Flight Test Planning for the Research Aircraft for eVTOL Enabling techNologies (RAVEN)

In the past several years, a number of large-scale prototype electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft have been flight tested by aircraft manufacturers to achieve their commercial product development goals for the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market. Owing to intellectual property and propriety information concerns, however, relatively few large-scale eVTOL aircraft have been flight tested for research purposes to produce data that can be published to benefit the broader aeronautics community. The corresponding lack of available flight test data makes it difficult for researchers to validate and improve computational tools that are needed for advancing the state of the art in eVTOL aircraft design. The proposed Phase I effort will develop flight test plans and associated models and methods for the Research Aircraft for eVTOL Enabling techNologies (RAVEN). RAVEN is an eVTOL aircraft with a gross weight in excess of 1000 lbs that is being developed to conduct flight research related to acoustics, flight dynamics and control, interactional aerodynamics, and autonomy for AAM aircraft. The work in Phase I will include measurement methodology development; flight test site evaluation and selection; coordination with airworthiness authorities; refinement of the flight test concept of operations (CONOPS) including the piloting and ground control approach; development of flight test missions and test cards; and refinement of flight performance and controls models for the research missions. Work in Phase II will include final systems integration, ground testing, and flight testing. Flight test data from this program will be made available to NASA and published to enable other researchers to advance the state of the art in eVTOL computational tools.

Flight testing of RAVEN will enable acoustics measurements to support validation of computational acoustics tools for novel VTOL designs. The effort will also support eVTOL flight controls research involving transition from hover to forward flight, propulsor and actuator redundancy, and aerodynamic interactions between rotors and other aerodynamic surfaces. To enable reasonable dynamic and aerodynamic similitude to eVTOLs developed by industry, these applications require an aircraft such as RAVEN with a large scale and relevant configuration.

The proposed effort will advance the state of development of RAVEN and allow Wingborne Aeronautics to offer the aircraft as a test platform for other government and commercial customers for use in R&D applications related to eVTOL technologies, components, and operations.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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