Conceptual Assessment of Different Hybrid Electric Air Vehicle Options for a Commuter with 19 Passengers

Abstract

A vehicle concept space exploration is performed in this paper for potential applications of hybrid electric propulsion (HEP). The underlying mission is carrying 19 passengers over 500 nautical miles. In contrast to design space explorations are usually performed to find an optimum set of parameters for a specific vehicle, several air vehicle concepts that can answer the mission requirements are conceptually designed, analyzed and compared energy-wise. In addition to the results of fixed wing and tilt rotor aircraft two more types of air vehicles were investigated. On the one hand a 19-seater helicopter and on the other hand an airship. In these two examples the kind of drag that each vehicle will be opposed to is fundamentally different.