Abstract: The present invention provides an aircraft design which incorporates a modular design including the use of one or more multi-motor assemblies where the motors are in series within the multi-motor assembly. Still further, the multi-motor assemblies may be configured to include modular motor assemblies or modular sections. Ultimately, the present invention provides an aircraft with the ability to easily assemble or expand the multi-motor assemblies and, in doing so, modify the characteristics of the aircraft. The modularity also enhances the ability to maintain the aircraft by enabling motors or the units housing each motor to easily be replaced.

Abstract: An orbit transition apparatus that transitions an orbit of a payload in outer space includes a rotating body, an adapter disposed on a center part of the rotating body for docking a payload, a launch module disposed outside of the rotating body for launching the payload, and a thruster for rotating the rotating body. The launch module may launch the payload to a target orbit.

Abstract: Coupler assemblies are described that removably couple sides of an auxiliary fuel tank in a cargo area of an aircraft. In one embodiment, a first coupler of the coupler assemblies includes a first attachment member that supports a body with a hollow channel having a centerline disposed longitudinally in the fuselage between a first end and a second end, and a slot between an outer surface of the body and the hollow channel. A second coupler of the coupler assemblies includes an engagement member, a second attachment member, and an arm extending between the engagement member and the second attachment member. The engagement member is slidably received within the hollow channel from the first end, and fits slidably within the hollow channel to engage with the body of the first coupler, with the arm extending through the slot.

Abstract: An aircraft passenger seat is proposed, comprising a structural component, on which a tray table of the aircraft passenger seat is held via a hinge assembly, the tray table being pivotable about a pivot axis of the hinge assembly. According to the invention, a connection assembly for detachably fitting the tray table on the structural component is provided, the connection assembly comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a mounting position for the tray table relative to the structural component, the adjustment mechanism being designed such that the mounting position can be selected from a plurality of different mounting positions for the tray table relative to the structural component.

Abstract: A solar array structure, such as for a spacecraft, uses thin solar array panels that, when in a stowed configuration, are stiffened by being bent or curved in one direction to be shaped like a section of a cylinder and placed within a rigid structural frame. As a curved solar panel is not as efficient as a flat panel directly facing the sun, the solar array panels are curved in their stowed configuration for launch only, but flatten after deployment by use of a partially flexible structural frame, where a rectangular frame is made of two opposing rigid sides and two opposing flexible sides, with a thin flexible solar panel attached to rigid sides only. The rigid sides are compressed during stowage to curve the panel before hold-down tensioning. The structure and panels return to their flat free state configuration after release.

Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft with a fuselage that forms an aircraft interior region, the fuselage comprising an upper primary skin that separates the aircraft interior region from an aircraft upper deck arranged above the fuselage, wherein the aircraft upper deck comprises an engine accommodating region with a firewall arrangement, the engine accommodating region accommodating at least one aircraft engine within the firewall arrangement, wherein the firewall arrangement comprises at least one gasket for tightening pass-through of a torque tube that connects the at least one aircraft engine to a main gear box of the rotary wing aircraft, and wherein the at least one gasket comprises at least two fire proof shells and a ring-shaped flexible fire proof bellows.

Abstract: An aircraft comprises a hydrogen-fuelled propulsion system, a plurality of like generally cylindrical hydrogen storage tanks and a conveying system arranged to convey hydrogen from the hydrogen storage tanks to the hydrogen-fuelled propulsion system. The aircraft further comprises a fuselage having a cargo bay (502) including one or more (510A-G) of the plurality of hydrogen storage tanks, the longitudinal axes (511A-G) of the one or more hydrogen storage tanks within the cargo bay extending parallel to the longitudinal axis (501) of the fuselage and lying in one or more planes (595, 597) extending across the width dimension of the cargo bay. The hydrogen storage tanks within the cargo bay have a common aspect ratio R in the range 4.2?R?25.7, allowing the volume of space with the cargo bay occupied by stored hydrogen to be maximised or approximately maximised.

Abstract: Described herein are systems for automated docking of an unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, some systems include an unmanned aerial vehicle including a propulsion mechanism, a battery, and a processing apparatus; and a dock including a landing surface with a funnel geometry shaped to fit a bottom surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle at a base of the funnel, wherein tapered sides of the funnel form corners at the base of the funnel, and a battery charger configured to charge the battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle while the unmanned aerial vehicle is on the landing surface, wherein conducting contacts of the battery charger are on the landing surface, positioned at the bottom of the funnel.

Abstract: Described herein are systems for automated docking of an unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, some systems include a landing surface configured to hold an unmanned aerial vehicle; a box configured to enclose the landing surface in a first arrangement of the dock and expose the landing surface in a second arrangement of the dock; and a retractable arm, wherein the landing surface is positioned at an end of the retractable arm and the retractable arm is configured to extend to move the landing surface outside of the box and contract to pull the landing surface inside of the box.

Abstract: An aerial vehicle including a main body having a leading edge. An inlet is recessed aft from the leading edge. Forward protrusions extend from the main body on opposite sides of the inlet. An outlet nozzle is proximate to an aft end. The inlet is in fluid communication with the outlet nozzle. Wings extend from the main body.

Abstract: Assemblies and methods for facilitating the assembly of aircraft wings to a fuselage are disclosed. In some embodiments, a wing unit includes features that are configured to define one of more parts of a pressure vessel that is partially defined by the fuselage portion. In some embodiments, the aircraft assemblies disclosed herein comprise one or more first structural interfaces that permit positional adjustment between the wing unit and the fuselage portion so that one or more second structural interfaces may be finished only after such positional adjustment. In some embodiments, the aircraft assemblies disclosed herein comprise one or more structural interfaces that are disposed outside of the wing unit in order to eliminate or reduce the need for assembly personnel to access the interior of the wing unit to carry out the structural assembly of the wing unit to the fuselage portion.

Abstract: Described herein are systems for automated docking of an unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, some systems include an unmanned aerial vehicle including a propulsion mechanism, an image sensor, and processing apparatus; and a dock including a landing surface configured to hold the unmanned aerial vehicle and a fiducial on the landing surface, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to: control the propulsion mechanism to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly to a first location in a vicinity of the dock; access one or more images captured using the image sensor; detect the fiducial in at least one of the one or more images; determine a pose of the fiducial based on the one or more images; and control, based on the pose of the fiducial, the propulsion mechanism to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to land on the landing surface.

Abstract: An unmanned aircraft system operable for wing-borne lift in a flying wing orientation. The unmanned aircraft system includes an airframe having a leading edge, a trailing edge, first and second wingtips and a root chord. The airframe has an airfoil cross-section along chord stations thereof. A thrust array is coupled to the airframe including first and second motor mounts coupled to the leading edge respectively between the root chord and the first and second wingtips. The motor mounts each have first and second propulsion assemblies coupled to respective first and second distal ends thereof. The motor mounts each have a flight configuration substantially perpendicular with the leading edge forming a two-dimensional distributed thrust array such that the airframe extends outboard of the first and second motor mounts. The unmanned aircraft system includes an electric power system and a flight control system that are operably associated with the thrust array.

Abstract: An airflow profiled structure having a profiled leading edge. The profiled leading edge having, along a leading edge line, a serrated profile line with a succession of teeth and depressions. The airflow profiled structure also includes a porous acoustically absorbent region located towards the bottom of the depressions.

Abstract: One variation of a system for generating thrust at an aerial vehicle includes: a primary electric motor; a rotor coupled to the motor; an internal-combustion engine; a clutch interposed between the motor and an output shaft of the internal-combustion engine; an engine shroud defining a shroud inlet between the rotor and the internal-combustion engine, extending over the internal-combustion engine, and defining a shroud outlet opposite the rotor; a cooling fan coupled and configured to displace air through the engine shroud; and a local controller configured to receive a rotor speed command specifying a target rotor speed, adjust a throttle setpoint of the internal-combustion engine according to the target rotor speed and a state of charge of a battery in the aerial vehicle, and drive the primary electric motor to selectively output torque to the rotor and to regeneratively brake the rotor according to the target rotor speed.

Abstract: A jet powered personal flying machine composed of a customizable framework consisting of separate bolt-on parts or sections that can be swapped out or switched, including a base frame containing a plurality of mini jet engines, a shell or fuselage, a fuel tank, a flight computer, a plurality of electronic buttons and controls, a parachute, footstands on both sides for the user to place their feet and a single control stick consisting of a metal or carbon fiber tube attached at the front and center of the base, and protruding upwards and slightly forward from the base frame, of which contains electronic buttons and controls for the user to use in flying the machine.

Abstract: A stall trigger system is disclosed having an aircraft wing tip or aircraft wing tip device, a plurality of sets of stall triggers distributed along a span of the aircraft wing tip or aircraft wing tip device. Each set of stall triggers comprises one or more stall triggers which can be activated to trigger local separation of air flow over the aircraft wing tip or aircraft wing tip device, and each set of stall triggers has a different activation threshold. A control system configured to monitor a parameter, and activate each set of stall triggers in response to the parameter reaching its respective activation threshold.

Abstract: A Coanda system for controlling directions of an aircraft. The system includes a fluid passage defined in part by a casing wall having an inner surface facing the fluid passage. The fluid passage is configured to pass fluid from a first end inlet to a second end outlet. A fluid control element including a Coanda surface is disposed at the second end outlet. The fluid control element is moveable within the second end outlet to direct the fluid exiting the fluid passage between an upper gap and a lower gap, around the Coanda surface. A contour element is disposed on the inner surface of the casing wall upstream of the fluid control element, and further assists in directing the fluid to the open gap.

Abstract: A process and machine configured to predict and preempt an undesired load and/or bending moment on a part of a vehicle resulting from an exogenous or a control input. The machine may include a predictor with an algorithm for converting parameters from a state sensed upwind from the part into an estimated normal load on the part and a prediction, for a future time, of a normal load scaled for a weight of the aerospace vehicle. The machine may: produce, using a state upwind from the part on the aerospace vehicle and/or a maneuver input, a predicted state, load and bending moment on the part at a time in the future; derive a command preempting the part from experiencing the predicted load and bending moment; and actuate the command just prior to the part experiencing the predicted state, thereby alleviating the part from experiencing the predicted load and bending moment.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to releasing smaller unmanned aerial vehicles from larger unmanned aerial vehicles. Apparatus and system embodiments are disclosed for physically retaining and ejecting the smaller unmanned aerial vehicles, including the communication networks associated with the command and control of both the smaller unmanned aerial vehicles and the larger unmanned aerial vehicles.