Faculty Directory

Datta, Anubhav

Datta, Anubhav

Alfred Gessow Professor
Aerospace Engineering
Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center
3125 Glenn Martin Hall
Website(s):

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D., 2004, University of Maryland (Aerospace Engineering)
  • B. Tech, 1998, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (Aerospace Engineering)

BACKGROUND

Datta and his research group study the aeromechanics of advanced vertical lift aircraft. The major areas of research are: electric-VTOL (eVTOL), high-speed tiltrotors, scalable-3D structures, and Mars helicopters. Before joining Maryland, Datta was at the U.S. Army Aviation Development Directorate at NASA Ames Research Center for 9 years. At Ames, he worked on the full-scale wind-tunnel testing of the UH-60A Black Hawk rotor, development of a scalable-3D aeroelastic solver - X3D, design of eVTOL aircraft, and aeromechanics of the JPL Mars Helicopter (Ingenuity). During 2008-2013, he served as the structural dynamics lead of DOD's CREATE-AV software: Helios --- a high-fidelity HPC tool for the design and analysis of future vertical lift aircraft. Datta was the Founding Chair of the eVTOL Technical Committee of the Vertical Flight Society (VFS) (formerly the American Helicopter Society (AHS)) and a founding member and technical advisor to the VFS Hydrogen Council. He has served or serves as a member of the VFS Dynamics Technical Committee (2009-2012, 2016-2019, 2023-present),  VFS Alfred Gessow Best Paper Award Committee (2018-2020), Chair of VFS eVTOL Technical Committee (2019-2022), member of the U.S. Army's Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence review committee (2012-2015), Chair of NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI)'s working group-2 on commercial intra-city Urban Air Mobility (2017-2018), Chair of the AIAA Structural Dynamics Technical Committee (2024-present), and as an Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Helicopter Society (2009-cont). He is a Technical Fellow of VFS.

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • 2024 Best Paper in Structural Dynamics, AIAA

                   Xavier Delgado & Anubhav Datta, "High-Speed Whirl Flutter Tests of Swept-tip Tiltrotor Blades," Paper AIAA 2024-1851, SciTech, Orlando, FL, 8-12 January, 2024

  • 2024 Best Paper in eVTOL, VFS                            

                   Matthew Arace & Anubhav Datta, "Impact of Detailed SFC Hybrid-Electric VTOL Sizing," VFS Annual Forum-80, Montreal, Canada, May 7-9, 2024

  • 2024 Elected Chair of the AIAA Structural Dynamics Technical Committee
  • 2023 Best Paper in eVTOL, VFS

                   Matthew Arace & Anubhav Datta, "Fundamental Understanding of Hybrid-Electric Power," VFS Annual Forum-79, West Palm Beach, FL, May 16-18, 2023

  • 2023 Best Paper in Structural Dynamics, AIAA

                    Mrinalgouda Patil & Anubhav Datta, "Three-Dimensional Blade and Hub Stresses of Coaxial Rotors in High-Speed Foward Flight," Paper AIAA 2023-1892, SciTech 2023, National Harbor, MD,  23-27 January 2023

  • 2022 Best Paper in eVTOL, VFS

                   Emily Fisler & Anubhav Datta, "Fabrication, Testing, and Comparative Analysis of Lithium Sulfur and Lithium-ion Electrochemistries," VFS Annual Forum-78, Dallas, TX, May 9-13, 2022

  • 2022 Howard Hughes Award, VFS

                    Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Team: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA Ames and Langley Research Centers, Lockheed Martin Space, AeroVironment, Qualcomm, SolAero and University of Maryland. "For accomplishing the first powered flight on another planet on April 19, 2021, with a 39.1 sec. flight of the 4-lb (1.8-kg) Ingenuity helicopter on Mars."

  • 2021 Best Paper in Structural Dynamics, AIAA
  • 2021 Best Paper in Dynamics, VFS
  • 2021 Best Paper in Advanced Vertical Flight, VFS
  • 2020 Forum Technical Chair,  VFS Annual Forum-76
  • 2019 Elected Founding Chair of VFS Electric-VTOL Technical Committee
  • 2017 Keynote at the Electric & Hybrid Aerospace Technology Symposium, Cologne, Germany
  • 2012 Keynote at the inaugural Asian-Australian Rotorcraft Forum, S Korea, Busan
  • 2012 Group Achievement Award, NASA, for Full-scale UH-60A Black Hawk Airloads Testing
  • 2011 13-th Agusta Westland Distinguished Guest Lecture, Agusta Westland Finmeccanica (now Leonardo), Italy
  • 2011 Technical Excellence in Publications Award, NASA
  • 2011 Best Paper in Dynamics & Alfred Gessow Forum Best Paper, AHS
  • 2011 Grover E. Bell Award, AHS

                      UH-60 Wind-Tunnel Airloads Test Team: US Army, US Air Force, NASA, and The National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex(NFAC). "For successfully completing the most intricate and extensive testing ever performed on a full-scale rotor system."

  • 2009 Best Paper in Advanced Vertical Flight, AHS
  • 2009 Best Paper in Dynamics, AHS
  • 2007 Group Achievement Award for breakthrough in unsteady aerodynamic modeling, U.S. Army
  • 2006 Francois Xavier Bagnoud Award for contributions to rotorcraft under age 35, AHS
  • 2005 Best Paper in Dynamics, AHS
  • 2003 Best Paper in Dynamics, AHS
  • 2002 Best Paper in Dynamics, AHS

 

  • High-speed tiltrotors
  • Rotorcraft 3-D structural dynamics & aeromechanics
  • Electric-VTOL
  • Mars Helicopters

 

 

 

 


1. High-Speed Tiltrotors

  • Fundamental understanding of whirl-flutter and vibratory loads through wind-tunnel tests (8- by 11-ft, 200 knot, Glenn L. Martin tunnel) and comprehensive analysis (UMARC-II)
  • Tiltrotors with advanced blade shapes
  • Tiltrotors with hingeless hubs
  • Aero-electric behavior of electrically driven tiltrotors

2. Scalable 3-D Structures

  • Development of parallel and scalable 3-D Finite Element-multibody -based rotor aeroelastic solver (X3D)
  • 3-D fluid-structure interface
  • Fundamental understanding of 3-D stresses on lift-offset coaxial rotors through advanced CFD-X3D coupling
  • Fundamental understanding of double-anhedral tip rotors through analysis and wind-tunnel tests

3. Electric-VTOL

  • Engine-generator-motor -based distributed power systems for multi-rotor eVTOL aircraft
  • Hydrogen fuel-cells for design of eVTOL aircraft
  • Li-Sulfur batteries for design of eVTOL aircraft
  • Interactional wake and vibratory loads on large multirotor aircraft

4. Mars Helicopter

  • Structural and aeromechanical design of next-generation Mars Helicopters
  • Fabrication and chamber tests of low tip Reynolds number (1,000-15,000) rotors
  • 3-D computer vision for feature-detection and autonomous landing
  • Flight dynamics and control of helicopters on Mars

  • Helicopter Dynamics I
  • Helicopter Dynamics II
  • Structural Dynamics
  • Short courses on Electric-VTOL
    • VFS, Annual Forum, 2018-cont
    • Naval Test Pilot School, 2018
    • AIAA, Aviation Forum, 2019
    • VFS, 7-th Annual eVTOL Symposium, 2020
    • Air Force, Agility Prime, 2020
    • AIAA-VFS joint course, 2023

Journal Papers

2025

  1. Britcher, V., Datta, A. and Chopra, I. "Refinement and Characterization of Feature-Based Vision Algorithm for Ship-Deck Landing Under Degraded Visibility," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Article in advance, 2025. PDF iconBrDaCh_JAHS2025.pdf
  2. Patil, M. and Datta, A. "Three-Dimensional Blade and Hub Stresses of Coaxial Rotors in Forward Flight," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Article in advance, 2025. PDF iconPaDa_JAHS2025.pdf

2024

  1. Patil, M., Lumba, R., Jayaraman, B. and Datta, A., "An Integrated Three-dimensional Aeromechanical Analysis for the Prediction of Stresses on Modern Coaxial Rotors," The International Journal of High Performance Computing, Vol. 38, (4), July 2024, pp. 356-376. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10943420241255089
  2. Patil, M., Datta, A., Lumba, R. and Jayaraman, B., "Integrated Three-Dimensional Airloads and Stresses on Lift-Offset Coaxial Rotors at Extreme Speeds," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 61, (5), Sep-Oct 2024, pp. 1397-1411.
  3. Patil, M. and Datta, A., "Three-Dimensional Aeromechanical Analysis of Lift Offset Coaxial Rotors: A Helios Test Case," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 61, (3),  May-June 2024, pp. 939-956.PDF iconPaDa_JA2024.pdf
  4. Tsai, F., Sutherland, J., Akinwale, A., Morin, A., Gul, S., Datta, A., "Development and Whirl Flutter Test of the Maryland Tiltrotor Rig,", Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 69, (1), January 2024, pp. 1-15. PDF iconTsai_JAHS2024.pdf
  5. Sutherland, J., Tsai, F. and Datta, A. "Whirl Flutter Test of Swept-Tip Tiltrotor Blades," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 69, (1), January 2024, pp. 1-12. PDF iconSuTsDa_JAHS2024.pdf
  6. Gul, S., Datta, A., "Prediction and Validation of Whirl Flutter Data of the Maryland Tiltrotor Rig,", Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 69, (1), January 2024, pp. 1-11. PDF iconGuDa_JAHS2024.pdf

2023

  1. Lumba, R., Chi, C., Datta, A., Koning, W., Perez, N. P., Cummings, H. "Structural Design and Aeromechanical Analysis of Unconventional Blades for Future Mars Rotorcraft," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 68, (4), October 2023, pp. 1-16. PDF iconLuChDaNASA_JAHS2023.pdf
  2. Chi, C., Datta, A. and Panda, B., "Vacuum and Hover Tests of a Dihedral-Anhedral Tip Composite Rotor," Vol. 60, (5), Journal of Aircraft, September 2023, pp. 1700-1711.PDF iconChDaPa_JA2023.pdf
  3. Lumba, R. and Datta, A., "Scalable mesh partitioning for multibody-3D finite element based rotary-wing structures," Computers and Structures, Vol. 281, June 2023, pp. 1-21. PDF iconLuDa_CS2023.pdf
  4. Sutherland, J. and Datta, A., "Fabrication, Testing and 3D Comprehensive Analysis of Swept-Tip Tiltrotor Blades," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 68, (1), January 2023, pp. 1-17.
  5. Gul, S. and Datta, A., "Aeroelastic Loads and Stability of Swept-Tip Hingeless Tiltrotors toward High-Speed Instability-Free Cruise," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 68, (1), January 2023, pp. 1-18. PDF iconGuDa_JAHS2023.pdf
  6. Gul, S. and Datta, A., "Development of an Aeromechanics Solver for Loads and Stability of Hingeless Tiltrotors," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 60, (1), pp. 143-159, January 2023. PDF iconGuDa_JA2023.pdf
  7. Maurya, S., Chopra, I. and Datta, A., "Steady and Unsteady Hover Test of a Lift Compounding Rotorcraft," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 60, (1), pp. 130-142, January 2023.

2022

  1. Chi, C., Lumba, R., Jung, Y. S. and Datta, A., "Aeromechanical Analysis of a Next-Generation Mars Hexacopter Rotor," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 59, (6), November-December 2022, pp 1463-1477.PDF iconCLJD_JA2022.pdf

2021

  1. Patil, M. and Datta, A., "A Scalable Time-Parallel Solution of Periodic Rotor Dynamics in X3D," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 66, (4), October 2021, pp. 1-16.PDF iconDP_JAHS2021.pdf
  2. Datta, A., NASA/CR 2021-0000284, "PEM Fuel Cell MODEL for Conceptual Design of Hydrogen eVTOL Aircraft," National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center, January 2021, pp. 1-273. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20210000284
  3. Escobar, D., Chopra, I., and Datta, A., "High-Fidelity Aeromechanical Analysis of Coaxial Mars Helicopter," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 58, (3), May 2021, pp. 609-623.
  4. Mills, B. and Datta, A. "Fundamental Studies of Variable-Voltage Hybrid-Electric Powertrains," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 66, (2), April 2021.
  5. Chi, C. et al., "Three-Dimensional Strains on Twisted and Swept Composite Rotor Blades in Vacuum," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 58, (1), January-February 2021.
  6. Ng, W., Patil, M., and Datta, A., "Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Battery Hybrid Architecture for Range Extension of Electric VTOL (eVTOL) Aircraft," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 66, (1), January 2021. NPD_JAHS2021.pdf

2020

  1. Johnson, W. et al., NASA/TM 2020-220485, "Mars Science Helicopter Conceptual Design," National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center, March 2020. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20200002139

2019

  1. Ng, W. and Datta, A., "Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Batteries for Electric-Vertical Take Off and Landing Aircraft,'' Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 56, (5), September 2019, pp. 1765-1782.PDF iconND_JA2019.pdf
  2. Staruk, W. and Datta, A., "Gimballed Tiltrotor Conversion Flight Loads Prediction using 3-D Structural Analysis,'' Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 56, (2), March 2019.

2018

  1. Ward, E., Chopra, I., and Datta, A., "Rotation-Frequency-Driven Extension-Torsion Coupled Self-Twisting Rotor Blades,'' Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 55, (5), September 2018.
  2. Staruk, W., Datta, A., Chopra, I., and Jayaraman, B., "An Integrated Three-Dimensional Aeromechanics Analysis of the NASA Tilt Rotor Aeroacoustic Model," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 63, (3), July 2018.

2016

  1. Potsdam, M., Datta, A., and Jayaraman, B., "Computational Investigation and Fundamental Understanding of a Slowed Rotor at High Advance Ratios,'' Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 61, (2), April 2016.

2011-2014

  1. Datta, A. and Johnson, W., "Power Plant Design and Performance Analysis of a Manned All-Electric Helicopter'' Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 30, (2), March 2014, pp. 490-505.PDF iconDJ_JPP2014.pdf
  2. Datta, A., Yeo, H. and Norman, T. R., "Experimental Investigation and Fundamental Understanding of a Slowed Rotor at High Advance Ratios,'' Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 58, (2), April 2013.
  3. Sitaraman, J., Potsdam, M., Wissink, A., Jayaraman, B., Datta, A., Mavriplis, D., and Saberi, H., "Rotor Loads Prediction Using Helios: A Multisolver Framework for Rotorcraft Aeromechanics Analysis," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 50, (2), March-April 2013, pp. 478-492.
  4. Choi, S., Datta, A., and Alonso, J. "Prediction of Helicopter Rotor Loads using Time-Spectral CFD and An Exact Fluid-Structure Interface,'' Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 56, (4), October 2011.
  5. Datta, A. and Johnson, W., "Three-dimensional Finite Element Formulation and Scalable Domain Decomposition for High Fidelity Rotor Dynamic Analysis,'' Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 56, (2), July 2011.

Selected Conference Papers:

  • Tsai, F., Sutherland-Foggio, J., Datta, A., and Privett, D.  "The Maryland Tiltrotor Rig (MTR) - The Baseline Gimballed Hub," American Helicopter Society Annual Forum 75, Philadelphia, May 13-16, 2019.
  • Datta, A., Tsai, F., and Sutherland-Foggio, J., "Design of a New Tiltrotor Test Facility at the University of Maryland,'' AIAA Paper 2019-2136, SciTech Forum, San Diego, CA, Jan 7-11, 2019.
  • Datta, A., "X3D --- A 3D Solid Finite Element Multibody Dynamic Analysis for Rotorcraft,'' American Helicopter Society Technical Meeting on Aeromechanics Design for Vertical Lift, San Francisco, CA, January 20-22, 2016.
  • Norman, T. R., Shinoda, P., Peterson, R. L. and Datta, A., "Full-Scale Wind Tunnel Test of the UH-60A Airloads Rotor,'' American Helicopter Society Annual Forum 67, Virginia Beach, May 3–5, 2011.

Seven Maryland Students Receive Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships

Awards recognize the world’s most talented engineering students interested in vertical flight.

Five UMD Alumni Receive Vertical Flight Society Honors

Aerospace Engineering alumni and faculty recognized for contributions to the advancement of rotorcraft.

UMD Team Lands First Place in VFS Competition

Students’ entry achieves breakthroughs in speed, versatility.

Seven UMD Students Receive Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships

UMD students represent a third of total 2023 VFF Scholarship recipients.

UMD’s Chopra: A Driving Force in Rotorcraft Engineering

AIAA honors longtime professor for seminal schievements.
 

UMD Hosts First High-Speed Rotorcraft Workshop

Landmark event signals dedication to maintaining technological edge.

Ingenuity Helicopter Team Wins Howard Hughes Award

UMD aerospace engineers contributed significantly to the design of the history-making rotorcraft.

A New Spin on a Classic da Vinci Design

UMD students build working prototype inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s aerial screw.

Six UMD Students Win VFS Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships

Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships recognize the world’s most talented engineering students interested in vertical flight.

Sutherland Wins First Place in SAMPE Research Competition

Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. student James Sutherland takes top spot in SAMPE University Research Symposium competition.

Modernizing da Vinci’s Designs

UMD teams take top spots in 2020 VFS design competition to re-imagine Leonardo da Vinci’s aerial
screw.

Engineering Graduate Students Win UMD 3MT Competition

Three Clark School graduate students were among the university's 2020 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) winners.

Nine UMD Students Awarded 2020 Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships

Aerospace Engineering students receive nine out of 29 awarded Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships.

Envisioning the Future of Urban Transportation

Could lightweight electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft be a solution for urban congestion?

UMD Aerospace Engineering Students Receive VFF Scholarships

Six students received scholarships from the Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF), the philanthropic arm of the Vertical Flight Society (VFS).

Four UMD Aerospace Engineering Students Named Penton Aviation Week Network’s 20 Twenties

Free, Kumar, Ng and Weinstein recognized as tomorrow’s engineering leaders.

Clark School Grad Students Win 11th Helicopter Design Contest

Variable-diameter tiltrotor takes first place at American Helicopter Society Student Design Competition.

Helicopter Society Honors Datta’s Work

AHS International selects alumnus for Bagnoud Award.

American Helicopter Society (AHS)

  • Technical Fellow

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