NASA’s Urban Air Mobility Noise Technical Paper – Setting the Stage for Future Work in UAM

10.08.2020 | Joseph J. Czech, PE |

As a member of NASA’s Urban Air Mobility Noise Working Group (UNWG), HMMH is proud to have contributed to the recently released Technical Paper on “Urban Air Mobility Noise: Current Practice, Gaps and Recommendations.”

Urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles are defined as those operating with a range of up to 100 nautical miles, at altitudes up to 3,000 ft AGL, at speeds up to 200 kts, and with payloads between 800 and 8,000 lbs. The character of UAM noise is anticipated to be different than that of existing helicopters and General Aviation aircraft such that UAM’s noise exposure and potential annoyance could limit its integration into the National Airspace System and general acceptability.

The Technical Paper addresses potential barriers of UAM as a new entrant in four areas of interest: Tools and Technologies, Ground and Flight Testing, Human Response and Metrics, and Regulation and Policy. Each area is addressed in detail in their respective chapters, delivering the components of the Technical Paper’s title – current practice, gaps, and recommendations to overcome the expected barrier(s).

The Technical Paper was two years in the making by up to 125 members of government, industry, and academia. This comprehensive work sets the stage for future work in this accelerating field.

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20205007433/downloads/NASA-TP-2020-5007433.pdf