AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

Abstract

Electric aircraft are one of the hottest topics in aerospace today. Whether it is the creation of a new start-up company, the first flight of an air taxi demonstrator, an announcement of another NASA or European Union research contract, or an argument on a panel session at an aerospace conference, it is a busy time for those working on electric and hybrid electric aircraft. This presentation by Dr. Marty Bradley from Boeing will show an overview of current research and flight activities going on around the world by organizations large and small. The potential benefits and challenges of electric and hybrid electric propulsion will be discussed along with the question of what is hype and what is real. Recent study results and technical examples will be used to illustrate the key points.

Speaker

Dr. Marty Bradley

Technical Fellow for The Boeing Company, working in the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Advanced Concepts Group in Long Beach, California. He is the leader for a variety of projects related to advanced concepts and technologies, electric and hybrid electric aircraft, and propulsion integration for advanced technologies. Marty has 33 years of experience in vehicle design, propulsion integration, and technology studies for a wide variety of commercial and military aerospace applications. Marty was the Principal Investigator for the NASA-funded SUGAR study looking at advanced technologies for future commercial aircraft, including the hybrid electric SUGAR Volt, and contributed to the National Academies report on Low Carbon Aviation. He is the Leader of the AIAA Aircraft Electric Propulsion and Power Working Group. He previously was Chair of the AIAA Green Engineering Program Committee and the High-Speed Airbreathing Propulsion Technical Committee. Marty has a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, all from the University of Southern California, and teaches the capstone aircraft design course there.