Annotated bib

(Updated 11/27/17)

• http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1624481/?reload=true
  • This source described a proposed method of controlling a quadcopter style aircraft. It has some useful general information but is mostly very detailed into concepts such as PIDs and other control mechanisms. Overall this had some good information I can apply to my project and may be a good resource if I need to write code for a controller.
• http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4739377/
  • This paper was focused on modelling and controlling a VTOL aircraft when interacting with its surrounding objects. This may be helpful by providing some insight to completing missions on a lower level. This may be implemented into my project if my project requires interactions with objects or on landings.
• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10846-009-9369-z
  • This source was focused on modelling the flight control of a quad rotor aircraft. This article may be useful if I need to write code, but I will need to lower the level of complexity. Similar to source 1, I may be able to apply some of this information if I end up writing controlling code in my project.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erjdYiwoYAo
  • In this source, Elon Musk is talking about his views on electric VTOL and the future he sees involving these new crafts. This is useful to my research because it describes one of the big players in the electric VTOL field. I may be able to prototype and test some of the concepts he mentions in this compilation.
• https://www.youtube.com/user/NASAXrocks
  • This source is NASA X’s YouTube channel. Here, they post various videos about the future of aircraft, the feasibility of electric aircraft and more. This is a good source because it presents topics in a very complete and professional way. This will help me get a better idea if my project would be viable in the commercial aircraft field.
• http://newatlas.com/vtol-drone-canada-lakes/49861/
  • This website and video show an innovative purpose and application of concepts used in VTOL. This source will be very useful in the creation of my project because it will act as a good example of a VTOL UAV. In terms of research, it may not be as useful due to the lack of direct data, but it will still serve as a good example in the literature review.
• http://newatlas.com/high-endurance-fuel-cell-tilt-rotor-uav/51476/
  • This article described the potential uses of a VTOL sUAV and what is required to make them more practical. This particular design was intended to be able to use a hydrogen fuel cell to attempt and maximize its range due to the low energy density of current electric batteries. This article will be useful due to its focus on the application and use of VTOL in modern cities. It also offers some good insights into the design I can use in my project.
• http://newatlas.com/drone-blood-flight-record/51316/
  • This source described the capabilities of a VTOL drone designed to carry temperature controlled samples of blood. Their plane used 4 motors for takeoff and then used one larger engine to propel the craft forward. This is a good example of a working VTOL plane of this configuration. It also shows how even with this seemingly inefficient design, they were still able to have a range of 161 miles. This example will be useful for reference in both the research and in designing my project.
• https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1961/1961%20-%201400.PDF
  • In this PDF the problems and benefits of a few types of VTOL were discussed. Specifically, this PDF mentioned the potential uses and problems for a tilt wing VTOL that could also do STOL when overloaded, had fail safes, and was simpler than VTOL designs of the time. This source will be very helpful in my research despite the older publishing datec. It may not play as big a role in my project, but it will influence my design decisions.
• http://www.pilotfriend.com/training/flight_training/fxd_wing/stalls.htm
  • This website is a very large and very useful source for information on the many aspects of stalls. It describes the types of stalls, how to combat them, the danger they pose to pilots, and more. It will be a good source of info on stalls that will be useful when I describe how stalls fit into VTOL. It will also be a great source to base my project design off of.
• https://books.google.com/books?id=ESWo4Zl5g1IC&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn:9380228392&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iZvzU4ugAdP3yQTf74KwCw&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=vtol&f=false
  • This is a very long source that discusses VTOL in a more general format, including a lot of information on other topics. It will help provide more context in the research section and this can also potentially benefit the project as well.
• http://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/archive/2002/may/ts_pw.html
  • http://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/archive/2004/february/i_pw1.html
  • https://newatlas.com/go/4906/
  • These sources describe Boeing’s X-50A VTOL plane. It has a unique design that utilizes two smaller wing sections that spin to take off but stay in a fixed position for horizontal flight. These sources will be useful in my research because they provide an example of an unique VTOL design. This may also be useful for reference when designing my project plane.
• https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1992/1992%20-%200262.html
  • This online PDF is offers an indepth description of the V22 Osprey and the rationale behind the designer’s choices. It is a great resource to provide real world examples of VTOL in my research and literature review. It may also help give me insight to what is a more and less effective design at full scale.
• http://autoweek.com/article/technology/airbus-getting-flying-taxi-fray
  • This article announced that Airbus is making a VTOL “taxi” like entry into the world of VTOL. It described how a craft of this type could also be autonomous but would likely be held back by consumer trust and battery technology. Overall a good source for both research but potentially less helpful for the project aspect.
• https://www.popsci.com/watch-darpas-new-vtol-drone-take-its-first-flight
  • This article announced DARPA’s VTOL plans. They currently are testing a VTOL drone that be scaled up to full size. It is similar in design to the lilith which is included later in this document. This also is a helpful reference but not much more.
• http://evtol.news/
  • This news source is an amazing hub of articles, video and more about electric VTOL planes and multirotors. It will be an incredible ascet in both my research and project due to it’s size and relevance.
  • http://evtol.news/2017/10/29/commentary-vertical-flight-saves-lives/
    • This is an example of an article from evtol.news. It described some natural disasters and how VTOL can play a role in both assessment and rescue after all of these natural disasters. It will be very helpful for my research and it will also help me know what is needed at a full scale VTOL designed for helping rescue those in need after a disaster.
• https://www.vtol.org/education/student-design-competition/student-design-competition
  • This source is the “AHS International annual Student Design Competition.” This competition is to construct a large scale VTOL vehicle to complete that year’s goal. This website has links to PDFs from the winning design teams. These PDFs are great resources and they can help provide insight and inspiration for my project. They will also be a great resource for my research because of the working examples of VTOL and due to the information included in each design PDF.
• https://www.google.com/patents/US5141176
  • This website is an online version of a patent for a specific tilt wing VTOL design. The patent has the reasons for their design choices and other information too. This will be a good resource for my research because it is a real world example of a design and it’s pros and cons. Also, it will be a good example to help influence my design of my project.
• http://icas.org/ICAS_ARCHIVE/ICAS2012/PAPERS/936.PDF
  • This online PDF describes a specific style of VTOL using 4 rotors on two tilting wings. It is a great resource for my research because it contains a lot of great information on this design and it will offer many insights into other designs as well. This source will also prove to be very useful in the creation of my project.
• http://scholar.sun.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10019.1/3121/Ventj1.pdf?sequence=1
  • This PDF is a 148 page description of everything related to the design and creation of a RC VTOL plane. It will be integral in my project because it included information on every aspect of this project, including code. This will be a great resource for my research due to its wealth of information. It will also be an incredible help in every aspect of my project.
• https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19620005167.pdf
  • This PDF is from NASA, and it contains data from NASA testing on “slipstream flow around several tilt-wing vtol aircraft.” It may be a little advanced for my project, but I will be able to use some of the information from the writing portion of the PDF. The many pages of graphs and raw data will probably be not very useful to my project, but the abstract of the PDF will be useful for my research and my project.
• https://www.google.com/patents/US3666209
  • This online patent describes another unique type of tilt wing VTOL. This design utilizes a split wing in two sections for the rotation of the wing. This unique design may help inspire my project design but the writing and abstract about the design will help advance my research and my project.
• http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-electric-aircraft-20160830-snap-story.html
  • This website describes why electric airplanes are not very practical with the current battery limitations. However, in some situations, electric power can have significant benefits over the gas alternative. This source will help me get a better idea of electric plane feasibility on a large scale outside of the VTOL world, and so it will help make my research more complete overall. It will probably not affect my project as much because I am most likely going to have to restrict my project to electric propulsion but it may help give me insight to what is the best purpose for a full scale electric plane.
• http://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/thomson-reuters-why-2025-matters/electric-flight/208/
  • This website described the accomplishments of an electric plane called the e-Genius. It also talks about the future of electric planes in society. This will help me have a more complete research section due to it’s unique perspective on the electric planes topic. Due to this perspective, it may also help me find a better use for my VTOL design in the project portion of the project.
• https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/Features/leaptech.html
  • This article by NASA is about the testing of a new electric-powered aircraft wing. In 2015, the wing of the aircraft was undergoing testing to see what the wing was capable of. Although this source may not be very extensive, the plane it is based off will influence my research and project significantly because of it’s use of the benefits that come with electric motors.
  • https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/nasas-x-57-electric-research-plane
    • This article is similar to the previous but it provides a more in dpeth look at the X-57, which is the plane described in the article above. Because of this, it has the same conclusions and it will probably be useful in both my research and my project.
• http://www.wired.co.uk/article/vtol-vertical-take-off-landing-explained
  • This shorter article was a very brief into to VTOL. But, it does mention some of the big companies that are currently working with VTOL plane concepts. It will be helpful to use as a resource to connect to these big players in the VTOL scene.
• https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/why-uber-nasa-aren-t-such-odd-couple-after-all-n818241
  • https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/uber-planning-fleet-flying-taxi-cabs-2020-n750841
  • These sources describe Uber’s plans to incorporate VTOL vehicles into their transportation network. These will be a good resource for information on the practicality of VTOL vehicles in modern society and how they will be implemented. This will also help influence my design of the project.
• https://newatlas.com/wirth-research-uas-vtol-hydrogen-drone/49880/
  • This article described a hydrogen powered VTOL plane intended for mapping. It is on the RC scale and does not carry passengers. This article will be useful for research mainly because it provides an example of a different use for a VTOL drone.
• https://newatlas.com/u-lion-vtol-drone/48643/
  • This article describes a RC sized VTOL plane that uses rotating wings and full thrust vectoring with counter rotating propellers. This article will be useful due to it’s unique perspective and benefits over conventional VTOL designs. It will be useful for both the research and the project due to this.
• https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/13/flying-in-electric-airplanes-it-will-be-more-than-15-years.html
  • This article discusses why many predictions for commercial VTOL planes may be too early and that it may be 15 years until these vehicles will enter into service. This will be useful information because it will affect the purpose and thus the design of my project and will play a key role in my research.
• https://www.inverse.com/article/22858-questions-uber-elevate-flying-taxis
  • This source gave information and commentary on Uber’s plans for a VTOL fleet of vehicles. It gave useful and in-depth information that will be useful in my research. It will also be useful in my project because it may influence specific design choices and the goals of the project.
• https://electrek.co/2017/10/02/electric-vtol-aircraft-lilium-jet/
  • This article discussed Lilium Aviation’s full scale VTOL plane which has been successfully tested. It is fully electric and the article gives a lot of helpful information regarding the company and their plane. It will be useful in my research and my project because it is a real world working example of something similar to what I am trying to accomplish.
• https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20110011311.pdf
  • This online PDF gives an in-depth look at one of NASA’s VTOL designs. This design is called “The Puffin” and it is a tail sitter. This PDF is very useful because it describes the theoretical design benefits of the Puffin and it’s intended purpose. Due to this, it will be very useful in my research and my project.
• https://www.autelrobotics.com/kestrel
  • This website is about a VTOL plane designed for agricultural surveying and other purposes. It will be a helpful resource because it provides insights into the uses for VTOL but this source may also have some bias because it is hosted by the manufacturers of this product. This is an especially good example of successful design because it is a real product page description.
• https://www.uber.com/info/elevate/
  • This link leads to Uber’s page on their plans for a new VTOL vehicle that they plan to implement. This will be a good resource because it provides an example of the potential applications for electric VTOL vehicles. This source may also be biased because it is from Uber themselves, but it will still be useful in both the research and the project portions.
• https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-fixed-wing-vertical-take-off-and-landing-vtol-aircraft-market-anticipated-to-reach-53-billion-by-2026-reports-bis-research-631306903.html
  • This source offers a new perspective on VTOL aircraft from the market and economics perspective. This source will be very useful in my research to either help reinforce my conclusions on the effectiveness of VTOl or to help reform these conclusions. It will also help me focus the design of the project to one goal.
• https://lilium.com/
  • https://lilium.com/technology/
  • These sources are taken directly from Lilium Aviation’s website regarding their VTOL plane design. This is a great resource because it describes their working VTOL plane in depth and it discusses its purpose and intended uses. This will be an incredibly useful resource for both my research and project sections of my project.
• http://www.boeing.com/defense/v-22-osprey/
  • This article is from Boeing and it describes the V22 Osprey. The Osprey is a VTOL plane that is used in the military currently. This will be helpful for my research because it can be referenced for information on a VTOL plane currently in service. It may also help influence my project design because it provides specifics regarding the Osprey.
• https://www.wired.com/2016/07/bell-v280-valor-v22-osprey-replacement/
  • http://www.bellhelicopter.com/military/bell-v-280
  • This article gives an introduction to a competitor to the Osprey. It differs in some specific design choices and it will be a good resource to analyze and see the benefits of the two different designs. These differences will be useful in both my research and my project design.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_VTOL_aircraft
  • This is a list of current VTOL aircraft. This source directly may not be useful in my project or research, but the links it provides to the many current VTOL examples will be very instrumental in the assimilation of my research and project design.
• http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130228-x-plane-plans-for-radical-takeoff
  • This article discussed DARPA’s new X-Planes program that is intended to rethink VTOL designs. It also gave a listing of older VTOL designs. This information will be useful in my research due to its focus on the future and past. It will also help ensure that my project is based on future technology, and not past.
• https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/188338-nasas-electric-vertical-takeoff-airplane-takes-first-flight-aims-to-eventually-replace-the-helicopter
  • This website gave information on NASA’s Greased Lightning plane. Including its specific design and its purpose. This is a current VTOL plane that is a good example of what I should try to accomplish with my project, however my project will not reach the level of NASA’s plane. This will be a useful resource and example in my research and project design and execution.
• http://passengerdrone.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAoqXQBRA8EiwAIIOWslbS2nGZfgBr-3Ys1BPH1zmYac1sAiKkrCxdJErwtJzYV7A7b_PVTRoCoZAQAvD_BwE
  • This website describes a new VTOL multicopter that is intended to be a commercial product. It is a good example of a multicopter, but is limited severely by its 25 minute standard battery life. This will be useful in my research as either an example of another viable strategy or an example of t why VTOL planes are the future. It will probably not influence my project significantly.