Full-Scale (Passenger/Cargo) Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Interdisciplinary Investigations

This subtopic addresses enabling technologies, state-of-the-art design, and analysis tools needed for the Advanced Air Mobility Pathfinders (AAMP) as well as the cutting-edge concepts of urban air mobility (UAM), distributed electric propulsion (DEP), and propulsion-airframe interaction (PAI). The subtopic closes a large gap in full-scale Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) flight vehicle support data. The main focus areas are aerodynamics, propulsion, flight dynamics, controls, and/or acoustics, with potential to address focus areas in combination. Further development, validation and verification of helicopter design and analysis codes and practices are expected for eVTOL vehicles. Proposals should be focused in the areas of full-scale multirotor AAM and eVTOL aircraft design, execution of experiments, and development and validation of scaling methods. In the case of subscale testing, at the completion of Phase II the outcomes are expected to enable and extend the results to all full-scale applications. In the case of full-scale testing and at the completion of Phase II the outcomes are expected to enable future eVTOL testing, provide valuable validation data for design codes, analysis codes, as well as benefits outlined below. The purpose of the subtopic is to facilitate and accelerate the primary discipline research areas on full-scale vehicles. Additionally, the subtopic expects to utilize developmental testing of full-scale vehicles by partnering with universities, small business and start-up AAM and VTOL companies. The benefits could include enabling subcomponent testing, providing better decision-making processes, providing lessons learned and best practices, and potentially enabling test beds for future flight and testing experiments. Full-scale vehicle testing data is still highly sought after for the purposes outlined above, and the modeling and testing is essential for AAM, UAM, DEP, and PAI. Historically, relevant-environment test data are very difficult to obtain due to the challenges associated with planning, executing, and obtaining quality data from testing as well as sensitive/proprietary data issues for companies doing this work. Ultimately, the goal is to model and test multidisciplinary aerodynamics, propulsion, flight dynamics, controls, and/or acoustics. This subtopic also includes the option for data/testing on subscale vehicles and scaling methods to extend the data to full-scale applications. Scaling methods for flight vehicles have been developed for many decades across the technical areas considered in this subtopic. Subscale testing is often less difficult for various reasons, and it is expected that such proposal may include more expanded test programs and data collection than would be possible at full-scale. Proposals are sought to: (1) design and execute experiments in order to gather research-quality data to validate aerodynamics, propulsion, flight dynamics, controls, and/or acoustics modeling of full-scale, multirotor eVTOL aircraft, with an emphasis on rotor-interactions with airframe components and other rotors and (2) develop and validate scaling methods to extend and apply the results of instrumented subscale model testing to full-scale applications. This subtopic is highly relevant and facilitates further research and opportunities to small businesses and research institutions. Under the umbrella of air taxis, Full scale AAM and VTOL vehicles could create a market worth trillions of dollars in the next 15 to 20 years according to some market reports and predictions. Although aerodynamics, propulsion, flight dynamics, controls, and/or acoustics are the focus areas of this subtopic, facilitating flight testing of these vehicles provides many other benefits. A few are providing opportunities for many small businesses to develop and market subsystems and support infrastructure such as batteries, electric motors, propellers, rotors, instrumentation, sensors, manufacturing, vehicle support, vehicle operations, and more.