Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft operate in low-altitude airspaces, where complex atmospheric and environmental conditions significantly affect aerodynamic performance. This seminar will explore the main aerodynamic challenges involved in the design and operation of AAM systems, focusing on three key areas: (1) aerodynamic design and performance, (2) the effects of aerosols, such as sand and dust, on aerodynamic efficiency, and (3) the impact of urban winds and gust encounters. The seminar will present recent research on aerodynamic design and laminar flow control, along with initial findings from studies in urban environments. These examples will illustrate the challenges faced and highlight opportunities to improve the aerodynamic design, modeling, and operation of AAM systems in realistic low-altitude settings.
Speaker Biography
Dr. Camli Badrya earned her B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from the Technion in Israel, and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA (UMD). During her graduate studies in Maryland, she focused on unsteady flow and aerodynamics, bio-inspired flight, and large gust response at low Reynolds numbers. She also gained a broad background in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), helicopter aerodynamics, and aircraft design. She received a Fulbright scholarship to pursue graduate studies in Aerospace Engineering at UMD in 2011. In 2015, she received the Amelia Earhart Fellowship Award. Before joining UC Davis, she worked at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics at Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany. She led a research group on “Flow Physics of Laminar Wing and Fuselage”, whose objectives include conducting fundamental research on passive and active laminar flow control on the wing and fuselage of transport aircraft, developing low-drag wing design and optimization tools, and performing wind tunnel experiments to understand the flow physics of the boundary layer with wall suction. She leads the Davis Applied Aerodynamic Lab (DAAL). DAAL aims to advance multidisciplinary innovations through fundamental and applied research that make aviation and space systems more efficient, ecological, and energy-sustainable to meet our ever-growing needs.
Recent Publications (Badrya et al):
- Design Exploration of Airfoils for Advanced Air Mobility Using Multifidelity Optimization
August 2026, Journal of Aircraft, DOI: 10.2514/1.C038831 - Experimental Study of Obstacle-Induced Flow Turbulence in Ground Proximity Using an Atmospheric Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel June 2026, DOI: 10.2514/6.2026-4656, Conference: AIAA AVIATION 2026 Forum
- Wind Tunnel Testing of a Subsonic Airfoil Employing Hybrid Laminar Flow Control
May 2026 AIAA Journal 64(7):1-15, DOI: 10.2514/1.J065991 - Aerodynamic Design and Experimental Characterization of an Airfoil at Low Reynolds Numbers
May 2026, DOI: 10.4050/F-0082-2026-0217
About Air Time by NAMS-2
Air Time is a series of seminars on advanced aviation hosted by Crown Innovations, Inc. The seminars feature leading experts on cutting-edge research who share interesting ideas on pertinent topics and innovative methodologies. Air Time seminars will be held weekly at NASA Ames Research Center and online. A NASA badge is required to attend in person.
Crown Innovations, Inc. is the prime contractor for the NASA Academic Mission Services 2 (NAMS-2) contract. Contact the program management at nams2pmo@crownci.com for more information or to arrange a collaboration in your field.