Conceptual Design of an AAM Tiltrotor via Aircraft-Level Weight-Performance Feedback

This paper will outline a rapid conceptual design methodology for a 3175 kg-class quad-tiltrotor vehicle, with emphasis on rotor aerodynamic refinement. Through a parametric evaluation of essential blade planform attributes, such as bilinear twist, rotor solidity, and taper, this study will improve the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle, leading to a notable enhancement in forward flight range. To enhance the reliability of the design outcomes, an iterative feedback process will be employed between a mid-fidelity vehicle trim analysis and weight estimation, enabling design convergence with improved accuracy compared to existing eVTOL conceptual design approaches. With constant mission requirements and gross weight, modifications in blade planform lead to a flight range increase of approximately 16.9 km. These findings highlight the critical role of rotor aerodynamic refinement in minimizing energy consumption during the major mission segments and reducing overall battery weight. This research sets a precedent for establishing an electrically driven tiltrotor baseline and provides insight into the impact of the rotor blade geometry on vehicle performance and weight, thus facilitating precise design characteristic predictions.