Datta, Anubhav
Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center
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, where he worked on the full-scale wind-tunnel test of the UH-60A Black Hawk rotor, development of a 3D aeroelastic solver X3D, design of eVTOL, and aeromechanics of the JPL Mars Helicopter (Ingenuity). During 2008-2013, he was the structural dynamics lead of DOD's CREATE-AV software Helios --- a HPC tool for the design and analysis of advanced vertical lift aircraft. Datta was the Founding Chair of the eVTOL Technical Committee of the Vertical Flight Society (VFS) and a founding member of its Hydrogen Council. He has served / serves in the VFS Dynamics Technical Committee (2009-2012, 2016-2019, 2023-present), VFS Alfred Gessow Best Paper 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's working group on commercial intra-city Urban Air Mobility (2017-2018), Chair of the AIAA Structural Dynamics Technical Committee (2024-2026), and as Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Helicopter Society (2009-cont). He is a Technical Fellow of VFS.
HONORS AND AWARDS
- 2026 Best Paper in eVTOL, VFS, Yuval Enciu, Anubhav Datta, Diallo Ibrahima, Mikael Cardinal, Marc-Antoine Pilo & Asher Leach
- 2026 Best Paper in Autonomy & UAS, VFS, Kumardip Basak, Inderjit Chopra & Anubhav Datta
- 2024 Best Paper in Structural Dynamics, AIAA, Xavier Delgado & Anubhav Datta
- 2024 Best Paper in eVTOL, VFS, Matthew Arace & Anubhav Datta
- 2024 Elected Chair of the AIAA Structural Dynamics Technical Committee
- 2023 Best Paper in eVTOL, VFS, Matthew Arace & Anubhav Datta
- 2023 Best Paper in Structural Dynamics, AIAA, Mrinalgouda Patil & Anubhav Datta
- 2022 Best Paper in eVTOL, VFS, Emily Fisler & Anubhav Datta
- 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, Seyhan Gul & Anubhav Datta
- 2021 Best Paper in Dynamics, VFS, Seyhan Gul & Anubhav Datta
- 2021 Best Paper in Advanced Vertical Flight, VFS, Cheng Chi, Ravi Lumba & Anubhav Datta
- 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, Anubhav Datta, Hyeonsoo Yeo & Tom Norman
- 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, Jayant Sirohi & Anubhav Datta
- 2009 Best Paper in Dynamics, AHS, Anubhav Datta & Wayne Johnson
- 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, Anubhav Datta & Inderjit Chopra
- 2003 Best Paper in Dynamics, AHS, Anubhav Datta & Inderjit Chopra
- 2002 Best Paper in Dynamics, AHS, Anubhav Datta & Inderjit Chopra
- Helicopter Dynamics I
- Helicopter Dynamics II
- Structural Dynamics
- Short course on Hydrogen eVTOL, AIAA-HYSKY, 2024
- Short courses on eVTOL
- VFS, Annual Forum, 2018-2023
- Naval Test Pilot School, 2018
- AIAA, 2019
- VFS, 7-th Annual eVTOL Symposium, 2020
- Air Force, Agility Prime, 2020
- AIAA-VFS, 2023
- Seoul National University, S. Korea, 2025
Basak Wins VFS Award for Autonomy Research
Pioneering study utilizes a vision algorithm to help drones land on ships in rough conditions.A Milestone in Hydrogen-Powered Helicopter Flight
Yuval Enciu lands Best Paper award for work detailing a history-making endeavor.Nine UMD Students Receive Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships
Awards recognize exceptional students pursuing careers and research in vertical flight.UMD Students Sweep 2025 VFS Student Design Competition
The 2025 competition challenged students to build a hydrogen-powered VTOL aircraft.Marge Donovan: Cooking Up Innovation in Rotorcraft Blade Design
UMD doctoral student’s high-tech research uses some tools you might find in your kitchen.Seven UMD Students Receive 2025 Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships
Awards recognize the world’s most talented engineering students pursuing careers in vertical flight.Wind Tunnel Designated a Vertical Flight Heritage Site
Designation recognizes the Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel's contributions to the evolution of vertical flight.Saetti Honored with Vertical Flight Society’s François-Xavier Bagnoud Award
Award recognizes his research and leadership in shaping the future of rotorcraft simulation, control and pilot training.Xavier Delgado Lands AIAA Best Paper Award
Ph.D. student’s research explores the phenomenon of whirl flutter in tiltrotor aircraft.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.Patil, Datta Land Best Paper Award from AIAA
Researchers predict dynamic stresses on lift-offset coaxial rotor systems.UMD Team Lands First Place in VFS Competition
Students’ entry achieves breakthroughs in speed, versatility.Arace, Datta Land VFS Best Paper Award for eVTOL Research
UMD researchers gain new insights into the performance of hybrid engines for aircraft.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.Celebrating Women in Aerospace Engineering: Elizabeth Ward
As an undergraduate, Ward was fascinated by the V22-Osprey aircraft—in her words, “the coolest piece of engineering I have ever seen.” Today she works for the V-22 program.A New Spin on a Classic da Vinci Design
UMD students build working prototype inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s aerial screw.Alumnus Wins Alfred Gessow Award at Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 77
Aerospace engineering faculty and students also among forum’s best paper selections.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.Brandyn Phillips Wins 2020/2021 Aerospace Corporation Fellowship
Annual fellowship recognizes outstanding students who are veterans or children of veterans.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 aerialscrew.