The NASA Sustainable Flight National Partnership (SFNP) mission is to accelerate toward net-zero carbon emissions for our next-generation subsonic transports by 2050. Project managers supporting the SFNP mission will introduce their projects and provide insight as to how they became a NASA project manager, including sharing some of their technical and leadership challenges and opportunities.
Session Category: AIAA AVIATION Forum 2023
SUAS/ALE Aerial Recovery
SUAS/ALEs have become valuable military assets but have limitations on their endurance and range. Further, most currently are recovered via belly or skid landing, which is not possible for operations over blue water. Even when recovering on land, the ALE’s airframes and payloads are jeopardized. To remain affordable, they must utilize inexpensive sensors with limited performance. ALE Aerial Recovery will be a game changer: ALEs can be recovered over blue water and no longer will airframes and payloads be jeopardized. ALEs will be able to carry high performance sensors that will dramatically improve the ALE’s effectiveness. This presentation will show GA-ASI’s concept for SUAS/ALE aerial recovery, the mission cost benefit of SUAS/ALE aerial recovery, and our technical roadmap.
Sponsored by:
Forum 360: Revolutionary Leaps Toward a New Age of Aviation, Part 1
- The aviation industry has had some very important successes over the past year, and some exciting changes coming to the industry. Our executives will cover these subjects, and provide their view of the impact of advancing technology, as we assess the current and future state of the industry!
- Lead in presentation: White House Aviation Policy Initiative
“A Vision for America’s Continued Global Leadership in Aeronautics”
Whisper Jet Revealed
What if … you had a new propulsion technology that even at small thrust class could achieve an efficiency of >90%? And what if you realized that for the same total amount of power required, using 22 small electric motors is 4.7x lighter than using 1 big electric motor? And what if you realized that by using many small electric motors, the cube-square law made thermal cooling become a simple passive solution, instead of requiring complex active liquid cooling systems to remove the low grade heat of one big electric motor? How would you design an aircraft to leverage such radical changes to how propulsion systems scale? How would aircraft capabilities change as propulsion, aerodynamics, and acoustics were all combined into a single unified highly integrated solution?
Come see the future unveiled as Whisper Aero reveals the Whisper Jet. Join us at Booth 118
Sponsored by:
Forum 360: Airspace Management of Evolving AAM
Air traffic management (ATM) proposals for advanced air mobility (AAM) recognize the need for strategic and tactical airspace deconfliction, where the need for coordination appears in different forms and nuances. From using predefined corridors to the evolving to 4D trajectory-based operations, limitations applying ATM principles to very dense and potentially more complex operations must be considered.
Also, watch the 10 May 2023 AIAA AAM Task Force meeting with the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), hosted by the Vertical Flight Society. Watch Video
FlightLab: The Future of Mobility Transport: Blended Wing Body Aircraft
The revolutionary Blended Wing Body (BWB) aircraft design, which promises to provide over 30% more aerodynamic efficiency than today’s tube-and-wing designs, is at an inflection point in its history. NASA, Defense Innovation Unit, and the Department of the Air Force are teaming up with industry to accelerate its development and flight-test a full-scale demonstration aircraft by 2027.
Listen to industry and government subject matter experts involved in its development discuss its progress, impact, and what to expect in its trajectory over the coming years.
FlightLab: Preventing Aviation Accidents with Safety Technology
This is a historic time for aviation safety in the United States, with many safety-enhancing technologies, including auto-land, auto-taxi, and auto-takeoff, as well as high-precision GPS and remote piloting capabilities within reach. While major U.S. commercial air carriers have a strong safety record, more must be done to make aviation safer. Recent studies have concluded that general aviation operations, which include all civil flights other than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air transport operations for hire, are between 8 and 15 times more dangerous than driving, but that 68% of fatal accidents could potentially have been prevented with safety-enhancing technology. During this session, attendees will learn about:
- Recent data and studies that analyze general aviation accidents and identify how safety technology could have prevented the incidents.
- Specific safety technologies that are under development to prevent these accidents and how these technologies also apply to advanced air mobility.
- The regulatory and public policy focus and changes that are necessary to deploy aviation safety technologies.
Flow Visualization Showcase
The Annual Flow Visualization Showcase provides an opportunity to display computational and/or experimental fluid-dynamics visualizations that support a technical concept and enhance the understanding of the flow. Come to see this year’s submissions and hear from the creators of the visualizations. Awards for the Most Artistic Flow Visualization, Most Pedagogical Flow Visualization (the visualization that best facilitates new understanding of the flow phenomena), and Most Comprehensive Flow Visualization will be presented at the end of the showcase.
Spotlight Session on Electrified Aircraft Technology: Hybrid Electric and Hydrogen Innovations at DLR
Sponsored by:
Aircraft Design, Transformational Flight and Propulsion & Energy Technical Committees
Forum 360: Navigating the Future of Aviation Sustainability: Decarbonizing the Skies
The aviation industry plays a significant role in the global economy, connecting people and businesses around the world. However, aviation is responsible for a growing percentage of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. To address this challenge and meet the net-zero 2050 goals, the industry is focusing on decarbonization efforts now, including alternative fuels, electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, and other innovative technologies.
The session will explore the latest developments in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), including production, supply chain, and infrastructure considerations. The panelists will also examine the potential of new technologies such as electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, exploring the technological and regulatory hurdles that must be overcome to bring these innovations to market.
Finally, the session will highlight the role of partnerships and collaboration in driving progress toward a more sustainable aviation industry. Panelists will share best practices and success stories from collaborations between airlines, airports, and other stakeholders in the industry.