KUALA LUMPUR: Another Malaysian has made the nation proud by being involved in future aircraft research with the American space agency Nasa and a premier university.
Dr Raja Akif Raja Zahirudin, 33, who currently serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech, is directly involved in the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration Nasa Raven-GT (Research Aircraft for eVTOL Enabling Technologies) project.
The project focuses on research into electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, a future aviation technology involving electric, powered aircraft that operate like conventional planes but can take off and land vertically.
Sharing his experience with Bernama, the Kerteh-born scientist said his research, titled ‘Proprotor Hover Performance and Wing Download for the Raven eVTOL Aircraft’, focuses on rotor performance and the interaction of aircraft components that affect thrust during take-off and landing.
“This study aims to improve eVTOL design to make it more efficient and suitable for future operations,” he said.
Raja Akif said eVTOL technology has the potential to become an alternative to existing transportation systems, as it offers faster, quieter and more environmentally friendly short-distance air travel, particularly in congested urban areas.
“One of the main challenges in developing eVTOL aircraft is ensuring low noise levels and energy efficiency, as public acceptance, especially in densely-populated areas, depends heavily on these factors,” he said.
The project, which began in 2020, involves four researchers, four academic faculty members and seven students at Georgia Tech, along with collaboration from industry partners and other researchers.
Reflecting on his involvement with Nasa research, Raja Akif said it all began during his PhD studies at Pennsylvania State University, where he had the opportunity to be mentored by Prof Eric Greenwood, who previously served at Nasa’s Langley Research Centre.
Since then, he has worked with the aeroacoustics team at the centre, sharing research methodologies and experimental findings.
