Technical Seminar – May 16th at 3pm: Marc Hoefinger of DLR presents “The German Aerospace Center’s Simulation and Flight Test Activities Supporting Handling Qualities Certification of eVTOL Aircraft”

The German Aerospace Center’s Simulation and Flight Test Activities Supporting Handling Qualities Certification of eVTOL Aircraft

By Mr. Marc Hoefinger
German Aerospace Center (DLR)

New methods are currently being investigated to perform certification of future electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA has published a Special Condition for VTOL aircraft, applicable to person-carrying VTOL aircraft in the small category, with lift/thrust units that are used to generate powered lift and control. One aspect that is investigated is a new approach to evaluate handling qualities (HQs) as means of compliance demonstration. Flight Test Maneuvers (FTM) that could be used for this purpose have been proposed. These FTMs are scaled based on vehicle geometry. DLR has performed a simulation campaign with a quadcopter simulation model and flight tests with an ultralight coaxial helicopter to review this approach. The presentation will cover these simulation and flight test activities.

Speaker Bio:

Marc holds a diploma in aeronautical engineering from the Technical University Braunschweig, Germany.

He started his career at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in 2001 and was responsible for a variety of theoretical and experimental rotorcraft research projects, including active trailing edge flaps and transport category helicopter handling qualities.

He participated in wind tunnel experiments and conducted flight tests on different helicopters, ranging from BO 105 to the German Army Sikorsky CH-53.

He was involved in several European and transatlantic cooperative activities, was co-chair of a NATO STO Research Task Group on “Future Rotorcraft Requirements,“ and spent several months at the NASA Ames Research Center in 2006 in the frame of a still active cooperation with the U.S. Army.

In 2011 he was promoted head of the rotorcraft branch at the DLR Institute of Flight Systems. Since then, he has managed the rotorcraft branch in the institute with currently 49 employees. The branch performs applied research on rotorcraft technologies ranging from real-time piloted simulation, system identification, handling qualities and flight control law design, to aeromechanics simulation, rotor control, and wind tunnel and flight testing.

Marc is member of the Handling Qualities Technical Committee of the Vertical Flight Society and of the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DGLR).

Monday, May 16, 3:00pm
In-Person: NASA Ames Research Center, Bldg. N219 Conference Room (Spillover via Teams in N215 if needed)
Happy hour at 4:00pm after the talk outside at the Megabites Café tables
Virtual: MS Teams invite will be sent out to those who RSVP prior to the talk.

Visitors to Ames will require a visitor badge – non-Ames personnel must RSVP by Wed, May 11 to receive a badge.
All Attendees: Please RSVP to Carl Russell (carl.r.russell@nasa.gov) by Fri, May 13, especially if you would like to attend in-person.
Due to security restrictions, onsite attendance at Ames will be limited to U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents.

Non-Ames personnel who wish to attend in-person will need to fill out the following visitor pre-approval form and return it directly to the NASA security office no later than Wed, May 11 in addition to RSVPing to Carl:

ARC OPS Pre-Approval Visitor Access Form