Implementation of Alternative Aircraft Evaluation Techniques to Assess Electrical Aircraft Performance

The increasing concern for the environmental impact imposed by the aviation industry shifted engineer and investor interest from conventional combustion engines towards developing electric propelled aircraft designs. These electric aircraft not only comprise a different propulsion system from their conventional market counterparts but also cooling and electrical systems, which can lead to novel aerodynamic solutions. Therefore, the traditional assessment of electric-powered concepts cannot be purely based on aircraft performance parameters inherently influenced by engine type and propulsion system, such as range and/or endurance. Consequently, this paper will focus on developing a new computational tool to compare aircraft performance. This tool introduces an alternative method for comparing aircraft by thoroughly selecting and evaluating characteristic parameters into a cluster of custom metrics, which provide further information and a new perspective into aircraft performance and handling characteristics. Finally, two general aviation aircraft designs, the Evektor SportStar and the Evektor EPOS, are compared against each other. The investigation provides insight into aircraft performance and handling characteristics highlighting both designs' strengths and potential areas for improvement