Abstract: An aircraft includes a variable-speed gearbox. The variable-speed gearbox includes a low-speed gear train and a high-speed gear train, each gear train of which is configured to selectively provide torque from an engine of the aircraft to a proprotor. The variable-speed gearbox also includes a hydraulic system configured to provide torque to the proprotor. The hydraulic system includes a hydraulic pump driven by the engine of the tiltrotor aircraft and a variable-displacement motor driven by a hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods of preparing a composite structure comprising: placing a first ply of a fibrous material with a curable material on a layup tool; adding one or more additional plies on the first ply, wherein each of the one or more additional plies has a perimeter that is different in size around the perimeter than a previous ply to form a taper; and curing the composite structure, wherein the curable material is selected to minimize, limit, control, or eliminate the outflow of the curable material along the perimeter of the composite structure during the curing step.

Abstract: One embodiment is a navigation system for an aircraft including a positioning system to generate information related to a position of the aircraft, a group of cameras mounted to a body of the aircraft, each camera of the group of cameras to simultaneously capture images of a portion of an environment that surrounds the aircraft, and a processing component coupled to the positioning system and the group of cameras, the processing component to determine a current position of the aircraft based on the information related to the position of the aircraft and the images.

Abstract: One embodiment is an apparatus comprising an aircraft and an aerial network communications system associated with the aircraft. The network communications system may comprise an antenna physically connected to an outside surface of the aircraft; and a transceiver electrically connected to the antenna. The aerial network communications system receives signals from and transmits signals to an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) via a communications network comprising a control station and a plurality of airborne network nodes.

Abstract: The present invention includes a balancing system that includes a weight box, mounted substantially within the rotor-blade spar, flush with a rotor-blade spar outer surface, operably accessible from a rotor-blade tip, and retained within the rotor-blade spar by a weight-box retention pin, one or more weight-box contact surfaces bonded to a rotor-blade-spar inner surface, or a weight-box lip providing a bearing contact with an edge of a spar rotor-blade spar cutout; and a weight package attached to the weight box, the weight package including a weight-box cover, two or more weight guide-rods attached to the weight-box cover, wherein one of the two or more weight guide-rods is positioned forward of a pitch change axis or center of twist and wherein one of the two weight guide-rods is positioned aft of the pitch change axis or center of twist, and one or more balance weights mounted on the weight guide-rods.

Abstract: A system and method for providing supplemental power includes: a motor-generator or a hydraulic pump-motor configured to attach to a transmission of an engine, a controller connected to the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor, and a battery system or a hydraulic accumulator coupled to the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor, respectively. During normal operation of the engine, the engine drives the transmission to rotate rotor blades connected to the transmission, and the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor draws an energy from the transmission and store the energy in the battery system or the hydraulic accumulator, respectively. Upon a manual and/or an automatic control by the controller, the battery system or the hydraulic accumulator discharges the energy to the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor, respectively, and the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor provides the supplemental power to drive the transmission to rotate the rotor blades.

Abstract: A method of selectively preventing flapping of a rotor hub includes providing a flapping lock proximate to a rotor hub and shaft assembly and moving the flapping lock from an unlocked position to a locked position, the flapping lock operable in the locked position to prevent at least some flapping movement of the rotor hub relative to the shaft, the flapping lock operable in the unlocked position to allow the at least some flapping movement of the rotor hub relative to the shaft.

Abstract: An exemplary autonomous seabased resupply system includes an unmanned blob positioned in a water body, the blob containing fuel, a pump on the blob configured to pump the fuel through a conduit to a craft, and a ballast system operable to change a vertical position of the blob in the water body.

Abstract: An exemplary passive oil system includes a reservoir housing configured in operation to rotate around a rotational axis, the reservoir housing defining a reservoir between a top wall, a bottom wall, innermost side, and an outer sidewall; and an outlet positioned adjacent the outer sidewall to discharge a lubrication fluid contained in the reservoir in response to the reservoir housing rotating around the rotational axis.

Abstract: The present invention includes a passive hub flapping lock including stop wedges; frames coupled to the stop wedges; rods coupled to the frames, and each rod comprising a bracket; lever arms, each lever arm rotatably coupled to a pivot and coupled at a first lever arm end to one of the rods at the bracket of the rod; weight sets, each weight set coupled to a second lever arm end; and pivot torsion springs, each pivot torsion spring positioned at a pivot and biased to hold the flapping lock in an engaged position when stationary or at a rotational speed below a specified rotational speed; wherein the flapping lock is in an engaged position below the specified rotational speed and in a disengaged position above the specified rotational speed and the weight sets move outward, rotating the lever arms.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a maneuverable capture device includes a frame, a plurality of rotors secured to the frame, an attachment point disposed on the frame for securing a cable of a carrier aircraft to the frame, and an attachment feature configured to secure maneuverable capture device to a dock of a parasite aircraft. In an embodiment, a method of docking a maneuverable capture device with a parasite aircraft includes positioning a carrier aircraft above a parasite aircraft, releasing the maneuverable capture device attached to the carrier aircraft by a cable from the carrier aircraft, flying the maneuverable capture device to a dock of the parasite aircraft, and securing the maneuverable capture device to the dock of the parasite aircraft.

Abstract: A rotor assembly including a rotor mast, a rotor hub coupled to the rotor mast, a plurality of rotor blades coupled to the rotor hub, a control tube extending through the rotor mast, a crosshead coupled to the control tube, and a mechanism configured to drive the rotor mast in rotation. Wherein the mechanism is longitudinally positioned between a top portion and a bottom portion of the control tube and translation of the control tube relative to the rotor mast causes rotation of the rotor blades about their pitch-change axes. While the crosshead is installed, the crosshead is prevented from angular rotation about the mast axis.

Abstract: A hub assembly for a ducted-rotor aircraft includes a plurality of stator supports, a first integral fitting that attaches to first ends of the stator supports, and a second integral fitting that attaches to second ends of the stator supports. The first fitting includes a plurality of motor attachment portions configured to locate and support a motor of the ducted-rotor aircraft, a plurality of fairing mounts configured to support attachment of an aerodynamic fairing to the hub assembly, and a plurality of stator locators configured to locate respective ones of the plurality of stator supports for attachment to the hub assembly. The first fitting has a body portion with an annular wall that supports the motor attachment portions, the fairing mounts, and the stator locators. The first fitting may be fabricated as a monolith that includes the body portion, motor attachment portions, fairing mounts, and stator locators.

Abstract: A duct for a ducted-rotor aircraft may include internal structural components such as a spindle that is supported by a fuselage of the aircraft, first and second annular spars that are attached to an end of the spindle, a central hub that supports a motor of the aircraft, a plurality of stators that extend from the central hub to the second spar, and a plurality of ribs that are attached to the first spar and the second spar at respective opposed ends. The spindle may include an attachment interface to which the first and second spars are attached. The attachment interface may be disposed at the second end of the spindle. The attachment interface may define first and second arc-shaped planar surfaces to which the first and second spars, respectively, are attached.

Abstract: An aerial resupply system (ARS) including a supply aircraft. The supply aircraft includes at least one of supply fuel, an ordinance, and data. The supply aircraft also includes a retractable boom system (RBS) configured for selective stowage within a fuselage of the supply aircraft and configured to supply at least one of supply fuel, the ordinance, and data to a location external to the fuselage.

Abstract: A duct for a ducted-rotor aircraft may include an internal structure and an aerodynamic exterior skin that is adhesively bonded to the internal structure. The skin may include a leading-edge portion disposed at an inlet of the duct and an inner portion disposed along an interior of the duct. The inner portion of the skin may be bonded to the internal structure with a first bondline of adhesive and the leading-edge portion of the skin may be bonded to the inner portion of the skin with a second bondline of adhesive. One or both of the first and second bondlines of adhesive may be of non-uniform thickness to take up tolerance stackups between the inner portion of the skin, the leading-edge portion of the skin, and the internal structure.