Feasibility Focused Design of Electric On-demand Aircraft Concepts

In this paper the feasibility of electric on-demand aircraft is discussed in a context that includes the performance characteristics of the aircraft but also its potential cost. Traditional vehicle sizing methods are utilized and weight regressions are updated to link the performance of the aircraft to its acquisition cost. Moreover, cost variables sensitive to performance are identified to enable the integration between the costs of operation and aircraft performance. This formulation is used to assess the feasibility of the aircraft by considering the coupling of its physical constraints and its cost. With this integration a design environment that enables design space exploration is constructed. The environment can aid in the identification of favorable design conditions that could make an electric ondemand vehicle feasible in the future.