Jaafar-El-Awady is a professor of mechanical engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering and director of its Engineering for Professionals program in mechanical engineering. An aerospace engineer by training, El-Awady's research focuses on the creation of multi-scale computational methods and experimental techniques aimed at developing next-generation materials for aerospace, naval, automotive, and energy applications. The Federal Aviation Administration recently recognized a new category of aircraft—electricity-powered air taxis—and has finalized rules for training and certifying pilots to fly them.
But are these novel vehicles prepared for rush hour? Here, Johns Hopkins Jaafar El-Awady shares his expert opinion on whether they are ready for takeoff. What is innovative about these electric air taxis compared to existing aircraft and helicopter services? Put bluntly: I am not ready yet to be amazed [by these electric air taxis]. The concept of this type of craft is not new.
Aircraft that take off vertically and then fly like fixed-wing aircraft have been around for a few decades. The concept of multiple-rotor aircraft also has existed since the 1920s but has been made popular over the last decade in electric drones. What is new here is the reliance on for manned aircraft, as well as the ultra-light yet strong materials used for making the different parts of the aircraft.
These vehicles are also quieter than traditional helicopters in hover mode due to their design an.