Abstract: An aircraft (2) including a wing (1), the wing (1) having a fixed wing (3) and a wing tip device (4) at the tip of the fixed wing (3), the wing tip device (4) being rotatable relative to the fixed wing (3) between flight and ground configurations, the aircraft including a rotational joint (10) with a rotation mechanism (11) that rotatably couples the wing tip device (4) to the fixed wing (3) and a locking mechanism including a locking bore (53, 54) and a locking pin (51) that is receivable in the locking bore to lock the wing tip device (4) in one of the flight or ground configurations, wherein the rotational joint includes an alignment mechanism including an alignment pin (61) and an alignment bore (62, 63) and at least one of the alignment pin and alignment bore is tapered such that engagement of the alignment pin (61) in the alignment bore acts to guide the locking bore and locking pin into alignment.

Abstract: Systems and methods to actively control vibrations affecting an aerial vehicle are described. Vibrations affecting a location of interest on an aerial vehicle may be measured, and phases of one or more propellers of the aerial vehicle may be determined. Based on the measured vibrations and determined phases of propellers, adjustments to the phases of the propellers may be determined to modify the vibrations affecting the location of interest. In this manner, vibrations at a location of interest on an aerial vehicle may be reduced, minimized, increased, induced, or otherwise modified as desired.

Abstract: A piece of rotary equipment for a drone, the rotary equipment having a rotary assembly including at least one blade. The rotary assembly includes at least one furrow that extends in a skin from a first end to a second end, the at least one furrow being at least arranged over the blade, the at least one furrow presenting at least one change of direction on the blade, the rotary assembly including at least one deicer having an electrically conductive track that extends in the at least one furrow, the electrically conductive track extending from a first terminal to a second terminal, the first terminal being present at the first end and the second terminal being present at the second end, the deicer including a protective layer covering the electrically conductive track.

Abstract: A floor assembly for an aircraft comprising a multiplicity of supports configured to be fastened in pairs to opposite sides of a frame of the aircraft, and a monolithic self-supporting floor element comprising at least two longitudinal members, a floor plate arranged on the longitudinal members and a respective connecting element arranged at each end of each of the longitudinal members. The floor element can be fastened to the frame by fastening of each connecting element to a corresponding support, and the floor plate can extend in the direction of the longitudinal members at least between two supports fastened in pairs. Furthermore, an aircraft region comprises such a floor assembly, an aircraft comprises such an aircraft region.

Abstract: Provided are an artificial satellite and a method of controlling the same. The artificial satellite includes a main body flying along an orbit of a planet, an optical payload arranged on the main body to photograph a ground surface of the planet, and a pair of solar cell panels rotatably arranged on both sides of the main body in a first direction, wherein the first direction and a flight direction of the main body form an acute angle with each other.

Abstract: Systems and methods include providing a helicopter, with a fuselage, a tail boom extending from the fuselage, a main rotor system, and a tail rotor assembly disposed on an aft end of the tail boom. The tail rotor assembly includes a tail rotor housing, at least one normal ducted fan that generate anti-torque thrust to prevent rotation of the fuselage, and at least one canted ducted fan configured to generate both anti-torque thrust to prevent of the fuselage and lift to the tail boom in order to control the pitch of the helicopter. The canted ducted fans generate sufficient lift to prevent a nose-up orientation of the helicopter when the center of gravity of the helicopter is shifted rearward behind the main rotor system, while the normal ducted fans maintain sufficient anti-torque thrust to prevent rotation of the fuselage when the main rotor is operated.

Abstract: A wide body aircraft is discussed having a fuselage with a first structural element, a second structural element, a wide-body fuselage section, and a plurality of tension members. Each of the first structural element and the second structural element may be arranged to traverse a longitudinal length of the wide-body fuselage section. The wide-body fuselage section may comprise a set of side-by-side fuselage subassemblies, where the set of side-by-side fuselage subassemblies can be coupled to one another via the first structural element and the second structural element. The plurality of tension members can be arranged to manage tension between the first structural element and the second structural element. The plurality of tension members can be configured to remain flexible under a compression load, while managing tension therebetween.

Abstract: An in-flight impact protection system for aircraft. An aircraft having a panel, with a sensor disposed on the aircraft and adapted to transmit a signal and receive a reflection of the signal. A controller coupled to the sensor and adapted to receive the reflection from the sensor to determine whether an object is near the aircraft's panel. An inflation device, which includes a tube member, is coupled to the controller and positioned inside the aircraft, proximate the panel. After determining that the object is near the panel, the controller can activate the inflation device so that the tube member inflates, thereby buttressing at least a portion of the panel. The panel can be a windshield, fuselage member, or other suitable component.

Abstract: There is provided an oriented wire electrostatic radiation protection system for a spacecraft. The system has a wire management system, and first and second wires coupled to the wire management system. A first wire orientation apparatus orients the first wire in a first wire direction toward, and in parallel alignment with, an approach path of approaching solar particles. A second wire orientation apparatus orients the second wire in a second wire direction opposite to the first wire direction. The system has a control system, and a power supply to charge the first wire to a positively-charged wire and to charge the second wire to a negatively-charged wire. When the approaching solar particles travel alongside the positively-charged wire toward the spacecraft, the positively-charged wire deflects the approaching solar particles away from the spacecraft, via electrostatic repulsion, and the positively-charged wire creates a radiation protection shielded region around the spacecraft.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved throttle control system for an aircraft. The throttle system includes providing friction to the throttle to maintain the position of the throttle until the pilot overcomes the friction by using force to move the throttle. The throttle is attached to and positioned about a shaft to provide rotatable movement. The invention uses a first and second friction resistance to maintain the position of the throttle along with an automatic regulating device capable of automatically controlling rotation of the shaft having a geared motor assembly.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enabling aircraft shock strut shrink are provided. The system may comprise a shock strut comprising a shrink piston, an accumulator comprising a gas piston and a hydraulic chamber, wherein the gas piston is configured to apply gas pressure to the hydraulic chamber, and a first valve in fluid communication with the accumulator. The system may further comprise a second valve, wherein the second valve is in fluid communication with a vent, the pneumatic cylinder, and the gas piston, wherein the first valve is in fluid communication with the hydraulic chamber and the shrink piston.

Abstract: The disclosure refers to an airplane's own mobility system. For supporting a passenger with reduced mobility on board an airplane and for simplifying as much as possible the use of a toilette, a mobility system for passengers with reduced mobility is provided. The mobility system includes an onboard toilette spatial unit having an entrance zone, an entrance door, and a toilette using zone with a toilette. Moreover, a movement device with a passenger carrying equipment is provided, which is moveable at least from the entrance zone to the toilette using zone and supported in the ceiling area. The passenger carrying equipment includes a seat device enabling a passenger a seat like position. For using the toilette, a passenger is movable back and forth with the movement device from the entrance zone to the toilette using zone.

Abstract: An aircraft includes; a plurality of rotor units each of which includes a propeller and a motor which drives the propeller, and generates thrust for flight of the aircraft; a controller which controls rotation of the propellers included in the plurality of rotor units; a balloon which laterally covers the plurality of rotor units; and a detector which detects a state of the aircraft, wherein the controller decreases a rotational speed of the propeller included in at least one rotor unit among the plurality of rotor units, according to a result of detection by the detector.

Abstract: An aeronautical apparatus is disclosed that has two pairs of wings. Each wing has a thrust-angle motor. A propeller and propeller motor are coupled to each thrust-angle motor. Propeller pitch is controlled by a propeller-pitch motor. The thrust-angle motor allows the propeller axis of rotation to be parallel to the fuselage's longitudinal axis; vertical (perpendicular to longitudinal axis, as in well-known fixed-position, four-propeller drones); and any position between as well as a given range exceeding these bounds which is used for control. An electronic control unit is electronically coupled to the thrust-angle motors, propeller motors, and propeller-pitch motors, which can be independently controlled, to provide the desired thrust and trajectory. Such an apparatus can provide efficient operation in vertical take-off/landing (hovering) and forward (translational) flight modes.

Abstract: A system and method of compensating for airspeed when measuring pressure drop across a filter system on an aircraft may include a pressure compensator, an internal pressure sensor, and an external pressure sensor. A filter media may be located around a housing such that air flows through the filter media into a clean air space defined by the filter media and the housing. The pressure compensator may be located outside of the clean air space and within an airstream of the aircraft. The internal pressure sensor may be configured to measure an internal pressure that varies with airspeed and the external pressure sensor may be located on the pressure compensator to measure an external pressure. The external pressure sensor may be positioned such that the external pressure varies according to a known relationship relative to the internal pressure as the airspeed of the aircraft changes.

Abstract: An aircraft assembly, having: a reference component; a first component and a first actuator, the first actuator configured to move the first component relative to the reference component; a second component and a second actuator, the second actuator configured to move the second component relative to the reference component; a position sensor configured to measure a position of the first component, and to output a position value, the sensor being capable of outputting a plurality of non-zero position values; and a controller configured to control the movement of the second component by the second actuator based at least partially on the position value output by the position sensor.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aerial vehicle for which landing or movement of the aerial vehicle downward or in the direction of gravitational force, for example, can be easily identified by people in the surrounding area. Also provided is a control method for the aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle is provided with an alerting device that issues warnings in the velocity vector direction of the aerial vehicle. The alerting device may be equipped with a light projecting device that emits visible light toward the velocity vector direction of the aerial vehicle. The alerting device may also be equipped with a warning sound outputting device that outputs a warning sound toward the velocity vector direction of the aerial vehicle.

Abstract: A multicopter landing platform includes a base portion, a bottom portion, disposed in the base portion, that accepts a protruding portion of the multicopter, and walls of the base portion that are sloped toward the bottom portion. The walls of the base portion may form a conic-shape. The multicopter landing platform may also include a GPS device that sends RTK corrections to a different GPS device on the multicopter. The multicopter landing platform may also include a beacon that guides the multicopter to cause the multicopter to contact the walls of the base station. The beacon may be disposed in the bottom portion. The beacon may provide a signal that is detected by the multicopter. The beacon may provide a light signal that is detected by a camera on the multicopter to guide the multicopter toward the base portion. A charging ring may be disposed in the bottom portion.

Abstract: A reclining seat system, that has an upright seat that is fixed, and a movable reclining seat, which connects to and moves relative to the upright seat, between an upright position where the movable reclining seat portion is in the same shape of an upright position as the fixed upright seat, and between a reclined position where the movable reclining seat portion is in a position of reclining, while the upright portion remains upright to avoid impringing on the space behind the upright seat.

Abstract: A filtering assembly that receives an inlet air includes a modulation panel subassembly, an air filter subassembly downstream of the modulation panel subassembly, wherein the air filter subassembly is configured to discharge the inlet air from the filtering assembly, and an arm subassembly configured to move the modulation panel subassembly and to move the air filter subassembly. The air filter subassembly moves into and out of a flow of the inlet air.