More options worth investigating
Calculated mass constraints
3/40 to 17/40
Propulsion library: 2 → 7 chains. The same 40 designs are compared.
Better payload-to-vehicle mass ratio
Payload per kg of vehicle
2.479 to 2.791
+12.6%. A ratio of 2.791 means 2.79 kg of payload per kg of vehicle, calculated under the study assumptions. Study reference: 3.840. Remaining gap: −27.3%.
Independent retrospective study · DARPA LIFT
Find better designs.
See what still limits them.
+14additional candidates meeting the model’s mass constraints
Better inputs create more design options.
Archeion found 14 additional candidates that meet the model’s mass constraints by expanding the propulsion options. The best calculated payload-to-vehicle-mass ratio improved by 12.6%. This is progress in design exploration; the study’s 3.84 reference is not reached.
Closing the calculated mass budget means the model retains enough mass allowance for structure, battery, propulsion and payload under the declared assumptions. It does not mean the aircraft is ready to fly.
The engineering judgement
What this demonstrates
Compare structure and sourced components together.
The study connects structural sizing and documented propulsion options across the same design set. That makes the effect of the expanded library visible without treating geometry alone as performance.
What the next decision needs
Strengthen the source pack and test the structure.
The next stage needs performance evidence at the relevant discharge conditions, followed by structural testing. Those inputs determine which candidates deserve further development.
The completed workflow
From a design space to a shortlist.
Define the candidate set.
Evaluate a common set of 40 designs against the mission and mass-budget constraints.
Connect real component data.
Broaden the propulsion options to seven chains. Keep the units, operating domain and source attached to each component.
Replace the flat allowance.
Use structural sizing rather than a uniform mass fraction. The preceding structural study includes 19 finite-element sizings cross-checked analytically.
Keep the viable options.
Review the 30 combinations that close their calculated mass budget, representing 17 distinct designs.
Method & context
The same 40 designs were evaluated with two propulsion chains (80 combinations) and then seven (280 combinations). The first set contains 3 closed combinations representing 3 designs; the expanded set contains 30 representing 17 designs.
| Quantity | Initial library | Expanded library |
|---|---|---|
| Designs meeting calculated mass constraints | 3 / 40 | 17 / 40 |
| Propulsion combinations closing the budget | 3 / 80 | 30 / 280 |
| Best calculated payload / vehicle mass ratio | 2.478573 | 2.790752 |
| Lightest vehicle among closed candidates | 20.618 kg | 18.743 kg |
The structural stage includes 19 finite-element sizings and 19 analytical cross-checks. Of the 17 designs, 4 close with computed structure under the stronger source requirements; 13 retain component evidence of lower authority in the record.
This independent retrospective study uses calculations and supplier data. It includes no prototype or physical test.
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