How did the team work together to develop the TFM concept?
Understanding the challenges of UAM requires an interdisciplinary team. At Rolls-Royce, we were able to bring together years of experience in this exact application and draw on expertise in system design, electromagnetics, thermal design, structural analysis, mechanical design, and manufacturing. This is a real differentiator for us and the technology we develop.
The project has been a great example of agile working and how to foster creativity until physical realisation. Having six of us initially working vastly undisturbed in a dedicated focus area for the first technology realisation, we had a lot of fun.
Today, the number of people working on the project has grown and it is an important part of the UAM programme based across Budapest, Cottbus, Dahlewitz and Munich. It really shows how much the original idea and our understanding of electrical aviation have matured and how much we’re able to accomplish.