Electric VTOL Configurations Comparison
Alessandro Bacchini *,†
and Enrico Cestino †
and Enrico Cestino †
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Aerospace 2019, 6(3), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace6030026
Received: 21 December 2018 / Revised: 13 February 2019 / Accepted: 22 February 2019 / Published: 28 February 2019
Abstract
In the last ten years, different concepts of electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts (eVTOLs) have been tested. This article addresses the problem of the choice of the best configuration. VTOLs built since the fifties are presented and their advantages, disadvantages, and problems are discussed. Three representative eVTOLs, one for each main configuration, are compared on five main parameters and three reference missions. The parameters are disk loading, total hover time, cruise speed, practical range, and flight time. The performance of the eVTOLs on the urban, extra-urban, and long-range mission is evaluated computing the time and energy required. The results show that the best configuration depends on the mission. The multirotor is more efficient in hover. The vectored thrust jet is more efficient in cruise and has a higher range. The lift + cruise is a compromise. View Full-TextKeywords:
electric VTOL configurations; VTOL design; aircraft design
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Bacchini, A.; Cestino, E. Electric VTOL Configurations Comparison. Aerospace 2019, 6, 26.
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