Abstract: The present disclosure provides a slat end seal for use with a slat of an aircraft. The slat end seal includes a shell having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a sidewall extending from the first surface. The shell includes a plurality of through holes in the first surface of the shell. The slat end seal also includes a lattice structure coupled to the first surface of the shell and configured to compress in response to a force applied to the second surface of the shell. The lattice structure includes a plurality of supports defining a plurality of interstitial voids between the plurality of supports. The lattice structure also includes at least one through hole aligned with at least one through hole of the plurality of through holes in the first surface of the shell.

Abstract: Example implementations may relate to door-enabled loading and release of payloads in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which could be a type of UAV in a group of UAVs that is assigned to carry out certain transport tasks. In particular, the UAV may include a fuselage having a first side and a second side, as well as a chamber formed within the fuselage and arranged to house a payload. A first door may be arranged on the first side of the fuselage, such that an opening of the first door enables loading of the payload into the chamber. And a second door may be arranged on the second side of the fuselage, such that an opening of the second door enables release of the payload from the chamber. Moreover, the UAV may include a control system configured to control flight of the UAV, and possibly opening and/or closing of door(s).

Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a system for installing and removing a propulsion unit on a pylon of an aircraft, a propulsion unit of the type including a nacelle and a turbojet engine, the turbojet engine being linked on the pylon by at least one front suspension and one rear suspension. The system includes a supporting structure which is adapted to support a thrust reverser device, a front suspension of the turbojet engine, which carries a front part of the supporting structure, and which is removably fastened on a front part of the pylon, and a rear suspension of the turbojet engine which carries a rear part of the supporting structure, and which is removably fastened on a rear part of the pylon, and the disengagement of said suspensions of the pylon allowing removing the propulsion unit mounted on the pylon.

Abstract: An aircraft includes: a plurality of rotor units each including a propeller and a motor that drives the propeller; a balloon that laterally covers the plurality of rotor units, across a height of the plurality of rotor units in an up-and-down direction; and a drive unit configured to change the external shape of the balloon at a predetermined timing.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the fuel cell provides a structural component of the vehicle.

Abstract: System and method for loading cargo onto an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). One embodiment is a cargo pod for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The cargo pod includes a hollow body that forms a section of a fuselage of the UAV, and further includes a latching mechanism that releasably secures the hollow body with the fuselage of the UAV.

Abstract: A tiltrotor aircraft having a propulsion configuration that divorces the engine core power from the thrust fan, using a combined gearbox with a plurality of clutches to couple and decouple one or more rotor systems and one or more thrust fans. The aircraft can be operable for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) in a helicopter mode, forward flight in a proprotor mode, and high-speed forward flight in an airplane (jet) mode. The propulsion configuration provides shaft horsepower (SHP) to rotors for VTOL flight, while also providing SHP to the thrust fan for high speed flight. Allowing the rotor and the thrust fan to be clutched on and off, sequentially, enables transition from rotor-borne VTOL flight to wing-borne thrust fan flight, and back.

Abstract: Methods of moving an aircraft undercarriage that is movable between a retracted position and a deployed position generally include: using a rotary electromechanical type drive actuator coupled to a portion of the aircraft undercarriage to raise it from the deployed position to the retracted position; disengaging the drive actuator during a descent of the undercarriage from the retracted position to the deployed position and using a hydraulic linear shock absorber coupled to a portion of the undercarriage to regulate the rate of descent and to absorb shock on arrival of the undercarriage in the deployed position; and neutralizing the shock absorber while raising the undercarriage.

Abstract: A spacecraft includes a propulsion subsystem including at least two electric thrusters, an electrical interface assembly that couples electrical conductors from the thrusters to a spacecraft harness, a pneumatic interface assembly that controls flow rate of propellant to the thrusters and a thruster support module (TSM) including a pointing arrangement and a mounting arrangement. A proximal portion of the mounting arrangement is coupled with a distal portion of the pointing arrangement; the at least two electric thrusters are disposed on a distal portion of the mounting arrangement; the electrical interface assembly and the pneumatic interface assembly are disposed on the proximal portion of the mounting arrangement. The mounting arrangement is configured to limit heat transfer between the thrusters and (b) one or more of the proximal portion of the mounting arrangement, the electrical interface assembly and the pneumatic interface assembly.

Abstract: An air vehicle comprises a payload vessel, a propulsion system, and a buoyancy lifting unit anchored on said payload vessel. The buoyancy lifting unit comprises a plurality of balloons and a plurality of buoyancy gas reservoirs arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns, a protractible rod, and a control system. Each of the balloons and buoyancy gas reservoirs is tethered to a lifting-joint on the protractible rod through a cable. The control system controls vertical move of the air vehicle to ascend through directing buoyancy gas flow from the buoyancy gas reservoirs into the balloons, and to descend through directing buoyancy gas flow from the balloons into the buoyancy gas reservoirs. The propulsion system controls horizontal move of the air vehicle to go forward and make turns.

Abstract: An engine nacelle for a turbofan engine, having a nacelle wall and an engine inlet, wherein the nacelle wall has a stationary downstream section and an upstream section that is displaceable in the axial direction, and the displaceable upstream section is displaceable between a first upstream position and a second downstream position. A ring-shaped seal is provided, formed between the stationary section and the displaceable section of the nacelle wall, wherein, in the first position of the displaceable section, the engine nacelle forms a ring-shaped additional flow channel that extends from the outer side of the nacelle wall to the engine inlet and via which ambient air can flow into the engine inlet, and the ring-shaped additional flow channel is closed in the second position of the displaceable section, wherein the stationary section, the ring-shaped seal and the displaceable section adjoin each other.

Abstract: A wing flapping apparatus including a frame body, a motive power source and a power transmission mechanism that transmits motive power generated in the motive power source to drive a wing unit. Moreover, the power transmission mechanism includes a slider that linearly reciprocates in an X-axis direction upon reception of the motive power transmitted from the motive power source, and a rotating body that reciprocates in a rotation direction upon reception of the motive power transmitted from the slider. Furthermore, the wing unit swings such that its distal end moves approximately in the X-axis direction as the rotating body reciprocates in the rotation direction. In this aspect, linear reciprocation of the slider and swinging of the wing unit in the X-axis direction are opposite in direction to each other.

Abstract: An unmanned aircraft system having a flying wing orientation includes an airframe having leading and trailing edges, a two-dimensional thrust array coupled to the leading edge, a power system and a flight control system operable to independently control the speed of each propulsion assembly of the two-dimensional thrust array.

Abstract: An unmanned aircraft system includes a flying wing airframe having leading and trailing edges with respective sweep angles. A thrust array is coupled to the airframe and includes first and second motor mounts each rotatably coupled to the leading edge. Each motor mount has first and second propulsion assemblies coupled to respective first and second distal ends thereof. A power system is operably associated with the thrust array and is operable to provide power to each propulsion assembly. A flight control system is operably associated with the thrust array and is operable to independently control the speed of each propulsion assembly. In a flight configuration of the system, each motor mount is substantially perpendicular with the leading edge such that the thrust array forms a two-dimensional thrust array. In a compact storage configuration of the system, each motor mount is substantially parallel with the leading edge.

Abstract: A digital medium environment is described to improve moving graphical user interface objects using predictive drop zones that are generated based on user input operations. In one example, a user input processing system receives user input, such as selection and movement of a graphical object. The user input processing system monitors the user input to determine velocity, acceleration, location, and direction of the graphical object as moved by the user input. From the monitoring, the user input processing system continuously determines a location for a predicted drop zone in the user interface that represents an ending point for the movement. The predicted drop zone is then rendered on the user interface in real-time until termination of the input, at which point the user input processing system moves the graphical object to the location of the predicted drop zone, rather than to a pointing device location.

Abstract: An aerial vehicle includes an airframe; vertical propulsion units, and a controller. The vertical propulsion units are mounted to the airframe and include propellers oriented to provide vertical propulsion to the aerial vehicle. The vertical propulsion units are physically organized in quadrants on the airframe with each of the quadrants including two or more of the vertical propulsion units. The controller is coupled to the vertical propulsion units to control operation of the vertical propulsion units. At least two of the vertical propulsion units in each of the quadrants are adapted to counter-rotate from each other during flight of the aerial vehicle.

Abstract: A kite control bar having a tensioning member anchored to the bar end float and secured to the trim line. The tensioning member is capable of expanding and contracting. The tensioning member has a default state which is either an expanded state or a contracted state. When an adjusting force is exerted upon the trim line, the tensioning member is drawn into another of the expanded state or the contracted state. When the adjusting force is released, the tensioning member tends to return to the default state. This biases the trim line to force excess trim line out of the bar end float.

Abstract: Various embodiments of space launch vehicle systems and associated methods of manufacture and use are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the systems include a reusable, horizontal takeoff/horizontal landing (HTHL), ground-assisted single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) spaceplane that is capable of providing frequent deliveries of people and/or cargo to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In some embodiments, the spaceplane can takeoff with the aid of a rocket-powered sled that, in addition to providing additional thrust for takeoff, can also provide propellant for the spaceplane engines during the takeoff run so that the spaceplane launches with full propellant tanks.

Abstract: A droneboarding system is disclosed. The droneboarding system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) for pulling a droneboarder riding a board over a surface, a harness, a tow handle and a plurality of tension lines. Each tension line is attached to the drone and to either the tow handle or the harness. The tension lines are configured in a manner that provides mechanical control of the flight path of the drone. A remote power supply is adapted to be carried by the droneboarder. One of the tension line carries an electrical conductor from the remote power supply to the drone. The electrical conductor provides electrical power from the remote power supply to the drone.

Abstract: A droneboarding system is disclosed. The droneboarding system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) for pulling a droneboarder riding a board over a surface, a harness, a tow handle and a plurality of tension lines. Each tension line is attached to the drone and to either the tow handle or the harness. The tension lines are configured in a manner that provides mechanical control of the flight path of the drone. A remote power supply is adapted to be carried by the droneboarder. One of the tension line carries an electrical conductor from the remote power supply to the drone. The electrical conductor provides electrical power from the remote power supply to the drone.