Drop test: NASA investigates materials and designs for air taxis

Aviation Drop Test: NASA Investigates Materials and Designs for Air Taxis

2025-08-12 From Stefanie Eckardt | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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The aviation industry is working on air taxis and other electric aircraft made from lightweight materials. Safety is particularly important in this context. Therefore, it is essential to understand and examine how these materials behave during a crash and impact. NASA is analyzing various materials and designs for air taxis that could best protect passengers in the event of a crash.

NASA is studying how AAM aircraft behave in the event of a crash. In a drop test, an aircraft fuselage modeled after an air taxi was lifted to a height of about 11 meters (approx. 36 ft)and dropped.(Image: Mark Knopp | NASA) — NASA is studying how AAM aircraft behave in the event of a crash. In a drop test, an aircraft fuselage modeled after an air taxi was lifted to a height of about 11 meters (approx. 36 ft)and dropped.
(Image: Mark Knopp | NASA)

To provide passengers with the best possible protection in the event of a crash, NASA is studying various materials and designs for air taxis. At the end of June 2025, researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton conducted a drop test. They released a life-sized aircraft fuselage, modeled after an air taxi, from a tall steel structure known as a gantry.

Absorb Impact Forces as Effectively as Possible

The test examined materials that best absorb impact forces and generated data to enable manufacturers to design safer air taxis. "By simulating crash elements and exploring how additional energy-absorbing technologies can make the aircraft more robust, these tests will contribute to the development of safety regulations for AAM aircraft and lead to safer designs," explained Justin Littell, test lead at Langley.

During the June test, the aircraft was lifted nearly 11 meters (approx. 36 ft) into the air and then released. It swung forward before hitting the ground. The impact conditions matched those of previous tests in 2022 but included an additional 10-degree yaw motion or rotation in the aircraft's trajectory. The yaw motion corresponded to a certification requirement mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration regulations for this type of aircraft.

Investigations After the Fall

After the fall, researchers began examining how the structure and batteries withstood the impact. As expected, the material failures largely aligned with the predictions from computer simulations, which had been updated based on data from the 2022 tests.

The aircraft was equipped with energy-absorbing subfloors, similar to crumple zones in cars, which deformed as intended to protect the seats inside. In the battery experiment, mass was added to simulate the subfloor battery components of air taxis and capture acceleration values. (se)

The VX4 from Vertical Aerospace during takeoff: The electric vertical take-off aircraft combines rotor and fixed-wing flight technology. (Image:Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd.)

As early as this summer, the first commercial routes for eVTOLs are set to launch in China. (Image:EHang)

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Date: 08.12.2025

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