Eve Air Mobility has completed eVTOL wind tunnel testing at a facility near Lucerne, Switzerland using a scale model of the aircraft which is expected to enter service in 2026. The testing allows engineers to monitor the airflow over and around the vehicle.
On Monday (May 15, 2023), Embraer announced that Eve Air Mobility has completed eVTOL wind tunnel testing at a facility near Lucerne, Switzerland. The testing allows engineers to study airflow over and around the vehicle and each of its individual parts. An important engineering tool, it is also used to measure aerodynamic forces and ‘moments’ acting on the aircraft, allowing the team to evaluate the vehicle’s lift, efficiency, flying quality and performance. The main objective of the test was to investigate and validate how components including the fuselage, rotors, wing, tail and other surfaces perform in flight.
In Monday’s announcement, Eve Air Mobility’s Chief Technology Officer, Luiz Valentini, said,
“The completion of wind tunnel testing is an important engineering milestone as we continue the development of our eVTOL. The information we obtained during this phase of development has helped us further refine the technical solutions of our eVTOL before committing to production tooling and conforming prototypes. Our goal is to design, produce and certify an aerodynamic and efficient eVTOL that will be used for a variety of urban air mobility missions.”
Eve’s engineering team will now use the data to continue to develop the eVTOL’s control laws to ensure optimal performance and passenger comfort. Eve’s eVTOL is 100 percent electric and has a range of 60 miles (100 km), allowing it to complete a range of urban air mobility (UAM) missions. The human-centered design ensures the safety, accessibility and comfort of customers, the pilot, and the community, due to a minimal noise footprint. The aircraft features a lift plus cruise configuration with dedicated rotors for vertical flight, and fixed wings for cruise, with no components required to change position during flight. At launch, the eVTOL will be piloted, but is being designed for future autonomous operations.
Source: Embraer