The AERALIS Modular Aircraft

The AERALIS modular aircraft system is a family of aircraft variants based around a common core fuselage (CCF). The CCF is designed to allow a range of different wings and engines to be attached to it, and to be capable of flying with a pilot or uncrewed. The CCF is sized around a two-seat trainer having similar attributes to the Hawk and Alpha Jet. The range of variants based on this CCF will enable fleets to have increased commonality and hence lower cost than a traditional mixed type fleet. The lecture will describe the overall AERALIS modular aircraft - the potential benefits of the approach, some of its particular challenges and the progress being made towards realising this disruptive British aircraft. Speaker Details: Peter Curtis MRAeS - AERALIS Chief Airframe Engineer Peter graduated from Queen Mary, London in 1984 and joined the aerodynamics department at British Aerospace Kingston. He specialised in propulsion integration, especially ground effects, working on a number of advanced V/STOL projects. This led to a spell working in the US in the early part of the effort that culminated in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Back in the UK, Peter continued working on the JSF and then led the development of the engine intakes for the Nimrod MRA4. Peter joined Aircraft Research Association (ARA), initially on secondment from BAES, in 2009 as Chief Technical Officer. His time there coincided with the establishment of the UK Aerodynamics Centre, which later became the Aerospace Technology Institute, and the EU Clean Sky Programme. These opened up funding streams that enabled ARA to re-develop its capability for cutting edge research at industrial scale. Having left ARA Peter has worked on contracts for Lilium and AERALIS, among others, but has been an employee of AERALIS for a year now. He is currently Chief Airframe Engineer for the company.