The Vertical Flight Society’s (VFS) annual conference on eVTOL aircraft is expected to be the world’s largest event ever on the emerging industry.
This 11th Annual Electric VTOL Symposium — being held February 6-8 in Santa Clara, California, as part of the VFS Transformative Vertical Flight 2024 — is said to be the world’s largest and longest-running event focusing on the promise, progress and challenges of eVTOL aircraft.
The overall TVF 2024 event — which covers eVTOL, drones, helicopters, advanced rotorcraft and other types of AAM — has a packed agenda with nearly 150 total speakers (in 3 tracks), plus 37 exhibitors, including two eVTOL aircraft on display.
TVF 2024 includes the Society’s 6th Decennial VFS Aeromechanics Specialists’ Conference, which marks the 50th Anniversary of the VFS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter’s first forum on emerging aeromechanics challenges and solution methods for future VTOL aircraft.
“TVF 2024 will showcase the latest eVTOL developments and the challenges that remain,” said VFS Executive Director Angelo Collins. “VFS has been instrumental in bringing the community together and developing broad research, investment and regulatory support for eVTOL developments over the past decade. We are very proud of the progress shown by our corporate members, as well as our members in academia and government agencies, around the world.”
In aircraft development, aeromechanics encompasses the technical disciplines of dynamics, aerodynamics, acoustics and flight mechanics, all of which are strong drivers in the vehicle design process. Some 70 technical papers are being presented in areas related to crewed and uncrewed rotorcraft/VTOL aeromechanics, using conventional and/or electrified propulsion systems. This is the world’s only event focused on advancing the understanding of aeromechanics of helicopters and other vertical flight aircraft.
More than 600 attendees are expected to attend the event. Details, including the technical paper presentation schedule, invited speakers and the exhibit hall floor plan, are posted at online.
TVF 2024 features a half-day opening plenary session with more than 15 leaders from industry, academia and government addressing developments in both aeromechanics and eVTOL aircraft. Plenary speakers represent the US Army and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), ONERA — The French Aerospace Lab, universities from the Netherlands and Singapore, and top aeromechanics engineers at AIBOT, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation.
The 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium then kicks off with VIP talks by Robert A. Pearce, NASA Associate Administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate; Howard McKenzie, Chief Engineer and Executive Vice President for Engineering Test and Technology, The Boeing Company; Dr. Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk Aero; and Daniel I. Newman, Chief Technology Officer of Honeywell AAM.
Other sessions include top executives from leading eVTOL developers such as AIR EV, Alaka’i Technologies, Beta Technologies, Dufour Aerospace, Elroy Air, Jaunt Air Mobility, Joby Aviation, MightyFly, Overair, Piasecki Aircraft and Pivotal. Government speakers include representatives from NASA, the US Air Force AFWERX, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
In addition to the presentations, TVF 2024 also includes its annual Short Course on Electric VTOL Design, which has had a major impact on the development of today’s eVTOL leaders.
