Modeling Advanced Vehicle Concepts in the NextGen Terminal Airspace

Abstract

The following paper presents a description of the modeling approach used to determine the impact of five advanced vehicle types, incl uding cruise efficient short takeoff and landing (CESTOL), very light jets (VLJ), large civil tiltrotor (LCTR), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and supersonic transports (SST), on the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) terminal airspace. This study applied fast-time simulation to a high-fidelity model of the New York Metroplex airspace, including eight major airports in the region. Impacts were quantified by various performance metrics covering capacity, delay, emissions, fuel burn and noise. Significant results for each vehicle are presented along with an overall comparison of impacts across all performance areas studied. I. Introduction HE National Airspace System (NAS) is currently undergoing a transformation to expand its capacity through technology and policy improvements. The implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), led by the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), is focused on improving all aspects of the NAS operations including capacity, productivity, safety a nd security, while reducing the adverse impacts of aviation on the environment 1 . T During this transformation, it is anticipated that ne w aircraft types will be introduced or significant improvements to existing vehicles will occur, that coul d impact the fundamental operations of NextGen. Five potential vehicles that are either currently operating within the NAS or undergoing extensive research by government agencies and industry include: cruise-efficient short takeoff and landing vehicles (CESTOL), very light jets (VLJ), large civil tiltrotors (LCTR), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and supers onic transports (SST). The