Abstract: NASA’s research into distributed electric propulsion (DEP) includes the design and development of the X-57 Maxwell aircraft. This aircraft has two distinct types of DEP: wingtip propellers and high-lift propellers. This paper focuses on the unique opportunities and challenges that the high-lift propellers–i.e., the small diameter propellers distributed upstream of the wing leading edge to augment lift at low speeds–bring to the aircraft performance in approach conditions. Recent changes to …