Abstract: An airfoil of an aerodynamic surface including: a control surface having an upper surface and a lower surface, and an actuator configured to elevate or lower the control surface, wherein at least a portion of one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the control surface is auxetic with a negative Poisson ratio, and the other of the upper surface and the lower surface of the control surface includes a material with a higher Poisson ratio.

Abstract: An aeronautical apparatus is disclosed that has two pairs of wings: an aft pair and a fore pair. Each wing has a thrust-angle motor. An assembly is coupled to each thrust-angle motor. Assemblies coupled to the fore wings have a propeller motor with a propeller and a landing element which is a wheel or a landing foot. When in forward flight, the propeller rotational axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage and the landing element is pointing toward the aft of the aeronautical apparatus to limit the drag presented by the landing element. When in vertical flight or hovering, the propeller rotational axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse axes of the fuselage and the landing element is deployed downward to facilitate landing.

Abstract: A method includes controlling an electric motor of a hybrid-electric powerplant for an aircraft using an EPC (electric powertrain controller) and controlling a heat engine of the hybrid-electric powerplant using an ECU (engine control unit). The method includes performing at least one of the following to protect the hybrid-electric powerplant: using the ECU to power down the electric motor, and/or using the EPC to power down the heat engine.

Abstract: A supporting frame for aerospace applications comprises a plurality of rods, which are arranged along two bases substantially parallel and opposite each other, and along two sides, which are substantially parallel and opposite to each other and are coupled to each other via the two bases; the rods are coupled to each other in a mutually rotating manner by nodes so as to be able to configure the supporting frame between a deployed operating condition and a compacted operating condition; the nodes are spaced apart from one another in the deployed operating condition and are each hinged to at least two of the rods; in the compacted operating condition, each of the nodes is placed side by side with two adjacent nodes so as to form, together, two supporting members arranged at opposite longitudinal ends of the supporting frame and each being ring-shaped.

Abstract: A wing lock and deployment apparatus for an air launched vehicle includes a ball screw and driver acted on by a single actuation event. The disclosed wing lock and deployment apparatus is capable of unlocking deployable wings of an air launched vehicle, deploying deployable wings of the air launched vehicle from a stored position, and locking deployable wings of the air launched vehicle in a deployed position in sequential order with the one single actuation event.

Abstract: A structural component for an aircraft including at least one heatable component section having a layer structure including an inner base structure, at least one heating layer having carbon allotropes embedded in a matrix material, at least one first group of consecutive layers including at least one anode layer, at least one first insulating layer, and at least one cathode layer having an electroactive coating. The first group of layers are arranged between the inner base structure and the at least one heating layer, and at least one protective layer is arranged outside the heating layer. The first group of layers constitute a structural battery. The at least one anode layer and the at least one cathode layer are electrically connectable with the heating layer.

Abstract: A method at a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and a UAV, adapted therefore, is adapted for enabling assisting in a rescue mission, where the method comprise: initiating a first localization of at least one body or object; initiating an analysis, for determining, at least partly based on the first localization of the at least one body or object, a need for activities, and initiating the determined activities, comprising applying floatable foam to an area on or in close proximity to the at least one body or object, while applying, to the floatable foam, a recognizable means capable of assisting in a second localization of the at least one body or object.

Abstract: A piloting device arranged to be integrated in a pre-existing aircraft that includes original systems comprising both a flight control system and an autopilot system is distinct from and autonomous relative to the original systems and includes a positioning unit and a control unit. The positioning unit is arranged to produce positioning data for the pre-existing aircraft. The control unit is arranged to perform a geofencing function from the positioning data produced by the positioning unit and to produce an alternative piloting setpoint for the pre-existing aircraft. The alternative piloting setpoint is adapted to supplement both a manual piloting setpoint produced by a pilot of the pre-existing aircraft via the flight control system and also an autopilot setpoint produced by the autopilot system.

Abstract: A retractable fuselage mounted landing gear assembly is disclosed. The landing gear assembly includes a main strut, a drag stay and a landing gear main fitting. A first end of the drag stay is attached to the main strut and a second end of the drag stay is connected to the fuselage. A first end of the landing main fitting is attached to the main strut and a second end of the main fitting is connected to the fuselage. When the landing gear is extended, substantially all the landing gear loads are transferred from the landing gear to the fuselage via one or more of the drag stay and the main fitting.

Abstract: An aircraft propelled by at least one turbojet engine on which power can be bled or injected via a high-pressure and/or low-pressure turbine shaft and including at least one gas turbine to provide power transients, having a system for converting and transporting electrical energy wherein each of the high-pressure and/or low-pressure turbine shafts is connected to a first doubly-fed asynchronous machine delivering, a first three-phase AC voltage over an AC distribution grid and a second polyphase AC voltage for a first AC/DC bidirectional converter supplying a DC voltage over a DC distribution grid, at least one second DC/AC bidirectional converter connected to the DC distribution grid converting this DC voltage into a third polyphase AC voltage supplying at least one second doubly-fed asynchronous machine engaged with a rotation shaft of the gas turbine, the second doubly-fed asynchronous machine further delivering a fourth polyphase AC voltage over the AC distribution grid.

Abstract: A vapor-to-air heat exchanger for an aircraft powerplant that includes: a pressurized vapor source supplying vapor; and a condenser including a condenser inlet in fluid communication with the pressurized vapor source to receive the vapor, a condenser outlet, and at least one pneumatic vessel defining a cavity in fluid communication between the condenser inlet and the condenser outlet. The pneumatic vessel is reversibly inflatable to be configurable between a collapsed vessel configuration and an inflated vessel configuration. A volume of the cavity is greater in the inflated vessel configuration than in the collapsed vessel configuration. The pneumatic vessel is inflatable from the collapsed vessel configuration to the inflated vessel configuration when the cavity is pressurized by the vapor.

Abstract: Actuated assemblies comprise a base object, an actuated object, a rotary actuator, and a joint. The rotary actuator is configured to selectively pivot the actuated object relative to the base object. The rotary actuator comprises a housing that is operatively coupled to the base object, and an output gear that is configured to be selectively rotated relative to the housing. The joint comprises a crowned spline and a joint spherical bearing. The crowned spline is meshed with the output gear of the rotary actuator and is fixed relative to the actuated object. The joint spherical bearing comprises an outer race that is fixed relative to the base object, and an inner race that is positioned for rotational and pivotal movement within the outer race and that is fixed relative to the crowned spline.

Abstract: An extension linkage for a wing flap can include at least one arm that includes two elements connected by a joint. The linkage can include an actuation mechanism, additional arms and/or each arm can include more than two elements, tie rods and/or cross pieces connecting two or more arms, and any other suitable components. The linkage functions to translate and rotate a body attached to one end of the arm relative to a primary structure attached to a second end of the arm. The linkage resides entirely within a space defined by the upper skin and the lower skin of the wing rearward of the mounting when in a retracted configuration.

Abstract: In an aspect, a cockpit assembly is presented. A cockpit assembly includes at least a door. A cockpit assembly includes an inceptor stick. An inceptor stick includes a sheath movably connected thereon. An inceptor stick includes an actuator communicatively connected to a sheath. An actuator is configured to move a sheath between at least a door of a cockpit and an inceptor stick.

Abstract: An unmanned vehicle module can include, in some aspects, a landing platform including a landing area for receiving an unmanned vehicle, wherein the landing area includes a predetermined charging region; a first charging plate; a second charging plate, wherein the first charging plate and the second charging plate are positioned in the predetermined charging region; an electrical energy storage device for connecting electrically with the first charging plate and with the second charging plate; and an unmanned vehicle alignment mechanism configured to move the unmanned vehicle into the predetermined charging region; wherein the unmanned vehicle alignment mechanism includes a first beam, a second beam, a third beam, a fourth beam, and an actuation device for actuating at least two of the first beam, the second beam, the third beam, and the fourth beam to push the unmanned vehicle into the charging region.

Abstract: The technology relates to a telescoping support structure which can be suspended between two objects. The telescoping support structure uses projections between adjacent tubular sections in order to prevent the adjacent tubular sections from falling away from one another. Although the telescoping support structure may be utilized in various different environments and circumstances, it may be of particular usefulness in the field of high-altitude ballooning. For instance, when used in a balloon system, the telescoping support structure may be suspended between two objects such as an upper payload structure and a lower payload structure. As another example, the telescoping support structure may be suspended between a balloon envelope and a payload which, in some examples, may include an upper and a lower payload structure.

Abstract: The present invention “Aircraft Wing with Tiplet” reflects a wing with two distinct sections including inner section for maximized lift production with long chords, high taper, and ultra-thin airfoils for substantial profile drag reduction, as well as a “tiplet” section with minimized area and maximized span to minimize aspect ratio penalty from the standpoint of increased induced drag mitigation due to large inner section lifting area. Long chords and large area of inner section are feasible from the standpoint of flight safety with the application of airfoils with forward center of pressure that provide for dynamic stability of aircraft in flight.

Abstract: A wing for an aircraft is disclosed having a fixed wing, a foldable wing tip portion and a flight latch device for latching the foldable wing tip portion in the extended position, wherein the flight latch device includes a housing, a latch bolt, and a motor for driving the latch bolt between the latched and unlatched positions. A flight latch device includes a threaded shaft rotationally driven by the motor, a nut engaging the shaft, so that the nut can rotate relative to the shaft, the nut is connected to the housing via a linear guide and is connected to the latch bolt for common linear movement with the latch bolt, and the flight latch device includes an offset compensation, providing that the shaft is supported pivotable relative to the housing and the latch bolt is coupled to the nut via a compensational bearing allowing angular play between the nut and the latch bolt.

Abstract: Flight control surface actuation systems including skew detection systems and associated methods. A flight control surface actuation system includes a skew detection system configured to generate a skew detection signal that represents a skew condition of a flight control surface. In some examples, the skew detection system includes a skew lanyard and a detection mechanism assembly (DMA) configured to detect a lanyard displacement of the skew lanyard and to generate an analog lanyard displacement signal. In some examples, the skew detection system includes a hybrid sensing actuator that includes an actuator output and an actuator output position sensor directly coupled to the actuator output. Methods of utilizing a flight control surface actuation system include detecting a skew condition in the flight control surface utilizing DMAs and/or hybrid sensing actuators.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the technical field of air vehicles, and in particular, an air vehicle with a double-layer rotor wing structure, including a cabin in which a power device is arranged, the power device includes a drive assembly, a crankwheel, and a connecting link; the connecting link is fixed on the crankwheel; the drive assembly drives the crankwheel to rotate; the top of the cabin is provided with a flying device that includes a first flying unit and a second flying unit; the first flying unit includes a sleeve, a rotating bearing II, and lower-layer rotor wings symmetrically fixed on two sides of the rotating bearing II; the rotating bearing II is fixed to the sleeve which is fixed to the cabin; the second flying unit includes a transmission rod, a rotating bearing I, and upper-layer rotor wings symmetrically fixed on two sides of the rotating bearing I.