Abstract: A wing for an aircraft is disclosed including a main wing, a leading edge high lift assembly having a leading edge high lift body, and a connection assembly movably connecting the leading edge high lift body to the main wing, wherein the connection assembly includes a drive system that is mounted to the main wing and connected to the leading edge high lift body for driving the leading edge high lift body between the retracted position and the extended position. The drive system includes a first drive unit and a second drive unit, the first drive unit has a first input section coupled to a drive shaft, a first gear unit and a first output section coupled to a first connection element and including a first output wheel. The second drive unit has a second input section coupled to the drive shaft, a second gear unit, and a second output section coupled to a second connection element and including a second output wheel.

Abstract: A propeller assembly including a shaft having a rotational axis; a plurality of propellers connected to the shaft; means for deploying the plurality of propellers using a centrifugal force generated from a rotation of the shaft, so as to provide vertical thrust during a vertical take-off and landing of the aircraft; and means for restoring the propellers into a stowed configuration.

Abstract: An aircraft wing assembly including a wing (3) and a wing tip device (4) at the tip of the wing (3), the wing tip device (4) having front and rear spars (14, 13), wherein the wing tip device (4) has a cross-brace spar (18) that links the front and rear spars and is oriented such that it is oblique to the front and rear spars (14, 13).

Abstract: When lighter-than-air gas compressed and filled in a pressure-resistant container is injected into an envelope, buoyancy created in the envelope causes an aircraft to ascend. When the aircraft finishes its flight role, a lid of an opening/closing mechanism is opened to exhaust from a port lighter-than-air gas from the envelope. When the buoyancy of the envelope is insufficient to counter the weight of the aircraft, the aircraft begins to descend. The lid of the opening/closing mechanism is closed on the port, and exhaust of lighter-than-air gas from the envelope stops. After the aircraft reaches a surface of land or water, an operator connects a duct to a gas suction device. The gas suction device collects the lighter-than-air gas remaining in the air sac into a container. The lighter-than-air gas collected into the container is transported to a gas collection facility, compressed by a compressor, and filled into a pressure-resistant container.

Abstract: Disclosed is an unmanned, autonomous, cargo transport system comprising at least one towed aircraft coupled to a tractor aircraft for inflight towing.

Abstract: A drain mast for an aircraft for discharge of water from the aircraft interior with a line which extends in a line direction from a connector end to a discharge end. The connector end can connect to another line in the interior of the aircraft, through which further line water flows into the drain mast. The discharge end can discharge water into a surrounding area of the aircraft. The line includes a plastic, into which a conductive material is embedded, by which the line can be heated electrically, by a heating current being conducted through the conductive material. A proportion of the embedded conductive material in the line increases in the line direction per length unit from the connector end of the line towards the discharge end such that the heating power which is introduced into the line per length unit increases from the connector end towards the discharge end.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft passenger seat, comprising a frame intended to be fastened to a floor of an aircraft passenger cabin, a seat base movably mounted on the frame, and a movably mounted seat back. The aircraft passenger seat is characterized in that at least one rail is fastened to the frame and in that the seat base is slidably arranged on the rail by means of guide elements.

Abstract: A flow body for an aircraft includes a torsion box with spars and/or ribs and at least two skin portions for enveloping the spars and/or ribs, wherein at least one inner cell is formed in the torsion box. It is provided that a gas tank with a gas tank shell is arranged in the at least one inner cell, and that the gas tank includes fastening elements coupled to retaining elements in the relevant inner cell in order to hold the gas tank such that the gas tank shell is supported at a distance from the spars and/or ribs and the skin portions and is supported in three spatial directions.

Abstract: A landing pad for an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) is disclosed. The landing pad includes a support structure, a charging pad, and a plurality of movable UAV supports. The charging pad is coupled to the support structure and able to move relative to the support structure. The UAV supports are also coupled to the support structure and configured to translate along the support structure from a first position to a second position. When the UAV supports are in the first position, the charging pad supports the UAV. When the UAV supports are in the second position, the charging pad is lowered and the UAV supports then provide support to the UAV.

Abstract: A safe, quiet, easy to control, efficient, and compact aircraft configuration is enabled through the combination of multiple vertical lift rotors, tandem wings, and forward thrust propellers. The vertical lift rotors, in combination with a front and rear wing, permits a balancing of the center of lift with the center of gravity for both vertical and horizontal flight. This wing and multiple rotor system has the ability to tolerate a relatively large variation of the payload weight for hover, transition, or cruise flight while also providing vertical thrust redundancy. The propulsion system uses multiple lift rotors and forward thrust propellers of a small enough size to be shielded from potential blade strike and provide increased perceived and real safety to the passengers. Using multiple independent rotors provides redundancy and the elimination of single point failure modes that can make the vehicle non-operable in flight.

Abstract: A spacecraft sunshade is provided. The sunshade includes a surface that is maintained in a sun facing orientation. Adjustments to a position of the sunshade are made in a plane that is transverse to a line of sight to the sun, in order to block sunlight from being directly incident on an instrument associated with the spacecraft. The sunshade can include photovoltaic elements on the sun-facing surface of the sunshade. In addition, the sunshade can be formed from an opaque material, and further from a material that absorbs heat from the sun and reradiate that heat to the instrument. The sunshade can perform stray light blocking, electrical power generation, and radiational heating functions.

Abstract: This fuel tank dam closes a gap between a first structural component fixed to the inside surface of the outer plate of a fuel tank and a second structural component provided with a cutout part into which the first structural component is inserted. This fuel tank dam includes: a first portion that can be fixed to the first structural component; a second portion that has a surface extending in a direction intersecting with the first portion and can be fixed to the second structural component; and a third portion that has a bellows and is disposed between the first portion and the second portion. This fuel tank dam is configured such that the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are integrated, the bellows has a thickness of 0.381 to 1.524 mm, and the second portion has a thickness of 0.762 to 7.620 mm.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for splicing airframe components. One embodiment is a method for assembling an airframe of an aircraft. The method includes forming a first skin of a first circumferential section of fuselage, the first skin including a distal portion comprising a lip and a shoulder, aligning a second skin of a second circumferential section of fuselage with the shoulder such that the lip overlaps the second skin, and affixing the first skin and the second skin together via a circumferential splice.

Abstract: An aircraft pressurized cabin door (1) having an outer panel (2) and a door structure (3) including: two circumferential beams (4) fastened to the lateral edges of the door; a plurality of longitudinal beams (5a, 5b) which are arranged substantially perpendicularly between the circumferential beams (4) and are fastened to the outer panel (2), each longitudinal beam (5a, 5b) extending from one circumferential beam (4) to the other. At least one longitudinal beam (5b) is a beam that has a variable cross-section which increases from the ends (B, M) of the beam to the center (H, L) of the beam, with two bent support bars.

Abstract: Improvements to ice protection systems as disclosed herein include monitoring ice accretion intensity based on atmospheric conditions proximate to a vehicle. Examples of parameters that measure atmospheric conditions include a water content and a size distribution of an atmosphere around a vehicle. These parameters, along with other vehicle parameters, are used to control at least one ice protection element to reduce ice accretion intensity at one or more designated locations of the vehicle. Incorporating measurements of cloud conditions enables nuanced control of the ice protection system and improves overall system efficiency of the vehicle.

Abstract: A system for mounting an engine on an aircraft. The system includes a lower forward element, lateral linkages, an upper forward element, and an aft element. The lower forward element couples a forward portion of an engine core with a lower forward portion of a pylon. The linkages extend laterally between the lower forward element and the forward portion of the engine core. The upper forward element couples an outer portion of the fan case with an upper portion of the pylon. The aft element is spaced aftwardly apart from the lower and upper forward elements, and couples an aft portion of the engine core to an aft portion of the pylon. The system reacts all major moments acting on the engine, and the system does not extend beyond an outer periphery of the fan case, which eliminates the need for or minimizes the height of an aerodynamic fairing.

Abstract: A wing for an aircraft, comprising a main wing and a slat assembly with a slat and a connection assembly with a slat track. The front end of the slat track is mounted to the slat, and the rear end and/or the intermediate portion of the slat track are mounted to the main wing by a roller or slide bearing. The slat track is movable along the track longitudinal axis. The connection assembly includes a drive unit. The drive unit includes a rotary actuator mounted to the main wing and having at least one drive arm rotatably driven about a rotation axis and drivingly engaging the slat track, and one of the drive arm and the slat track has at least one groove and the other one of the drive arm and the slat track comprises at least one spigot drivingly engaging the groove.

Abstract: An aircraft usable as a passenger aircraft and a fire fighter aircraft. The passenger aircraft includes a passenger area with passenger seats and a permanently installed fire extinguishing medium tank for storing fire extinguishing medium such as water, as well as a fire extinguishing medium nozzle for discharging the fire extinguishing medium. The passenger aircraft may be a type from an aircraft series also including a long-haul aircraft having a center tank for range extension. In the passenger aircraft, a center tank may be used as an extinguishing medium tank.

Abstract: A tiltrotor aircraft is designed to accommodate rotors of different diameters, as well as corresponding wings and fuselages with different span and length, while maintaining very high parts commonality, especially with respect to drive train and power source. This enables design and operation of a fleet of such aircraft with significantly different rotor diameters, which are nevertheless optimized for different missions. In preferred embodiments the rotors are configured to have high stiffness and low weight to reduce aero-structural dynamic issues across the fleet. Also in preferred embodiments drive systems are designed for a full range of speed, torque, and power associated with all intended rotors. Turboshaft engine speeds are restricted to a narrow RPM range, so that a single gearset can be replaced to achieve the desired rotor RPM. Also in preferred embodiments, aircraft in a fleet can differ in folded length, empty weight, payload length by up 50%.

Abstract: A method of monitoring an ice protection system of a rotorcraft or an aircraft includes applying heat to rotating blades of the rotorcraft or the aircraft according to a heater duty cycle and determining an anticipated ice shed time for ice to shed from the rotating blades. Torque of the rotating blades is sensed, and an actual ice shed time for ice to shed from the rotating blades is determined based on the sensed torque. A status of the ice protection system is determined based on the anticipated ice shed time and the actual ice shed time, and the status of the ice protection system is output for consumption by a consuming system.