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.
