NASA crash-tests air taxi fuselage to study safety of lightweight materials
Questions and answers:
What was NASA testing in the June 2025 air taxi drop experiment? NASA tested a full-scale aircraft fuselage to evaluate how lightweight materials and structural components absorb crash forces in electric air taxis.
Where and how was the test conducted? The test took place at NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia, where the fuselage was dropped from a 35-foot gantry with a 10-degree yaw to simulate FAA certification conditions.
What kind of safety features were evaluated? Researchers studied the performance of energy-absorbing subfloors and simulated underfloor battery components to measure structural deformation and acceleration during impact.
HAMPTON, Va. - Researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are advancing the safety of future electric air taxis by crash-testing lightweight aircraft structures to understand better how next-generation materials respond to impact.
On 26 June, engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, dropped a full-scale fuselage - modeled after an air taxi - from a 35-foot-tall gantry to simulate a crash scenario. The test is part of the agency’s ongoing effort to develop data that will help industry partners design safer advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft.
"By showcasing elements of a crash alongside how added energy-absorbing technology could help make the aircraft more robust, these tests will help the development of safety regulations for advanced air mobility aircraft, leading to safer designs," said Justin Littell, test lead at NASA Langley.
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Test conditions
The test replicated conditions required by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification standards, including a 10-degree yaw angle to simulate an off-axis crash. Engineers monitored how the aircraft structure and simulated battery components absorbed the impact. The test vehicle incorporated energy-absorbing subfloors, similar to crumple zones in automobiles, that appeared to perform as intended.
NASA said the results matched closely with computer simulations refined using data from a 2022 crash test. The experiment also included added mass to represent underfloor battery systems, enabling researchers to measure acceleration forces and assess the safety of potential electric propulsion system placements.
The work is part of NASA’s Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) project, managed under the agency’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program in support of the Advanced Air Mobility mission. The initiative supports FAA and industry efforts to define standards for electric aircraft and drones that will operate over populated areas.
RVLT mission
RVLT focuses on developing new technologies for a range of vertical lift aircraft, including passenger air taxis and heavy-lift cargo drones. In collaboration with industry, academia, and other government agencies, the project aims to reduce environmental impact, improve safety and reliability, and lower operating costs to enable sustainable and scalable air mobility solutions.
Data from the recent crash test will be made public to aid commercial developers and regulators in evaluating the crashworthiness of emerging aircraft designs.
Jamie Whitney
Jamie Whitney joined the staff of Military & Aerospace Electronics and Intelligent Aerospace. He brings seven years of print newspaper experience to the aerospace and defense electronics industry.
Whitney oversees editorial content for the Intelligent Aerospace Website, as well as produce news and features for Military & Aerospace Electronics, attend industry events, produce Webcasts, oversee print production of Military & Aerospace Electronics, and expand the Intelligent Aerospace and Military & Aerospace Electronics franchises with new and innovative content.
