FAA and other interested industry partners from the UAM community.
Many commercial companies are currently working on a wide variety of eVTOL vehicle designs for UAM. These designs have a diverse range of capabilities and performance limits. Vehicle concepts will need a completely different control concept that seamlessly covers the various flight phases. The joint
Intelligent Systems Division/Human Systems Integration Division research team is working on vehicle model implementation, flight control systems, envelope protection, cockpit displays, cockpit inceptors, maneuver descriptions, performance limits, surveys, engineering displays for evaluation, etc. to support the development of a means of compliance for certification and investigate challenges in UAM approach procedure design and operations.
