An assessment of electric STOL aircraft

Distributed electric propulsion (DEP) is an emerging set of technologies which enable new vehicle configurations by allowing the efficient distribution of many smaller propulsors around the airframe. One application of this technology is to greatly enhance the short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability of a fixed-wing aircraft. STOL aircraft may have advantages over vertical takeoff and land (VTOL) configurations being considered for urban passenger transport missions due to lower risk associated with the certification process and improved performance or reduced weight due to smaller required propulsion systems. To be useful for these missions, STOL vehicles require short-field performance competitive with vertical lift configurations. One pathway to achieving this is by placing many electric motors and propellers along the leading edge of the wing, an arrangement referred to as a DEP blown wing.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Courtin, Christopher B.(Christopher Bryce)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• R. John Hansman.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/124175

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/124175