Abstract: The invention is a modular vehicle having an air vehicle that can be coupled to cargo containers, land vehicles, sea vehicles, medical transport modules, etc. In one embodiment the air vehicle has a plurality of propellers positioned around a main airframe, which can provide vertical thrust and/or horizontal thrust. The propellers are mounted on supports which have an airfoil shape to generate additional lift. One or more of the propellers may be configured to tilt forward, backward, and/or side-to-side with respect to the airframe.

Abstract: An aircraft landing gear comprising: an arm mounted to a pivot and carrying one or more wheel assemblies; and a composite leaf spring which is coupled to the arm and arranged to provide a resilient biasing force which opposes rotation of the arm about the pivot. The arm can be made relatively stiff in comparison with the leaf spring, so that load is transferred directly into the pivot without a large amount of bending of the leg. The leaf spring shock absorber typically has a reduced part count compared with a conventional oleo-pneumatic shock absorber. By forming the leaf spring from a composite material, its weight is significantly reduced in comparison with a conventional metal spring, making it suitable for use on a relatively large aircraft.

Abstract: An aircraft turbojet nacelle comprising blowing means intended to inject a tangential airflow (Ft) into the internal volume (V) of the nacelle, said blowing means being provided in a wall of the air intake of the nacelle in the supersonic area of said air intake. The invention also concerns a method for controlling separation in an aircraft nacelle, wherein a tangential airflow is injected (Ft) into the internal volume (V) of the nacelle in the locally supersonic area of the air intake so as to pull the main airflow (F) into the extension of the inner wall of the nacelle.

Abstract: A trailing edge flap arrangement for an aircraft wing, comprising an array of flap elements each discretely moveable between a retracted and an extended position by a respective actuator, wherein the flap elements are arranged to be deployed so as to open up a through slot between an adjacent pair of the flap elements only when the aerodynamic leading element of the pair has reached its extended position. Also, a method of operating the trailing edge flap arrangement.

Abstract: A landing gear for an aircraft, having mounting means fitted to the fuselage of the aircraft; at least one wheel; and at least one supporting arm having a first end portion connected to the mounting means, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, and to which the wheel is suspended. The first end portion of the supporting arm has a seating portion fitted in rotary manner to a pin connected to the mounting means and extending crosswise to the supporting arm; and an electrically controlled actuator is fitted to the seating portion, and is activated selectively to rotate the supporting arm, about the pin, between a first and second operating position defining a stowed in-flight configuration and a lowered landing configuration of the landing gear respectively.

Abstract: A trailing edge flap arrangement for an aircraft wing, comprising an array of flap elements moveable collectively between a retracted and an extended position, wherein at least the leading flap element is rotatable about its axis independently of the collective array movement. Also, a method of operating the trailing edge flap arrangement, comprising collectively moving the array of flap elements between a retracted and an extended position, and rotating at least the leading flap element about its axis independently of the collective array movement. The flap arrangement can be deployed as a single slotted flap which can be vented to further improve lift performance. The flap arrangement can also be operated to provide variable camber across the performance envelope.

Abstract: A laminated wing structure includes at least one layer of metal material and at least one layer of a shape memory polymer (SMP) material. The SMP is heated to a temperature in its glass transition band Tg to roll the wing around the air vehicle into a stored position. The metal layer(s) must be thin enough to remain below its yield point when rolled up. In preparation for launch, the SMP material is thermally activated allowing the strain energy stored in the layer of metal material to return the wing to its deployed position at launch. Once deployed, the SMP cools to its glassy state. The SMP material may be reinforced with fiber to form a polymer matrix composite (PMC). SMP may be used to provide shear strain relief for multiple metal layers. By offloading the motive force required to return the wing to its original deployed position from the SMP to the metal, the polymer does not acquire a permanent set and the wing may be deployed accurately.

Abstract: An aircraft has a fuselage, a lifting free wing, and a nose section. The fuselage has a front end, a rear end, and a longitudinal axis. The lifting free wing is pivotally connected to the fuselage with a pivot. The nose section is pivotally mounted on the front end of the fuselage, and includes a pair of engines, and a pair of counter-rotating propellers. A canard free wing is pivotally connected to the nose section with a pivot. A pair of vertical stabilizers are mounted on the rear end of the fuselage and each includes a rudder and a pair of landing gear.

Abstract: The present invention broadly comprises an aircraft motion control auxiliary power unit suspension system device, the aircraft motion control auxiliary power unit suspension system device comprising a first motion control nonelastomeric member and a second motion control nonelastomeric member, a first motion control elastomer member disposed to operatively interconnect the first motion control nonelastomeric member and the second motion control nonelastomeric member. The first motion control elastomer member includes an exterior surface coating formed from an elastomeric polymer dissolved in an organic solvent and the elastomeric polymer dissolved in the solvent is applied to an exterior surface of the first motion control elastomer member, the solvent evaporates, and the elastomeric polymer crosslinks.

Abstract: According to the invention, the method comprises exposing a surface (3) sensitive to relative wind and monitoring the thermal flow variations between the surface (3) and the aerodynamic flow, said variations resulting from that of the forced-convection thermal exchange coefficient between the surface (3) and the aerodynamic flow depending on the rime or ice build-up, using the temperature sensor (12) under the surface (3), considering that stripping occurs by the flow of an ice layer formed on the surface (3) if it is detected, preferably after heating by at least one heater (4), that there is a brisk rise of the flow at a temperature close to 0° C., and supplying after the detection of ice stripping, a signal indicating the presence of rime or rime conditions. A cooler (5) may cool the surface (3) for anticipating the formation of ice with a heating process. The invention can be used for detecting rime and/or rime conditions on a flying aircraft.

Abstract: A sealing (1) for a fairing (2) against transverse airflow between a wing (3) and a fuselage (4) of an aircraft. Inner and outer sides (7, 8) of the sealing (1) are provided with lips biased against the fairing (2) and the wing (3). At least two gaskets (5, 6) are positioned between respective ends of the sides (7, 8), thus sealing the fairing (2) and the wing (3) against longitudinal airflow.

Abstract: An aircraft chaff dispenser includes an elongated hollow housing intended to be fixed to the structure of the aircraft so as to be oriented in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft. The housing has a pair of side walls and the front of each side wall is provided with a pair of lateral air intakes each having a circular through-hole with a diameter d and a fence located behind the hole in the longitudinal direction, or in the direction of travel, of the aircraft at a distance 1 from the center of the hole and having a shape in the form of a horizontally lying V with its vertex directed away from the hole. The diameter d of the hole is between 8 and 12 mm. The ratio h/1 between the height h of the fence at the vertex of the V and the distance 1 is between 0.8 and 1, while the ratio h/d between the height h and the diameter d is between 1.5 and 2.

Abstract: An actuator system (14) comprising a valve assembly (40) having an inner spool (50), an outer spool (60), and a sleeve (70). An assembly (80) directly drives the inner spool (50) to move it relative to the outer spool (60), and thereby hydromechanically causes the outer spool (60) to move relative to the sleeve (70). A control assembly (90) provides current input to the drive assembly (80), which converts current input into mechanical motion. The control assembly (90) senses the position of the inner spool (50) and regulates current in accordance with the sensed position.

Abstract: An airship system, including an inflatable airship of predetermined volume adapted to be filled with gas and to rise to a predetermined altitude, said airship having a hull formed from an inflated flexible gas containment primary envelope, at least one lifting envelope located within the primary envelope for containing the lifting gas, where the lifting envelope will expand to substantially occupy the space of the primary envelope when the airship is at its predetermined high altitude, at least one secondary envelope located within the primary envelope, which can be inflated when said lifting envelope is at lower altitudes to fill the balance of the space of the primary envelope, and air handling means external to the primary envelope and communicating with the secondary envelope for filling and emptying the secondary envelope.

Abstract: The mobile aerial sustained solar power-plant (MASP) provides an improved method and device for the highly efficient collection, storage, transport, and wireless delivery of renewable energy from an airborne platform. This energy can be used to supply electrical power to clients or be used to power directed energy weapons.

Abstract: An undercarriage for a rotary wing aircraft, includes a tubular structure (7) with skids, the tubular structure (7) being designed to be mounted under or in a bottom portion (4) of the aircraft, the undercarriage being characterized in that the tubular structure (7) includes left and right longitudinal portions that are retractable, each of which portions is suitable for moving between a retracted position in a cruising flight configuration and a deployed configuration in a landing configuration.

Abstract: A supercavitating projectile is disclosed that has deployable fins. The fins are pivotally coupled to the body of the projectile. The fins have two primary states: stowed within a recess at the surface of the projectile and deployed to a radially-extended position relative to the body of the projectile. The fins deploy as the projectile leaves its launch tube. The fins function as a control surface, interacting with the wall of the vapor cavity in which the supercavitating projectile travels.

Abstract: An aircraft engine attachment pylon including a rigid structure forming a caisson, and a rear engine attachment including an attachment body and at least one lateral fitting arranged on either side of the caisson. Each fitting includes a first portion pierced by first assembly holes enabling it to be fixed to the caisson, and a second portion defining a fixing surface of the body. The second portion includes a housing orifice receiving a self-locking nut cooperating with a screw supported against the body and, in transversal section, an axis of the screw passes through the first holes.

Abstract: An oblique wing aircraft (1) designed for reduced surface area to volume ratio. The aircraft has an oblique wing comprising a forward swept wing segment (27) on one side of the wing and an aft swept wing segment (29) on the opposite side of the wing. A center oblique airfoil section (25) connects the forward and aft swept wing segments. The center oblique airfoil section has a larger chord near its centerline than the chords of either of the forward or aft swept wing segments. The chord of the center oblique airfoil section tapers down more rapidly than the forward or aft wing segments as the center oblique airfoil section extends outboard toward the forward and aft swept wings. The center oblique airfoil section is not shaped solely to function as a circular fairing to fill the gap between an oblique wing and a fuselage at different oblique wing angles, nor is it a second wing in an X wing configuration. Preferably, the aircraft is an all-wing aircraft.

Abstract: A skid rail for aircrafts comprising (i) a base member comprising a long board fixed to a bottom surface of an aircraft fuselage, and bosses integrally projecting from an outer surface of the long board with longitudinal intervals, (ii) cores bonded to the long board between the bosses to form a rail-shaped, integral structure, and (iii) a skin covering the bosses and the cores, the base member and the skin being formed by a first fiber-reinforced plastic having fabrics of glass fibers and/or carbon fibers, and the cores being formed by a second fiber-reinforced plastic having fabrics of fibers having higher wear resistance than that of fibers in the first fiber-reinforced plastic.