SMART-MET

  

Acronym

Flight Safety of Small Aircraft under Adverse Meteorological Conditions

Goal

The compact dimensions and low weight pose particular challenges for small aircraft. In order to cope with this, three main topics are dealt with in SMART-MET.

Period

2024 - 2026

Funding

DLR

Project Lead

DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology

Participants

Overflight of HALO aircraft and vortex roll-up in ground proximity visualized by white fog and red smoke.

The compact dimensions and low weight pose particular challenges for small aircraft under unfavourable meteorological conditions. In order to cope with this, three main topics are dealt with in SMART-MET:

In the first work package PA considers airport shuttles between urban or suburban areas. The required vertiport at the airport can frequently only be installed near conventional runways such that it can’t be operated independently from wake vortices of other aircraft. In SMART-MET criteria for acceptable wake vortex encounters shall be developed for various small aircraft. A wake vortex warning system for vertiports WSWS-V at large airports shall be developed and demonstrated consisting of the elements wind and wake vortex prediction (machine learning) as well as the developed encounter criteria.

The second work package addresses the risk of fatal flight accidents in consequence of ice accretions which is particularly relevant to small aircraft. Here, innovative approaches for energy-efficient icing sensors and de-/anti-icing systems are developed to ensure safe and economic operation of small aircraft. The third work package deals with the impact of meteorological effects on the operational efficiency and safety of small aircraft.

Contact

Dr. Norman Wildmann

Head of Department
Institute of Atmospheric Physics
Applied Meteorology
Münchener Straße 20, 82234 Oberpfaffenhofen-Wessling