NASA's Electric X-57 Maxwell To Set the Standards In Urban Air Mobility

NASA has released final configuration images for its concept X-57 Maxwell all-electric X-plane. This is the first piloted X-plane from NASA in more than 20 years and the first all-electric X-plane. The X-57 Maxwell will help set certification standards for future electric aircraft.

This artist’s concept image shows NASA’s first all-electric X-plane, the X-57 Maxwell, in its final configuration, flying in cruise mode over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. In Mod IV test flights, X-57’s high-lift motors will deactivate during cruise mode, and their propeller blades will fold into the nacelles to reduce drag. The motors will reactivate and use centrifugal force to spin the blades back out to provide the necessary lift for landing.
Credits: NASA Langley/Advanced Concepts Lab, AMA, Inc

The final configuration is known as Mod IV that features a relocation of the cruise motors to the wingtips, a high-aspect-ratio wing with 6 smaller high lift motors on each side with propellers for takeoff and landings.

The high lift motors deactivate at cruising altitude and the propeller blades fold and tuck into the nacelles reducing the drag. When it’s time for landing the smaller motors use centrifugal force to spin the blades and assist the landing.

The X-57’s wings are specially designed high-aspect that are 58% smaller than the baseline, which will reduce drag, and boost the overall efficiency. The electric cruise motors on the wingtips are equipped with 5-foot diameter propellers that help recover energy, which would otherwise be lost. The combined design goal is to get a 500% increase in efficiency over a baseline aircraft.

By setting certification standards for future electric aircrafts the X-57 is talking about urban air mobility that can help shape our future with shorter commute times, with many companies already involved, including Uber, and Hyundai.

This artist's concept image shows NASA's first all-electric X-plane, the X-57 Maxwell, flying shortly after takeoff in its final configuration over NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. In this configuration, known as Mod IV, X-57's smaller high-lift motors will activate along the wing's leading edge, spinning their propellers and providing lift for takeoff and landing — This artist’s concept image shows NASA’s first all-electric X-plane, the X-57 Maxwell, flying shortly after takeoff in its final configuration over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. In this configuration, known as Mod IV, X-57’s smaller high-lift motors will activate along the wing’s leading edge, spinning their propellers and providing lift for takeoff and landing.
Credits: NASA Langley/Advanced Concepts Lab, AMA, Inc

Brandon Litherland from the NASA Langley Research Facility said:

NASA is trying to respond to that by providing the safety standards and the performance metrics by which all these aircraft can be judged and qualified for flights so that it’s safer for the public and gets better performance.

NASA will be sharing information with urban air mobility manufacturers, in other words, these advancements will be happening in real-time. This is going to help all companies who wish to get involved with urban air transportation. This isn’t a 10 or 20 years in the future dreamers’ reality as Litherland says, “this is a right here right now technology that’s benefiting the taxpayer as we speak.”

NASA’s Electric X-57 Maxwell To Set the Standards In Urban Air Mobility

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