Meet the experts: Matt Conway

Matt Conway is a leading Avionics Systems Engineer, with over 20 years’ experience in the Aerospace industry, including at Pilatus Aircraft and Vertical Aerospace. He has worked at the cutting-edge of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) system development, owning the architecture of complex systems and leading regulatory engagement.

We asked Matt for his views on the technical challenges for the eVTOL sector, and how it differs from the mainstream aerospace sector.

What are the biggest technical challenges for the eVTOL sector?

Almost every aspect of both eVTOL aircraft and their planned operations are novel by nature, hence they present unique challenges not seen before in aerospace. Although the list of specific technical challenges would be a long one, there are two higher level challenges that affect the whole system.

Firstly, there is a need for rapid design iteration and large technology advancements. With manufacturers targeting certification in just a few short years, the amount of progress required is a real challenge for traditional aerospace development process and supply chains. eVTOL manufacturers are aware that the technology that ends up going to market will probably look very different from what is available to original equipment manufacturers (OEMS) today. This, coupled with the time pressure from the market, creates a rapidly evolving sector, testing the normal pace of aircraft development.

Secondly, not only are these novel aircraft challenging for manufacturers, but also for authorities who need to plan routes to certification. The electric and VTOL design aspects of these aircraft present two completely new challenges for design certification, and the operations of the aircraft will differ entirely from traditional aviation. To add still more complexity, the aircraft in question are rapidly evolving, so the authorities must try to hit a moving target. The sector must ensure the very highest levels of safety, so authorities’ challenge is to certify these highly novel aircraft, operating under new operational requirements, without compromising that safety.

Are any challenges overlooked?

When looking into this sector, much of the literature covers the technical challenges of designing eVTOL aircraft. However, the operational side is underreported – it is just appearing on the horizon. Aircraft design improvements can be resolved by a focused team of engineers, but operating aircraft safely is a global challenge involving a plethora of stakeholders. Clearly, you have the regulators such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), but there are also local planning authorities, electrical authorities and air navigation service providers to mention just a few. With limited historical precedent to rely upon, the eVTOL sector is hard to predict: the reality of operations in ten years may look very different to the current vision. Appeasing all the players and reaching agreement over what safe operations will look like is a difficult challenge, but if it is done well it will secure the future of the market for years to come.

Avionics present a key operational issue: traditional passenger aircraft operate in corridors and so communication, navigation and air traffic control (ATC) are all focused and fairly simple, whereas EVTOLs will operate on a commercial scale outside corridors. This presents a challenge, and the current approach of manufacturers is to consider the operational environment as hazardous and include sense and avoidance systems into the aircraft from the start. This would mean aircraft would have the ability to avoid any problems themselves – but better yet, before the aircraft is even in the air, there will be deconflicted flight plans in place to ensure the flight path is clear of hazards.

Increasing automation in the cockpit will be necessary to ensure safe operations in this complex operating environment – from highly augmented fly-by-wire flight control systems, ensuring the pilot can concentrate on operating the aircraft safely, to improved and simplified cockpit indications and enhanced mission management. These, and other similar developments, should lead to aircraft that can demonstrate the highest levels of safety from day one, without sacrificing performance.

Although these aircraft will be challenging to operate, they will be relatively easy to fly.

How does the eVTOL sector differ from other segments of aerospace?

The eVTOL sector is disruptive. It needs to be to compete with conventional aerospace. The companies involved are young and tend to have the culture of a tech start up. This is not an accident, the companies want to be attractive to recruit the people they require. With these smaller organisations it’s vital that they recruit individuals with a broad range of skills, who want to work in a fresh industry without trying to impose the ‘muscle memory’ of previous processes. They can be a highly appealing opportunity, especially for young engineers who may get the chance to gain more experience in the first few years of their career than they could expect from a traditional aerospace company, while at the same time being part of potentially one of the biggest developments in commercial aerospace since the advent of the jet age. The companies tend to have a fairly flat structure and a rapid pace of development, due to the pressures that come from being largely privately funded, as well as the need to keep pace with the equally rapid improvements taking place in battery, motor and other related technologies.

Alongside opportunities for individuals, this disruptive culture also presents chances for eVTOL companies to innovate and do things differently at the birth of the sector. With no previous processes set in stone, they can look to new ways of testing and designing these aircraft, adopting a pioneering approach more common to software development.