FutureFlight On The Radar
Wind Gusts Around City Buildings Could Threaten Small Aircraft
Hybrid eVTOL configurations with both a fixed wing and multiple rotors are best at dealing with wind gusts when flying in urban areas, researchers found.

As manufacturers of passenger-carrying eVTOL air taxis and cargo-delivery drones prepare to certify their aircraft and introduce them to the burgeoning urban air mobility (UAM) market, researchers are raising concerns over whether these new aircraft can safely operate in windy conditions when flying near buildings. 

While the effects of wind and turbulence on aircraft are generally well understood, urban air mobility presents some fresh challenges. Not only are smaller aircraft such as drones and eVTOL air taxis more prone to flying off course in the event of a wind gust, but wind flows can also be less predictable in urban environments with tall buildings and other infrastructure than they are higher up in the atmosphere.