conference paper

Impact of Flight Trajectory Design on Performance and Noise for AAM Aircraft

AIAA AVIATION FORUM AND ASCEND 2024

Publication Date

July 29, 2024

Author(s)

Victoria R. Pellerito, Nathan H. Yeung, Jacqueline (Jacquie) Huynh, R. John Hansman

Abstract

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is an evolving field of research seeking to transform sustainable air transportation in urban and sub-urban environments amid increasing urbanization and traffic congestion. The evolution of AAM requires efficient management of congested airspace and the accommodation of diverse vehicles with distinct performance capabilities. A broad range of AAM aircraft are in development which will have different community noise footprints and energy use depending on the details of the departure and arrival flight trajectories which must be understood for airspace integration. This work presents a framework for analyzing AAM trajectory design, focusing on key performance characteristics including community noise impact, energy consumption, and flight duration. The framework can be applied to diverse AAM vehicle types, as demonstrated in this work on a Blown-Flap Short Takeoff and Landing vehicle, a Tilt-Rotor Vertical Takeoff and Landing vehicle, and a Lift Plus Cruise Vertical Takeoff and Landing vehicle. Results of comparing various takeoff procedures for each vehicle show trade-offs between community noise, energy consumption, and flight duration, highlighting the importance of strategic trajectory design.

Suggested Citation
Victoria R. Pellerito, Nathan H. Yeung, Jacqueline L. Huynh and R. John Hansman (2024) “Impact of Flight Trajectory Design on Performance and Noise for AAM Aircraft”, in AIAA AVIATION FORUM AND ASCEND 2024. AIAA AVIATION FORUM AND ASCEND 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Available at: 10.2514/6.2024-4076.