Abstract
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) systems introduce certification challenges associated with distributed propulsion, increasing software reliance, and tightly coupled architectures. These characteristics evolve within regulatory environments that are still adapting to emerging vehicle concepts. While digital engineering practices are increasingly adopted during system development, certification workflows remain largely document-centric, limiting lifecycle traceability and consistent reasoning about change impacts as designs and regulatory interpretations evolve. This paper proposes a Digital Twin–oriented certification architecture that integrates regulatory knowledge, system representations, Means of Compliance (MoCs), and verification artifacts within a unified model-based environment. The architecture is organized around four elements: regulatory structuring, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)–based embedding, dependency-aware change reasoning, and authority-oriented compliance organization. A simplified scenario, illustrated using a simplified and abstracted eVTOL configuration as a representative AAM example, is used to demonstrate the structure of certification relationships rather than vehicle-specific implementation details. The proposed architecture supports improved traceability, enhances visibility of dependencies, and provides a structured basis for future digital certification practices across AAM ecosystems. Future work will focus on implementation pathways, evaluation in representative scenarios, and integration with model-based verification approaches.
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the opportunity to present this work at the 3rd Annual Safety Research Symposium hosted by the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety (BCAAS), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Scholarly Commons Citation
Pleffken, D.
(2026).
Digital Twin–Oriented Certification Architecture for Advanced Air Mobility.
International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace,
13(1).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58940/2374-6793.2089
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