Wind-Resilient eVTOL Configuration and Flight Testing
Please login to view abstract download link
Wind resilience is a pivotal performance metric for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This paper presents the design, fabrication, and flight testing of a novel eVTOL configuration (designated ETS30), optimized for enhanced performance in high-wind conditions. The design integrates a force-vectored thrust control mechanism with a decoupled position–attitude control algorithm to improve wind rejection capabilities. Test results show that the ETS30 achieved stable hovering in an indoor wind tunnel under Stage 7 wind (15 m/s average), with roll, pitch, and yaw angles controlled within 3° and position variation under 0.5 m. In outdoor flight tests, the aircraft maintained stable position and attitude control when subjected to a 10° pitch step disturbance at 30 m/s airspeed, equivalent to Stage 11 wind conditions. The proposed configuration demonstrates excellent high-wind resilience, showing significant application potential for eVTOL operations in challenging atmospheric environments.
