Abstract: An electric connector assembly is provided that is designed to provide a simple and reliable electric connection between a source of electric power on an aircraft and a plurality of electrical connections, such as those from stator windings, in an electric drive means powering an aircraft landing gear drive wheel. The plurality of drive means electrical connections are individually connected to power distribution elements designed to significantly reduce the number of connectors required to establish an electrical connection between the drive means and an aircraft power supply. The reduced number of connectors is directed out of the wheel and guided along a path by a path guide element to a connector element designed to connect directly with a wire harness or other connection with an aircraft source of electric power. This electric connector design facilitates disconnection and reconnection when removal and remounting of the drive wheel is required.

Abstract: A method for maximizing traction in an aircraft drive wheel powered by non-engine drive means controllable to move the aircraft on the ground without reliance on the aircraft's brakes and dependence on friction defined by a mu-slip curve. The non-engine drive means is operated to control wheel speed and maintain the powered drive wheel in a maximized optimal traction condition when driving torques are applied to the drive wheel. Traction can be automatically maximized and maintained within an optimal range defined by a relationship between slippage and braking for maximum efficiency of aircraft ground travel under a wide variety of surface, weather, temperature, tire, and other conditions.

Abstract: A method is provided for improving both landing gear wheel drive assembly performance and energy efficiency performance in an aircraft equipped with one or more landing gear wheel drive assemblies to move the aircraft autonomously on the ground without reliance on the aircraft's engines. Aircraft moved on the ground by thrust from aircraft engines may also show improved energy efficiency. The present method employs a discovered relationship between aircraft tyre pressure and landing gear wheel drive assembly performance and maintains aircraft tyre inflation pressure at an optimum high pressure that enhances both landing gear wheel drive assembly performance and aircraft energy efficiency while the aircraft are driven on the ground by the landing gear wheel drive assemblies. Operation of the landing gear wheel drive assembly may be automatically prevented by a failsafe mechanism when optimum high tyre inflation pressure levels are not maintained during aircraft ground travel.

Abstract: A permanent wireless onboard to ground operations communications system is provided for an aircraft equipped with a pilot-controllable drive wheel drive system for autonomous ground movement without reliance on the aircraft's engines or external tow vehicles, including an onboard wireless communications link installed to remain permanently with the aircraft designed to interface wirelessly with ground personnel at any airport, aerodrome, or airfield where the aircraft lands immediately upon landing. The permanent wireless onboard to ground operations communications system provides a substantially instantaneous connection between a pilot and ground personnel to facilitate guidance of pilot-controlled autonomous ground movement during taxi, parking in nose-in and parallel orientations, and pushback without reliance on visual signals.

Abstract: An airport terminal traffic and parking management system, which can be automated, is provided wherein one or more and preferably a plurality of the aircraft at an airport are moved on the ground between landing and takeoff without operation of aircraft engines or risks from jet blast and engine ingestion. Aircraft can be moved in a forward direction by tow vehicles, aircraft-moving transfer apparatus, or the like after landing to park in an efficient orientation relative to an airport terminal. Passengers deplaning and boarding and aircraft servicing can use all accessible aircraft doors to minimize time at a gate. Aircraft cleared for departure can be turned and moved in a forward direction to a takeoff runway, where the aircraft-moving apparatus is detached. Airport terminal aircraft traffic and parking are most effectively managed when a significant number of aircraft at an airport are moved by external vehicles as described.

Abstract: An auxiliary drive wheel taxi system for driving an aircraft autonomously without reliance on engine operation during ground travel is designed for installation in an aircraft location other than on nose or main landing gear components. The auxiliary drive wheel taxi system may be mounted in an integral housing located internally or externally on an aircraft's body at a selected location relative to main or nose landing gears and includes one or more auxiliary drive wheels mounted on an extensible strut adapted to extend from and retract into the housing. An electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic non-engine drive means controllable to provide torque required to rotate the drive wheel and drive the aircraft at desired taxi speeds may be mounted in a selected location to drive the auxiliary drive wheel. The manually or automatically controllable auxiliary taxi system is operable only to drive the aircraft during taxi.

Abstract: A system and method for setting, controlling, or maintaining a selected taxi speed and route for one or more aircraft equipped with an onboard non-engine powered drive means powering one or more aircraft wheels to move the aircraft during taxi is provided. Taxi speed and/or route can be set, maintained, or controlled by the aircraft pilot or ground traffic control in conjunction with taxi speed and travel of other aircraft and ground vehicles. A pilot activates a speed control to set and control taxi speed. The aircraft will automatically travel on the ground at that speed without input from the pilot until it is necessary to change the speed manually or automatically. Airport ground traffic control can generate taxi profiles for all non-engine driven aircraft to automatically control, subject to pilot capability to override, the taxi of multiple aircraft at an airport in conjunction with ground vehicle movement.

Abstract: A controllable aircraft taxi system is provided that enables the simultaneous control of aircraft autonomous ground movement and direction of aircraft autonomous ground movement. Independently controlled non-engine drive means capable of driving an aircraft landing gear wheel to move an aircraft autonomously on the ground without reliance on the aircraft's main engines are mounted to provide driving torque to aircraft a selected number of main landing gear wheels. The aircraft nose landing gear steering system is provided with steering angle detection and measurement means adapted to communicate with main landing gear wheel non-engine drive means, enabling simultaneous control over both autonomous aircraft ground travel and direction of autonomous aircraft ground travel. The present invention overcomes steering challenges presented by using non-engine drive means on main landing gear wheels to drive aircraft autonomously during taxi.

Abstract: An aircraft passenger boarding system is provided for aircraft equipped for pilot-controllable engines-off taxi that enables a pilot to drive the aircraft without engines in a forward direction into and out of an optimum parallel or angled gate parking orientation that permits terminal connections to both forward and aft doors on a terminal-facing side of the aircraft. Selected defined classes of passengers board the aircraft separately, through a designated loading bridge connected to a forward door or through a designated loading bridge connected to an aft door, to be seated in a designated front or rear aircraft section. An airline may flexibly allocate variably sized sections of the aircraft interior for each defined class, depending on the relative numbers of passengers in each class. Airport terminal interior gate space may be used to separate passenger classes as required for separate boarding through a forward door or an aft door.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel drive assembly, particularly useful in an aircraft, is provided. The vehicle wheel drive assembly is mounted completely within a space defined by structural dimensions of a vehicle wheel and includes a drive means controllable to power the wheel and move the vehicle autonomously on a ground surface, a gear assembly drivingly connected to the drive means, and a clutch assembly operatively connected to the gear assembly. The clutch assembly is operatively mounted with respect to the gear assembly completely within an interior portion of a vehicle wheel axle on which the wheel drive assembly is mounted, thereby maximizing the space functionally available for all of the other components of the wheel drive assembly.

Abstract: An aircraft drive wheel drive system is provided with a torque coupling clutch assembly that transfers torque to a roller traction drive system actuating a non-engine drive means to drive an aircraft landing gear wheel and move the aircraft autonomously in a desired ground direction and at a desired ground speed. The wheel drive system and clutch assembly are mounted completely within the wheel where the clutch assembly is selectively engaged to control torque transmission to the drive system, which selectively transfers actuating torque to the non-engine drive means. A preferred selectable one way clutch is adapted to controllably transfer torque to the wheel drive system and has both failsafe overrunning and selective engagement capability in one or both rotational directions so that torque required to drive the aircraft wheel and move the aircraft at a desired ground speed and direction is transferred only when required by aircraft operating conditions.

Abstract: A torque transmission system is provided for an aircraft drive wheel drive system mounted on nose or main landing gear wheels to move the aircraft autonomously on the ground that effectively transmits torque through drive system components. The drive system includes a drive means capable of generating sufficient torque to move the aircraft, a drive system capable of generating a high torque capacity that activates the drive means, a clutch assembly that can be selectively engaged to control torque transmission to the drive system and activate the drive means, and a landing gear torque takeout element. The clutch assembly is configured to be inactivated and prevented from transmitting torque to other drive wheel drive system components when an overtorque event occurs. Aircraft drive wheel drive system components in the present torque transmission system are designed to withstand torque in excess of a determined maximum for the system.

Abstract: A method for improving ground movement capability and enhancing stealth in unmanned aerial vehicles is provided. The present method comprises providing, in an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with wheels, one or more onboard drive means capable of translating torque through the vehicle wheels and controllable to move the unmanned aerial vehicle on the ground without reliance on the unmanned aerial vehicle main motive power source. The onboard drive means is controllably powered by a power source with substantially no acoustic signature to move the unmanned aerial vehicle quietly on the ground with only a minimal audible or visible footprint. This method provides a significant expansion of ground movement capability and expands the potential ground uses of unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly in military applications. The present method can also be applied to move any manned aerial vehicle or aircraft on the ground with only minimal audible or visible footprints.

Abstract: A powered clutch assembly is provided for an aircraft landing gear or other vehicle wheel drive system equipped with wheel drive motors controllable to move the aircraft or vehicle during ground travel. Electric power for the clutch assembly is transferred to clutch actuation elements by a rotary power transfer assembly mounted between stationary and rotating elements within the landing gear wheel drive system to clutch actuation elements. Actuation elements are powered to securely lock clutch rotating elements when required to improve the reliability of failsafe operation of the clutch assembly when torque should not be transferred and to unlock clutch rotating elements when torque should be transferred when the landing gear wheel drive system is used to drive the aircraft during ground travel. Power transferred from the rotary power transfer assembly may also be used to operate components associated with the aircraft drive wheel other than the powered clutch assembly.

Abstract: A method is provided for maximizing efficiency of ground travel in aircraft equipped with landing gear wheel-mounted non-engine drive motors for autonomous ground travel. Selective operation of the non-engine drive motors and selective operation of the aircraft's engines are integrated to power aircraft movement when different ground travel speeds or airport ground travel conditions require operation of engines or non-engine drive motors for optimal efficiency of aircraft ground travel. The non-engine drive motors may be specifically designed to move aircraft at lower speeds optimal for ground maneuvers in a ramp area or elsewhere, and one or more of the aircraft's engines may be operated at a thrust level that moves the aircraft efficiently at higher taxi speeds.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for defining, optimizing, and controlling taxi profiles for aircraft equipped with onboard non-engine drive means controllable to drive one or more nose or main landing gear wheels to drive an aircraft autonomously during taxi. An onboard taxi profile control system may employ smart software to determine selected taxi operational data at an airport and use this data to control and maintain torque of the drive means at desired selected levels that move the aircraft during taxi in response to determined taxi data or predetermined programmed taxi parameters. The system is designed to set default taxi profiles for each taxi cycle to achieve efficient aircraft taxi and to extend operational life of drive means components. Taxi profiles are modified and updated at periodic intervals or in real time in response to actual taxi conditions to optimize aircraft taxi at a specific airport.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel drive assembly, particularly useful in an aircraft, is provided. The vehicle wheel drive assembly is mounted completely within a space defined by structural dimensions of a vehicle wheel and includes drive means controllable to power the wheel and move the vehicle autonomously on a ground surface, a gear assembly drivingly connected to the drive means, and a clutch assembly operatively connected to the gear assembly. The clutch assembly is operatively mounted with respect to the gear assembly completely within an interior portion of a vehicle wheel axle on which the wheel drive assembly is mounted, thereby maximizing the space functionally available for all of the other components of the wheel drive assembly.

Abstract: An identification system and method are provided for aircraft equipped with electric taxi systems for autonomous ground movement that enables airport ground personnel and others outside the aircraft to safely and easily identify the aircraft moving on ground surfaces at an airport as equipped with a pilot-controlled electric taxi system and to distinguish these aircraft from aircraft not moved by electric taxi systems. The identification system may be mounted with nose or main landing gear drive wheels supporting the electric taxi system. The identification system includes an identifying lighting system with lighting elements of a selected number, shape, color, or arrangement positioned on at least a visible face of one or more landing gear wheels. Automatic or manual controls may actuate the identification system to identify electric taxi system-equipped aircraft when the aircraft are moved with the electric taxi system or are stopped.

Abstract: A compact in-wheel vehicle motor and gearing system designed to meet high power and torque requirements for driving a vehicle on the ground independently of other power sources is provided. The motor and gearing system includes a motor assembly with an outside rotor element mounted for rotation about an inside stator element and a gear assembly with a plurality of gear stages mounted inside the stator and drivingly connected to the motor assembly. The motor assembly and gear assembly are mounted interiorly of the wheel and completely within a space defined by the internal dimensions of the wheel. This motor and gearing system can be effectively installed in an existing aircraft wheel without changes to other components to produce a drive wheel with the torque and power required to move the aircraft independently on the ground.

Abstract: A bearing arrangement for an aircraft landing gear wheel is provided that effectively supports the wheel on an axle while maximizing internal wheel volume available for mounting a non-engine drive motor used to power the wheel and/or brakes or other structures within the maximized wheel volume. The bearing arrangement is preferably employed with a two-part aircraft wheel mounted on a landing gear axle and includes bearing structures located only on wheel sections adjacent to the axle. A specifically configured cantilevered joint portion of inboard and outboard wheel sections supports weight and loads bearing structures, eliminating the need for and space required by a high speed bearing. Stiffness necessary for strength and structural integrity is provided by the materials selected to form the wheel sections.