Abstract: An aircraft capable of hovering, and characterized by having at least one sensor, which has a plane sweep region and is designed to acquire, when the aircraft is maneuvering, values of respective distances between first points on an obstacle within the plane sweep region, and a second point on the aircraft; and a control unit designed to generate an alarm signal when at least one of the first points lies within a safety region containing the second point on the aircraft.

Abstract: A support assembly for a helicopter control stick is provided. The support assembly includes a supporting structure and an instrument panel fixed to each other; and a connecting assembly for connecting the stick to the supporting structure. The connecting assembly includes an arm elongated in a longitudinal direction and having one end supporting the stick; a guide for connecting the arm in longitudinally sliding manner to the supporting structure, to move the end to and from the supporting structure; and a rotary assembly for connecting the arm to the supporting structure in rotary manner about a horizontal axis, to adjust the height of the end. The rotary assembly has a first releasable retainer, wherein the first releasable retainer operates to lock rotation of the arm with respect to the supporting structure in a desired angular position.

Abstract: An aircraft having a fuselage and a detecting device for detecting the presence of ice caused by solidification of supercooled liquid droplets having a characteristic dimension above a threshold value. The detecting device has a preferential first portion for accumulating the droplets, and the preferential first portion is located so as to be visible from inside the fuselage.

Abstract: A support assembly for a helicopter control stick is provided. The support assembly includes a supporting structure and an instrument panel fixed to each other; and a connecting assembly for connecting the stick to the supporting structure. The connecting assembly includes an arm elongated in a longitudinal direction and having one end supporting the stick; a guide for connecting the arm in longitudinally sliding manner to the supporting structure, to move the end to and from the supporting structure; and a rotary assembly for connecting the arm to the supporting structure in rotary manner about a horizontal axis, to adjust the height of the end. The rotary assembly has a first releasable retainer, wherein the first releasable retainer operates to lock rotation of the arm with respect to the supporting structure in a desired angular position.

Abstract: An aircraft having at least one in-flight attitude control system, in turn having at least one actuator; and a hydraulic circuit connected to the actuator and having at least one pump designed to deliver a first flow when the pressure of the hydraulic circuit is above a presettable threshold value. The pump is designed to deliver a second flow greater than the first flow, and the aircraft has a sensor for detecting a quantity associated with the pressure of the hydraulic circuit; and a programmable central control unit, which controls the pump to deliver the second flow when the quantity detected by the sensor corresponds to a pressure of the hydraulic circuit below the threshold value.

Abstract: A non-rotating universal joint for a helicopter drive unit has a spider defined by a ring, which has four connecting portions spaced 90° apart and engaging respective forks defining the ends of respective arms of two connecting members which, in use, are fixed with respect to a casing of an engine and a casing of a reduction gear; each fork and the corresponding connecting portion have respective through holes coaxial with one another and engaged by a screw; and dampers are interposed between the connecting portions of the ring and the shanks of the screws, and between the connecting portions of the ring and the forks.

Abstract: A rotor for a helicopter, having: a hub rotating about an axis and in turn having a number of blades; and an at least partly hollow drive shaft connectable to a drive of the helicopter and connected functionally to the hub to rotate the hub about the axis; the rotor also having vibration damping means in turn having a mass, and an elastically deformable member connected to the mass and supported by the shaft; the member extending at least partly inside the shaft, and being elongated parallel to the axis; and the mass vibrating, in use, at such a frequency as to oppose transmission to the shaft of the vibration produced by rotation of the hub and blades.

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 support assembly for helicopter control sticks has a supporting structure; an instrument panel fixed to the supporting structure; and a connecting device for connecting the sticks to the supporting structure. The connecting device has a longitudinally elongated arm fitted on one end with the sticks; and the arm slides to move the sticks to/from the supporting structure, and rotates about a horizontal axis to adjust the height of the sticks.

Abstract: A rotor for a helicopter, having a drive shaft rotating about a first axis; a hub angularly integral with the drive shaft about the first axis; and at least two blades projecting from the hub on opposite sides of the first axis and elongated along respective second axes crosswise to the first axis; each blade is movable with respect to the hub and to the other blade about a respective third axis crosswise to the respective second axis; the rotor has at least two dampers for damping oscillation of respective blades about the respective third axes, and which have respective first portions movable integrally with the respective blades about the respective third axes; and the dampers have respective second portions connected elastically to the respective first portions and functionally to each other.

Abstract: A retractable helicopter landing gear has a suspension structure supporting one wheel, and is movable between a withdrawn position, to reduce drag on the helicopter, and a lowered position for landing and takeoff of the helicopter. The landing gear also has a skid, which is located between the axis of rotation of the wheel and the periphery of the wheel, is diametrically opposite the suspension structure, and is connected to the suspension structure by a connecting device having a torsion bar.

Abstract: A wing for an aircraft having at least one weapon, and a feed duct for feeding the weapon with ammunition supplied in the form of a belt; the wing has a compartment for housing a portion of the belt and connectable to a loading opening of the feed duct.

Abstract: A rotor for a helicopter, having a drive shaft rotating about a first axis; a hub angularly integral with the drive shaft about the first axis; and at least two blades projecting from the hub, on the opposite side to the first axis, and extending along respective second axes crosswise to the first axis; each blade is movable with respect to the hub and the other blades about a respective fourth axis parallel to the first axis, about the respective second axis, and about a respective third axis crosswise to the first and respective second axis; the rotor also has a number of first dampers for damping vibration associated with at least oscillation of the relative blades about the respective fourth axes; the first dampers are connected to one another and each to a relative blade; and, in a radial direction with respect to the first axis, at least one first damper is located between the first axis and the fourth axis of the relative blade.

Abstract: An aircraft capable of hovering, and having a fuselage defining an access opening; driving means for operating a rescue cradle; and a first wall movable between a closed position engaging a first portion of the opening, and a first open position allowing access to the first portion of the opening. The aircraft has a member connected functionally to the first wall and in turn having at least one flat surface; and the member is movable with respect to the wall into a first position, in which the flat surface defines a supporting surface for the cradle when the first wall is in the first open position.

Abstract: A device for protecting an aircraft component from collision with a flying object, the device having: a main member rotating about an axis and subject to collision with a flying object; and diverting means connected angularly to the main member, also subject to collision with the flying object, and designed, in the event of collision of the main member with the flying object, to reduce the axial momentum of the flying object and divert the flying object radially with respect to the axis.

Abstract: A blade for an antitorque tail rotor of a helicopter, having a leading edge and a trailing edge opposite each other and elongated along a longitudinal axis of the blade; the trailing edge, in use, interacts with the air current after the leading edge; the blade also has an end portion extending between a reference section and a radially outer end of the blade with respect to a rotation axis of the blade; the rotation axis is outside the blade and crosswise with respect to the longitudinal axis; the length of the chord at the end portion decreases from the reference section to the radially outer end; and the leading and trailing edges are joined at the radially outer end.

Abstract: An aircraft capable of hovering, and having a fuselage in turn having a nose, a tail portion at the opposite end to the nose, and a cabin interposed between the nose and the tail portion; the cabin has a loading opening at the opposite end to the nose, and a first wall movable between a closed position engaging at least one portion of the loading opening, and an open position allowing free access to the portion of the loading opening; and, working from the tail portion towards the nose, the first wall in the open position extends on the opposite side of a first edge of the loading opening with respect to a second edge, opposite the first edge, of the loading opening.

Abstract: A helicopter having a rotor, a fuselage, and a transmission connected functionally to the rotor; the helicopter has a supporting body supporting at least the transmission, and connecting means having a first connecting member and at least one second connecting member connected to the supporting body and the fuselage respectively; and the connecting means have elastic means interposed between the first and second connecting member.

Abstract: A helicopter comprising a drive having an air intake conduit, a main rotor connected functionally to the drive and a transmission interposed functionally between the main rotor and the drive and housed in a housing. The helicopter further comprises at least one air intake having a first inlet fluidly connected to the intake conduit, at least one second inlet fluidly connected to the housing and deflecting means interacting, in use, with an airflow to divide the airflow into a first and a second airflow. The air intake also has guide means for guiding the first airflow along a first path extending from the deflecting means to the first inlet, and for guiding the second airflow along a second path separate from the first path and extending from the deflecting means to the second inlet.

Abstract: A lubricating pump having a first stage and a second stage; the first stage in turn has an intake connectable hydraulically to a tank of lubricating fluid, and a delivery outlet connectable hydraulically to a lubricated member; the first stage compresses the lubricating fluid from the tank to a pressure for supply to the member; the second stage in turn has an inlet connectable hydraulically to a casing housing the member, and an outlet connectable hydraulically to the tank; the second stage feeds the lubricating fluid in the casing back into the tank; the second stage is a Roots type, and has a first and a second rotor rotating about respective axes to feed the lubricating fluid from the inlet to the outlet; and the first and second rotor are operated by the first stage.