Propulsion Scaling Methods in the Era of Electric Flight

Increases in congestion, pollution and population within cities pose significant transportation challenges in the coming years. Cities have responded with improvements in public infrastructure, but industry has responded with a more novel alternative. Instead of working within the confines allowed by current public transportation, businesses are investing in electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) vehicles. These vehicles represent a feasible option in the coming years due to improvements in battery and motor technology. A majority of the concepts exhibit distributed electric propulsion, employing multiple motors and propellers as shown in Figure 1.