DLR conducts aeroelastic vibration tests on Volocopter VoloCity

The German Aerospace Center— DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Cologne, Germany) has successfully conducted static vibration tests on the VoloCity electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Volocopter (Bruchsal, Germany). Tests were carried out on behalf of Volocopter to further improve the safety and efficiency of the aircraft, and are a critical step toward obtaining flight certification.

The Volocity model features 18 electric motors arranged in a circular elastic ring. “This distinctive feature poses a major challenge for the taxi’s aeroelastic vibration behavior,” explains Keith Soal, from the DLR Institute of Aeroelasticity in Göttingen. Aeroelasticity, a specialized field within aerospace engineering, examines the interaction between aerodynamic forces and the elastic vibrations of a structure. The field is particularly relevant in aviation, but also when it comes to wind energy, where the aeroelastic interactions of rotor blades and wind turbines are similarly analyzed.

 

During the 1-week test in Bruchsal, the fully assembled aircraft structure was made to vibrate. To do this, the aircraft was suspended from soft rubber ropes with 210 acceleration sensors that gathered data on the structure’s behavior as if in flight. DLR scientists analyzed the results in real time and provided immediate feedback to Volocopter. During testing, key structural behaviors were identified. These dynamic properties can be incorporated into the air taxi’s flight control system, enabling better handling during specific flight maneuvers.

The institute previously conducted a vibration test on a predecessor model of the VoloCity in 2021. The findings from that test have informed the development of this improved successor model.

After receiving production organization approval (POA) extension from the German Federal Aviation Office (Luftfahrtbundesamt or LBA) in 2024, the VoloCity aircraft has reportedly became the first commercial eVTOL with the highest global safety standards in aviation. Additionally, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) has accepted Volocopter’s application for concurrent type certification (TC) of the eVTOL to fly commercially in Japan.