Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for controlling speed of an aircraft during an autonomous pushback maneuver, i.e. under the aircraft's own power without a pushback tractor. The method includes applying a torque to at least one landing gear wheel of the aircraft, the torque being in a direction opposite to the backwards rolling direction of rotation of the landing gear wheel. The torque applied does not exceed a limit for ensuring aircraft longitudinal stability. For longitudinal stability the torque applied should not cause the aircraft to risk a tip-over event.

Abstract: Method for selecting a sea clutter training area in polarimetric synthetic aperture radar input data. A sea clutter reference distribution for a pixel magnitude value is provided. Based on the input data, one or more parameters of the reference distribution and a global covariance matrix are computed. The pixels are grouped into blocks. A block that minimizes a cost function is pre-selected, the cost function being derived from empirical moments of the block and moments of the reference distribution. A goodness-of-fit is computed for the pre-selected block with respect to the reference distribution. If the goodness-of-fit is sufficient, the block is selected as sea clutter training area. Otherwise, the steps of preselecting and computing a goodness of fit are repeated.

Abstract: An operating device for operating at least one door of an aircraft comprises a chassis that is fixed and secured to a fuselage of the aircraft, a control handle that is rotationally and translationally movable with respect to the chassis, a mechanism for converting a rotational movement of the control handle into an opening movement of the door. The translational movement allows the control handle to be in an in position in which it is aligned with the exterior surface of the fuselage and an out position in which it projects beyond the exterior surface of the fuselage. The control handle includes a cylindrical body and a head connected to one end of the body. The head of the control handle includes a fixed part rigidly connected to the body of the control handle and extending perpendicular thereto, and a movable part rotatably connected to the body and having a folded-down position against the fixed part and a deployed position in which the control handle has a T shape.

Abstract: A multifunctional pod for an aircraft has at least two separate regions. At least one first region of the pod is provided for receiving fuel. A second region of the pod includes at least one receiving device for releasably attaching at least one additional load. The additional load can be releasably attached to the receiving device via a loading opening on the side of the pod facing away from the aircraft.

Abstract: A panel structure for a vehicle, and especially for an aircraft or spacecraft, includes an area member, especially a skin member, that defines an areal expanse with a first surface and an opposite second surface and having a thickness between the first and second surfaces; and a plurality of elongate stiffener members which are attached to the area member and extend over at least one of the first and second surfaces; wherein at least one of the stiffener members is bifurcated at a bifurcation point into two or more branch stiffener members.

Abstract: A system for the recovery and management of atmospheric gas is disclosed, such as for use as a vehicle propellant in a vehicle propulsion system. The system can include a compressor configured to compress atmospheric gas and first and second storage tanks configured to store liquefied atmospheric gas from the compressor. The second storage tank can have a heater operable to heat liquefied atmospheric gas therein to convert it to a high pressure gas. The second storage tank includes an outlet duct fluidly coupled to the first storage tank for supplying high pressure gas to the first storage tank.

Abstract: A joint connector ring includes a connector body formed as a hollow cylinder defining a hollow surrounding a connector opening, and an annular groove formed in a top surface of the cylindrical connector body as a trench running circumferentially around the cylindrical connector body and having an approximately constant depth within the connector body.

Abstract: A system for monitoring scheduled turnaround activities and alerting on time deviation from the scheduled turnaround activities is disclosed. The system includes a ground computing station system, an aircraft on-board system, a cloud, and user interface. The cloud is communicatively coupled to the ground station computing system and the aircraft on-board system. The cloud includes processor and memory. The memory includes an analytics module to obtain actual start and end time stamps associated with scheduled turnaround activities, from touchdown to takeoff of an aircraft, from aircraft on-board systems and a ground station system. The analytics module to determine time deviation of scheduled turnaround activities by analyzing the obtained actual start and end time stamps. The user interface to present each scheduled turnaround activity and determined time deviation of the scheduled turnaround activities.

Abstract: A method of conditioning oxygen depleted air (ODA) exhausted from a fuel cell comprising the steps of; taking fuel from an aircraft fuel tank collector cell, delivering said fuel to a rear mounted engine via a primary heat exchanger, taking exhaust ODA from a fuel cell, passing the ODA through the primary heat exchanger in the opposite direction to the fuel, such that the fuel acts as a heat sink for the ODA, to cool the ODA, passing the ODA through a dryer, to dry the ODA and using the cooled, dried ODA to inert fuel in the aircraft fuel tank.

Abstract: The invention relates to a flight management assembly (1) comprising two guidance chains (2A, 2B), each one provided with a flight management system (3A, 3B), each of said flight management systems (3A, 3B) carrying out at least one calculation of guidance instructions for the aircraft, the flight management assembly (1) also comprising at least one monitoring unit (4A, 4B) designed to monitor the guidance instructions calculated by the two flight management systems (3A, 3B) in such a way as to be able to detect and identify a defective flight management system, the monitoring unit (4A, 4B) comprising a monitoring device (5) which verifies particularly whether the following three conditions are met: a first derivative of extrapolated cross tracks is positive; a second derivative of extrapolated cross tracks is positive; and extrapolated positions of the aircraft are on the same side of an active segment of the flight plan followed by the aircraft as the current position of the aircraft.

Abstract: An aircraft with a fuselage that comprises at least one hollow beam element, wherein the at least one hollow beam element accommodates at least one hollow duct element that comprises a tubular duct element wall, and wherein at least one protective spacer is arranged between the tubular duct element wall and the at least one hollow beam element such that free space is available between the tubular duct element wall and the at least one hollow beam element.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe for inspecting a bore opening onto a peripheral surface includes an offcentring device which includes at least two strips which are elastically deformable, connected to the ultrasound probe and configured to keep the emission head of the ultrasound probe pressed firmly against the wall of the bore that is to be inspected.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe for inspecting a bore opening onto a peripheral surface, includes a coupling support which has: a through-orifice to allow the ultrasound probe to pass through, a contact face, which has an external diameter greater than the diameter of the bore to be inspected and is configured to be pressed against the peripheral surface of the bore in order to close the bore.

Abstract: A method and device for assisting initiation of a flare maneuver of an aircraft during a landing. The device includes an acquisition unit for acquiring current values of flight parameters of the aircraft, including the current height of the aircraft with respect to the ground, a computation unit for computing a first reference height and a second reference height, corresponding to a height starting from which the aircraft attains a current start of flare height while maintaining its current descent conditions over a predetermined first duration and over a predetermined second duration respectively, and an acoustic emission unit for emitting at least two sound signals in the cockpit of the aircraft, namely a first sound signal when the current height of the aircraft attains the first reference height during the descent and a second sound signal when the current height of the aircraft attains the second reference height during descent.

Abstract: To provide an improved guiding of visually impaired passengers on-board a vehicle, a vehicle guidance system for guiding visually impaired passengers on-board a vehicle includes an interior space on-board the vehicle with at least one cabin zone at least one movement area and at least one seating zone located in the cabin interior space, and at least one guiding handrail. The guiding handrail is mounted at least along a part of the cabin zone in the vicinity of the movement area. The guiding handrail is a tactile guide, along which a passenger can be guided for movement within the cabin zone by a touching contact with the guiding handrail. The guiding handrail is provided with visually highlighted information and manually touchable information, both related to cabin information. The guiding handrail is mounted above the seating zone, and within reach of a passenger present in the adjacent movement area.

Abstract: A method for masking communication signals, particularly for masking terrestrial RF communication signals on board of an aircraft, includes parallelizing a first information data stream to be transmitted on a first LTE transmission channel. The first LTE transmission channel has a first channel transmission bandwidth and at least one guard band adjacent to the channel transmission bandwidth. The first information data stream is spread over mutually orthogonal data subcarriers within the first channel transmission bandwidth. A CAZAC sequence is generated. The generated CAZAC sequence is spread over guard band subcarriers within the at least one guard band. The first information data stream is transmitted over the data subcarriers in parallel to the CAZAC sequence over the guard band subcarriers.

Abstract: A braking control system for an aircraft having braking wheels, the braking control system being configured to receive input of signals from sensors representative of a plurality of measured aircraft parameters, and to output a plurality of brake commands to brakes associated with the braking wheels, wherein the braking control system includes a health monitoring system for determining the operability and/or reliability of the sensor signals and/or of the braking wheels, and a task manager for automatically self-reconfiguring the braking control system so as to change the manner in which the braking control system utilises the input signals in the event that the health monitoring system judges a failure of one or more of the braking wheels or sensor signals. Also a method for operating an aircraft having a plurality of braking wheels.

Abstract: A device for checking at least one pressurized testing tool for a fluid circuit of an aircraft includes at least one tank that includes at least one connection to connect a pressurized gas supply and at least one connection system arranged to connect at least one pressurized testing tool. This device makes it possible to perform preventive checks on pressurized testing tools without having to immobilize an aeroplane on an assembly line.

Abstract: A load bearing element for attachment of a heat generating unit to a heat sensitive supporting structure, wherein said load bearing element includes at least one body integrally formed by additive layer manufacturing, ALM. The body is adapted to provide a controlled heat transfer from said heat generating unit to said heat sensitive supporting structure.

Abstract: A front engine attachment, intended to fix an engine to a structure of an aircraft, includes a first attachment including a base intended to be fixed to the structure, a first fixture articulated on the base, two first connecting rods, each being articulated by a first end to the engine and by a second end to the fixture, and a first cylindrical nose mounted on the base. The front engine attachment includes a second attachment including a cradle including an orifice into which the cylindrical nose is fitted, and a second cylindrical nose being threaded into a piercing of the engine, and two second connecting rods, each being intended to be articulated by a first end to the engine, and by a second end to the cradle.