Otto Aerospace develops AI model for Phantom 3500 business jet aerodynamics

Otto Aerospace (formerly Otto Aviation, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.) has announced the development of a proprietary aerodynamic AI model designed to optimize and accelerate the configuration of next-generation laminar flow airfoils and ultra-efficient sustainable aircraft. The AI model is trained on extensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and wind-tunnel test data. This new AI capability enables Otto to explore the aircraft design space for optimal configurations within a day, a process that previously required months or years.

The AI model will operate on Luminary Cloud’s (San Mateo, Calif., U.S.) GPU-accelerated Physics AI platform, enabling detailed aerodynamic analysis of current and future Otto aircraft configurations. Recognized for its SHIFT family of pre-trained physics AI models, including SHIFT-Wing for aerodynamic analysis of transonic wings, Luminary provides advanced tools to support fast and accurate design evaluations.

“Our Phantom 3500 program has generated extensive high-fidelity simulation and wind-tunnel test data,” says Obi K. Ndu, Ph.D., chief information and digital officer at Otto Aerospace. “At Otto, we believe that the future of aircraft design is at the intersection of AI and first principles. Luminary’s platform gives us the computational power and infrastructure to quickly train an AI model optimized for next-generation laminar flow aircraft and our design approach.”

The Phantom 3500’s laminar-flow fuselage and airfoil demand precise aerodynamic modeling for ultra-low-drag and long-range efficiency. Using Luminary’s accelerated cloud computing capabilities, Otto will significantly expedite parametric design exploration compared to traditional CFD simulation workflows, fast-tracking the current and future development of aircraft designed to burn up to 60% less fuel and achieve up to 90% lower emissions when operating on sustainable aviation fuel.