Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing spherical, non-fibrillar cellulose particles with a particle size in the range of from about 1 ?m to about 400 ?m from a solution of cellulose in which the solution is cooled down to below its solidification temperature wherein it is flowing freely, the solvent is washed out, the solidified cellulose solution is disintegrated to form cellulose powder comprising particles, and the disintegrated and washed out particles are dried. The invention also relates to the cellulose powder and particles made in accordance with the process of the invention.

Abstract: Embodiments according to the methods and systems provide for the selection, assembly, deployment, exploitation of data collected, redeployment, retrieval and stowage of a remotely operated lighter than air (LTA) network of vehicles. From modular components stowed with a mobile platform, one or more LTA vehicles can be assembled, deployed and retrieved. Determining the desirable number of LTA vehicles and the modular components to be assembled for each vehicle can be performed through a computer recommending modular components based on mission parameters. A remote controller device can be used for pre-deployment setup, in-flight mission management and analysis of data gathered by a plurality of possible sensing devise operably attached to the one or more LTA vehicles.

Abstract: An efficient flying device having flapping wings, an ornithopter, which uses many of the principles seen in bird flight, is presented herein. The wings are highly flexible, translationally stable and oscillate as a natural pendulum. Described as a springboard, the wings have a singular natural frequency, and a pumping means drives the wings at that frequency. Feedback means are described by which to accomplish this, whereby deflection of the wing affects an escapement mechanism which controls the timing and direction of the pumping means. Wing design is described whereby camber, flexure, torsion and directionality of wing components affect efficient propulsion, lift and differential reactivity with air during downstrokes and upstrokes. A crook element in the wing spar at a location proximal to the body of the device redirects vertical oscillation to horizontal.

Abstract: The present invention to a flying object by flapping motion of two pair of wings, which comprises a compressed air engine, a flying body (or compressed air container) assembled with the compressed air engine and in which compressed air is contained, two pair of wings symmetrically assembled with the compressed air engine and functioning flapping motion up and dawn in the range of 70° while the individual wing being able to get twisted in the range of 15°, a head cover for covering the front and upper part of the compressed air engine, and a tail wing with a horizontal wing and a vertical wing.

Abstract: A flapping wing flying device comprises wings that pivot about a pivot axis extending generally perpendicularly to an elongate body of the flying device, and wings that move relative to said elongate body of the flying device, so that the entire leading edge of each of the wings is moved away from and toward to the body of the flying device during flight.

Abstract: An aircraft having a reduced-load wing structure is provided with a controllable canard stabilizer (5G, 5D) at the front end of the aircraft and a controller that controls the canard stabilizer. The controller generates a turn command corresponding to an increase in the lift of the canard stabilizer when, simultaneously, the turn command applied by the pilot to the elevational control surfaces (6G, 6D) exceeds a threshold and the measurement of the vertical acceleration of the aircraft exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: In a novel hovering aircraft, an airfoil blade structure rotatable about a vertical axis comprises a set of upper blades and a set of lower blades, all having variable lift, the upper blades converging toward the lower blades from root to tip. Struts, located inboard of the blade tips, keep the tips of the upper and lower blades separate from each other to reduce interference effects, and also support motors and propellers.

Abstract: A novel, high-altitude, solar powered aircraft, capable of staying aloft at high altitudes for many months or even years to conduct around the clock surveillance and/or reconnaisance, includes a forward wing with solar energy capturing cells, a rear wing, inflated pontoons for keeping the aircraft aloft, suspension wires attached to the pontoons, a gondola suspended from and connected to the wires, control apparatus for moving the gondola along the wires, shifting the weight of the aircraft and thereby enabling banking to optimize exposure of the solar cells to the rays of the sun. The gondola preferably contains a sensor suite, power generating and storage apparatus, and synthetic aperture radar imaging apparatus.

Abstract: A floatable structure propelling mechanism is combined with a floatable structure filled with helium gas to propel the floatable structure for flying in the air. The floatable structure propelling mechanism comprises a pair of lateral fins supported for swing motion respectively on the opposite sides of a middle portion of the floatable structure. The driving mechanism for driving the lateral fins for swing motion alternately in opposite direcitons in a vertical plane comprises a rotative driving unit provided near the lower surface of the middle portion of the floatable structure. The rotative driving unit includes a double crankshaft which is rotated by the driving unit, first connecting rods fixed to the lateral fins, respectively, and second connecting rods interconnecting the crank pin portions of the double crankshaft and the free ends of the first connecting rods, respectively.