Abstract: A disbursement system for a UAV is provided. The disbursement system may include a plurality of disbursement nozzles operable to dispense an agricultural product at variable flowrates, a flow controller responsive to instructions and operable to regulate a volume of the agricultural product dispensed by the disbursement nozzles, and a control system. The control system may include a plurality of sensors operable to monitor a plurality of flight parameters and a processing unit configured to model an effect of the plurality of flight parameters on first flow control instructions corresponding to a prescription coverage of the agricultural product and calculate and output modulated flow control instructions to the flow controller. The control system may modulate the first control instructions to change a flowrate of one or more of the plurality of disbursement nozzles to achieve an actual coverage of the agricultural product that is closer to the prescription coverage.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for determining a predicted impact point of a selected weapon and associated round based on stored ballistic information, provided elevation data, provided azimuth data, and provided position data.

Abstract: A method of targeting, which involves capturing a first video of a scene about a potential targeting coordinate by a first video sensor on a first aircraft; transmitting the first video and associated potential targeting coordinate by the first aircraft; receiving the first video on a first display in communication with a processor, the processor also receiving the potential targeting coordinate; selecting the potential targeting coordinate to be an actual targeting coordinate for a second aircraft in response to viewing the first video on the first display; and guiding a second aircraft toward the actual targeting coordinate; where positive identification of a target corresponding to the actual targeting coordinate is maintained from selection of the actual targeting coordinate.

Abstract: A lidar system, including a base, a sensor body, and a motor having a shaft. The motor is affixed to the base, and can drive the sensor body in rotation with respect to the base. An LED device and a light sensor are each mounted upon the sensor body. A data processing device is also mounted upon the sensor body, and is programmed to produce range information based upon the sensor data. The shaft carries two slip rings. The LED, the sensor and the data processing device all receive electrical power via the two slip rings. The data processing device is configured to transmit the range information via the two slip rings using pulse width modulation.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for receiving, by a processor having addressable memory, data representing a geographical area for imaging by one or more sensors of an aerial vehicle; determining one or more straight-line segments covering the geographical area; determining one or more waypoints located at an end of each determined straight-line segment, where each waypoint comprises a geographical location, an altitude, and a direction of travel; determining one or more turnarounds connecting each of the straight-line segments, where each turnaround comprises one or more connecting segments; and generating, by the processor, a flight plan for the aerial vehicle comprising: the determined one or more straight-line segments and the determined one or more turnarounds connecting each straight-line segment.

Abstract: In one possible embodiment, a system capable of a self-propagating data link includes an unmanned vehicle having a data link transceiver and at least one deployable data link transceiver. The unmanned vehicle having a deployment means for deploying the at least one deployable data link transceiver.

Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.

Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.

Abstract: An aircraft including a wing system, a plurality of control surfaces, a camera mounted on a camera pod, and a control system. The camera pod is configured to vary the orientation of the camera field of view only in yaw, relative to the aircraft, between a directly forward-looking orientation and a side-looking orientation. The control system controls the control surfaces such that they induce a significant aircraft yaw causing an identified target to be within the field of view of the camera with the camera in the directly forward-looking orientation.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for a safety system including: selecting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command on a controller, the controller comprising a first processor with addressable memory; presenting a first activator and a second activator on a display of the controller for the selected UAV command, wherein the second activator is a slider; and sending the UAV command to a UAV if the first activator and the second activator are selected, the UAV comprising a second processor with addressable memory.

Abstract: A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) storage and launch system includes a UAV pod having a UAV pod processor and a UAV selectively enclosed in the UAV pod, the UAV having only two rotors.

Abstract: A hydrogen fueled powerplant including an internal combustion engine that drives a motor-generator, and has a two-stage turbocharger, for an aircraft. A control system controls the operation of the motor-generator to maintain the engine at a speed selected based on controlling the engine equivalence ratio. The control system controls an afterburner, an intercooler and an aftercooler to maximize powerplant efficiency. The afterburner also adds power to the turbochargers during high-altitude restarts. The turbochargers also include motor-generators that extract excess power from the exhaust.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle having a first GPS antenna and a second GPS antenna, where the second GPS antenna is disposed distal from the first GPS antenna; and an aerial vehicle flight controller, where the flight controller is configured to: utilize a GPS antenna signal via the GPS antenna switch from the first GPS antenna or the second GPS antenna; receive a pitch level of the aerial vehicle from the one or more aerial vehicle sensors in vertical flight or horizontal flight; determine if the received pitch level is at a set rotation from vertical or horizontal; and utilize the GPS signal not being utilized via the GPS antenna switch if the determined pitch level is at or above the set rotation.

Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.

Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including: a fuselage; a first pair of airfoils rotatable between a retracted position and a deployed position, the deployed position extending out from the fuselage and the retracted position extending substantially along a first portion on an exterior of the fuselage; a second pair of airfoils rotatable between a second retracted position and a second deployed position, the second deployed position extending out from the fuselage and the second retracted position extending substantially along the first portion on the exterior of the fuselage; and a rudder foldable against the fuselage in a pre-deployment position.

Abstract: An air vehicle configured to augment effective drag to change the rate of descent of the air vehicle in flight via propeller shaft rotation direction reversal, i.e., thrust reversal.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting still images and a video feed from an unmanned aerial vehicle to a ground station is disclosed. The system includes an aircraft including a digital video camera to capture still images and video frames of an object. A video encoder is coupled to the camera to provide a video output including video packets. A file server is coupled to the camera to provide a still image output including image data packets. A multiplexer is coupled to the video output and the still image output. The multiplexer produces a data transmission including the video packets and the image data packets. A transmitter sends the data transmission to the ground station. The ground station receives the data transmission and demultiplexes the packets into separate video and image data packets. The ground control station may select the ratio the video stream images in relation to the still image to be transmitted from the aircraft.

Abstract: A water-tight or air-tight accessible compartment has a removable hatch sealed at the edge with elastically conformable opposing seals, with elongate communication elements extending into the compartment between the opposing seals, seals conforming to the topology formed between the compartment edge and the elongate communication elements.

Abstract: Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.

Abstract: In one possible embodiment, a UAV payload module retraction mechanism is provided including a payload pivotally attached to a housing. A biasing member is mounted to bias the payload out of the housing and a winch is attached to the payload. An elongated flexible drawing member is coupled between the housing and the winch, the elongated drawing flexible member being capable of being drawn by the winch to retract the payload within the housing.