Introducing the MCRUER System:
Revolutionizing Urban Air Mobility Evaluations

Dr. Mike Jones

03/11/2025

Aerospace

As Urban Air Mobility (UAM) continues to evolve, the need for accurate, efficient, and scalable methods of evaluating new aircraft has become increasingly important. Enter the MCRUER System, a groundbreaking solution that’s changing how we assess the performance of UAM vehicles. Developed through a partnership between Systems Technology, Inc. (STI) and NASA under the Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the MCRUER system is set to streamline UAM evaluations like never before.

What is the MCRUER System?

The MCRUER (Means of Compliance Requirements for Urban Air Mobility Evaluations and Ratings) system is an innovative, tablet-based cockpit display and sensor technology designed to provide test pilots and evaluators with virtual Mission Task Element (MTE) courses. These courses simulate real-world flight tasks that UAM vehicles will encounter, allowing for comprehensive evaluations without the need for complex and time-consuming physical test courses.

By leveraging this cutting-edge technology, the MCRUER system enables a new level of efficiency and precision in assessing UAM vehicles, ensuring that they meet safety, performance, and regulatory standards before entering the skies.

How Does the MCRUER System Work?

The beauty of the MCRUER system lies in its simplicity and user-friendly design. Using a tablet interface, flight test engineers and evaluators can easily conduct detailed assessments of an aircraft’s performance against virtual MTE courses. These virtual courses replicate a variety of real-world flight tasks, providing valuable insights into the vehicle’s handling qualities and overall performance.

But that’s not all—the system also captures cabin audio during the flight, allowing for post-flight review with synchronized playback. This feature provides evaluators with precise, actionable insights, allowing them to analyze every detail of the flight in a way that was previously impossible with traditional evaluation methods.

In short, the MCRUER system offers a comprehensive and efficient approach to UAM vehicle evaluation, helping manufacturers ensure that their designs are safe, reliable, and ready for real-world deployment.

Collaboration and Testing: Validating the MCRUER System

To ensure that the MCRUER system delivers on its promises, STI collaborated with Bolder Flight Systems (BFS) and the National Research Council (NRC) Canada to conduct rigorous flight tests. These tests were performed aboard the Bell 412, a variable stability vehicle, which allowed the team to evaluate the MCRUER system’s accuracy and effectiveness in a real-world testing environment.

During the evaluations, the MCRUER system’s virtual MTE courses were compared to traditional physical test courses, and the results were impressive. The system proved to be highly accurate, offering evaluation results that were comparable to those gathered using more conventional methods.

Outcome and Feedback: Pilot Ratings Aligned with Traditional Methods

One of the most exciting aspects of the MCRUER system is the overwhelmingly positive feedback from evaluation pilots. After using the system, pilots reported that their task performance ratings were virtually identical to those obtained from traditional testing methods, with ratings only differing by a single point across multiple evaluations.

This consistency in results demonstrates that the MCRUER system is not only efficient and effective, but it also produces reliable data that can be trusted to make critical decisions regarding the safety and performance of UAM vehicles.

Why the MCRUER System is a Game-Changer for UAM Evaluations

The development of the MCRUER system represents a major step forward for the Urban Air Mobility industry, offering a highly efficient, cost-effective, and accurate way to evaluate new aircraft. With its ability to replicate real-world mission tasks and provide actionable insights into performance, the MCRUER system is helping to pave the way for the next generation of air mobility vehicles—vehicles that will be smarter, safer, and more reliable than ever before.

As the UAM sector continues to grow, tools like the MCRUER system will be essential for ensuring that new aircraft meet the rigorous demands of urban environments. The ability to conduct comprehensive evaluations quickly and accurately will be a key factor in accelerating the adoption of urban air mobility solutions and ensuring they operate safely and efficiently.

Ready for the Future of UAM Testing?

The future of Urban Air Mobility is fast approaching, and the MCRUER system is at the forefront of this transformation. With its innovative design, user-friendly interface, and unparalleled accuracy, the MCRUER system is revolutionizing how we evaluate UAM aircraft.

Are you ready to take your UAM testing to the next level? Discover how the MCRUER system can streamline your evaluations and help you ensure the safety and performance of the next generation of UAM vehicles.

Introducing the MCRUER System: Revolutionizing Urban Air Mobility Evaluations