Discover
The Institute for Rotorcraft and Vertical Flight (RVF) is part of the Department of Aerospace and Geodesy, Faculty of Engineering and Design at TUM and specializes in a class of vehicles that can take-off and land vertically (VTOL), hence don't need a runway. The Institute (formerly the "Institute for Helicopter Technology") was endowed by Airbus Helicopters in 2010. Today, the Institute focuses on a wide range of vertical flight capable vehicles: Advanced rotorcraft (helicopter, tiltrotor, coaxial rotor, intermeshing rotor, tandem rotor, etc.), electric or hydrogen based VTOL vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), etc. With new enabling technologies, innovative new concpets for vertical flight are emerging faster than ever, hoping to transfrom human mobiility. It is indeed an exciting time for vertical flight. Join us and be a part of history in the making!
Research
The professorship aims to develop rotorcraft and vertical flight related technologies and concepts of the future, that perform better, are safer, quieter, affordable, and have a reduced carbon footprint. The Institute has a particular focus on rotor/propeller design, simulation and testing. This fundamental understanding enables not only the design of better VTOL aircraft, but also the improvement of the existing traditional vehicles. In particular, advanced topics such as, rotor/propeller aeroelastic analysis, rotor-rotor and rotor-fuselage interactions, performance estimation and design of vehicles with complex aerodynamic behavior, aerodynamic phenomenon investigations like dynamic stall, advanced design methods, rotorcraft system identification, VR and AR based pilot assistance, etc. are current research topics.
Teaching
It all starts with the rotor. The design and analysis of most vertical flight capable vehicles require a thorough understanding of rotors or propellers. A multitude of courses get the student familiar with rotor (aero)dynamics (theories also applicable to propellers) and rotorcraft related coursed at undergraduate and graduate level. Seminar and project courses allow students to apply such knowledge to rotorcraft design, as well as to the design of electric VTOL vehicles for urban air mobility. Teaching efforts prepare students for real-world project environments through topics like safety, certification, instrumented flight training, soft skills development, etc. Guest lecturers from the industry are often invited to share their experiences.