Research papers

Community Noise Acceptance of Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft

Volpe acoustic + community-acceptance study of eVTOL aircraft noise signatures during takeoff, hover, and cruise. Establishes the empirical basis for FAA AAM noise certification standards under Part 36.

NextGen Performance Snapshots 2023

MITRE Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) NextGen Performance Snapshots — annual review of NextGen program benefits realization.

Economic Impact of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations

Volpe Center economic-impact analysis of UAS commercial operations in the US — quantifies benefits to agriculture, infrastructure inspection, public safety, and package delivery.

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Aerospace Corridor Concept of Operations

MITRE concept-of-operations document for Advanced Air Mobility corridors integrating eVTOL + traditional rotorcraft + UAS into existing TRACON / Class B airspace.

Runway Incursion Prevention Systems — Surface Domain Risk Analysis

MITRE risk analysis of runway-incursion prevention systems (RIPS) — ASDE-X / ASSC + Airport Surface Detection Equipment performance characterization. Findings drove FAA Surface Safety Action Plan.

Lithium Battery Thermal Runaway in Aircraft Cargo Holds

Hughes Technical Center fire-research evaluation of lithium-ion battery thermal runaway in Class C cargo compartments. Drove revisions to FAR 25 cargo fire-suppression certification and the SAFO 18001 on lithium battery …

Runway Surface Friction Measurement and Aircraft Stopping Performance

Volpe runway friction research — relates surface friction-coefficient measurements (Mu-meter, runway-friction tester) to actual aircraft stopping performance on contaminated surfaces.

UAS BVLOS Airspace Integration Reference Architecture

MITRE technical reference architecture for BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) UAS operations in the NAS. Defines detect-and-avoid + remote-ID + UTM integration patterns.

Composite Damage Tolerance Inspection Methods for Aging Aircraft

Hughes Technical Center damage-tolerance research for composite structures — ultrasonic + thermography NDI methods for impact damage detection. Underpins FAA AC 20-107B composite-aircraft maintenance guidance.

Aircraft Noise Modeling — AEDT Version 3 Verification & Validation

Volpe documentation of Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) version 3 — the FAA-mandated aircraft noise and emissions modeling tool for NEPA environmental analyses. Used in every Part 150 airport noise study.

Human Factors Considerations for Single-Pilot Cargo Operations

Hughes Technical Center human-factors analysis of single-pilot Part 121 cargo + Part 135 turbojet operations. Examines workload, fatigue, and automation-management implications.

Engine Bird Ingestion Certification Testing — Large Flocking Birds

Hughes Technical Center bird-ingestion certification testing for turbofan engines — drove revisions to FAR 33.76 large-bird ingestion thresholds after the Hudson River ditching (NTSB AAR-11/01).

Continued Operational Safety Assessment for Aging Transport Aircraft

Hughes Technical Center Continued Operational Safety methodology for aging fleets — fatigue testing, corrosion management, supplemental inspection documents. Reference for the FAA Aging Aircraft program.