Abstract:
The emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market is an increasingly important area of research and development within vertical lift. AAM operations will be characterized by short- to mid-range flight that will include urban and suburban corridors and high utilization business models such as on-demand ride-share and package delivery operations. AAM operations also have an enhanced need for durability of vehicle components with respect to impact and fatigue within unsteady environments such as urban canyons. Further business model constraints include the minimization of scheduled maintenance, while maintaining safety levels. A university leadership initiative (ULI), Innovative Manufacturing, Operation, and Certification of Advanced Structures for Civil Vertical Lift Vehicles (IMOCAS), combined research and software development to address these operational aspects. Another major focus of the ULI was the development of processes to integrate new advanced composite materials into AAM designs. These new composites, such as thermosets and thermoplastics, offer equal or enhanced performance at lower weights than traditional aviation materials. This paper provides an overview of the outcomes of the ULI, introducing new software, processes, and data available to the community for the AAM market, crosscutting large passenger operations and smaller medical or commercial cargo operations.