Abstract: The bearing system is configured for treating and reacting dynamic loading within a rotor hub of rotorcraft. The bearing system includes an outer member having a plurality of alternating outer elastomeric layers and shim layers. The outer member has an inboard surface configured for bonding to an inboard bearing support, and the outer member has an outboard surface configured for bonding to an outboard bearing support. The bearing system has an inner member bonded to an interior surface of the outer member. The inner member can include a rigid inner core, as well as a plurality of elastomeric layers and shim layers configured to react torsional movements of the rotor blade.

Abstract: An inflight connection system for aircraft having at least one wing with a wingtip includes, for each aircraft, a primary connector selectively extendable from the wingtip, an alignment connector selectively extendable from the wingtip and a male and female connector assembly disposed proximate the wingtip. The primary connectors extend a greater distance from the wingtips than the alignment connectors such that the primary connectors form a first connection between the aircraft when the aircraft are flying in a connection pattern. Thereafter, retraction of the primary connectors reduces wingtip separation of the aircraft such that the alignment connectors form a second connection between the aircraft establishing coarse alignment therebetween. Thereafter, retraction of the primary and alignment connectors further reduces wingtip separation of the aircraft such that the male and female connector assemblies form a third connection between the aircraft establishing fine alignment therebetween.

Abstract: An aspect provides an aircraft including a fuselage and a cross-flow fan system attached to the fuselage. The cross-flow fan system including a cross-flow fan assembly associated with a rotatable wing member having an exterior aerodynamic surface. In one aspect, there is provided an aircraft with a fuselage having a forward portion and an aft portion; a first cross-flow fan system rotatably attached to the left side of the forward portion of the fuselage; a second cross-flow fan system rotatably attached to the right side of the forward portion of the fuselage; a third cross-flow fan system rotatably attached to the left side of the aft portion of the fuselage; and a fourth cross-flow fan system rotatably attached to the right side of the aft portion of the fuselage.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a rotorcraft includes a fuselage, a tailboom, a drive system and a variable thrust cross-flow fan system. The cross-flow fan system includes a cross-flow fan assembly that is mechanically coupled to a drive shaft and operable to rotate with the drive shaft about a longitudinal axis. The cross-flow fan assembly includes first and second driver plates having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted therebetween. The blades are disposed radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis and have a generally circular path of travel when the cross-flow fan assembly rotates about the longitudinal axis. The blades are moveable between a plurality of pitch angle configurations. A control assembly is coupled to the blades. The control assembly is operable to change the pitch angle configuration of the blades to generate variable thrust at a substantially constant rotational speed of the cross-flow fan assembly.

Abstract: A variable thrust cross-flow fan system for an aircraft including a rotatable wing member having a first housing member; an actuator assembly operably coupled to the first housing member; and a variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly including a first and second driver plates having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted therebetween. The plurality of blades has a circular path of travel when rotating and includes a control assembly coupled to the plurality of blades to generate a variable thrust force. The control assembly includes a control cam that is substantially non-rotatable relative to the first and second driver plates and a hinge member that is fixedly connected to the control cam and to the first housing member at a hinge axis. Rotation of the first housing member by the actuator assembly imparts rotation of the control cam about the hinge axis, thereby changing the direction of the variable thrust force.

Abstract: In one aspect, there is provided an aircraft, including a fuselage having a longitudinal axis extending from a front portion through an aft portion; first and second tail members extending from the aft portion; a first cross-flow fan system rotatably mounted to the first tail member; and a second cross-flow fan system rotatably mounted to the second tail member. The first and second cross-flow fan systems are configured to provide a forward thrust vector and an anti-torque vector on the aircraft. The first and second cross-flow fan systems can have a rotational axis oriented generally vertically. In another aspect, there is an aircraft including a fuselage having a front portion and a tail portion; and a cross-flow fan system supported by the tail portion. Embodiments include a cross-flow fan system retrofittable onto an aircraft and methods for retrofitting an aircraft with a cross-flow fan system.

Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of a vehicle prime mover based on the engagement status of one or more safety restraints of the vehicle. In various implementations the method comprises monitoring, via a RPM controller of the vehicle, an operational status of vehicle, monitoring, via the RPM controller, the engagement status at least one passenger safety restraint of the vehicle, and limiting, via the RPM controller, a rotational speed, e.g., revolutions per minute (RPM) of one or more prime mover of the vehicle when the vehicle is in a On operational status and the at least one safety restraint is in a disengaged status.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a first rotor assembly, a second rotor assembly, and a rotor phase angle control system. The system includes a phase adjustor operably associated with the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly. The method includes sensing vibrations exerted on the aircraft and offsetting a phase angle of the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly to minimize the vibrations.

Abstract: One aspect of a process to inspect a composite component includes traversing multiple ultrasonic probe array portions on respective multiple component surfaces of the composite component. The multiple component surfaces are either separate from or at angles to each other. The process includes simultaneously passing an ultrasonic signal into the multiple component surfaces through the multiple ultrasonic probe array portions. The process also includes receiving a response to the ultrasonic signal through the multiple ultrasonic probe array portions.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a linear control motor includes a first permanent magnet, a coil, a first magnetic material, a shaft, and a first non-magnetic material. The first non-magnetic material is disposed between at least one of the movable components and at least one of the static components and operable to prevent physical contact between at least one of the movable components and at least one of the static components.

Abstract: A valve with supplemental media and a piston configured to open the valve when a first force is greater than a second force. The pressure of the supplemental media exerts a substantial portion of the first force. The valve also has a biasing member that changes volume as temperature changes and exerts a substantial portion of the second force. The second force decreases as the temperature of the biasing member increases.

Abstract: A laminated elastomeric bearing has layers of elastomeric material and layers of metal. A tab is located on a periphery of one of the layers of metal and protrudes from the bearing. A thermoelectric device is coupled to the tab, and heat generated within the bearing during use is conducted to the tab and to the thermoelectric device, allowing for measurement of the heat.

Abstract: The vibration suppression system includes a vibration isolator located in each corner in a four corner pylon mount structural assembly. The combination of four vibration isolators, two being forward of the transmission, and two being aft of the transmission, collectively are effective at isolating main rotor vertical shear, pitch moment, as well as roll moment induced vibrations. Each opposing pair of vibration isolators can efficiently react against the moment oscillations because the moment can be decomposed into two antagonistic vertical oscillations at each vibration isolator. A pylon structure extends between a pair of vibration isolators thereby allowing the vibration isolators to be spaced a away from a vibrating body to provide increased control.

Abstract: A flight control system having a control law, the control law operable to generate a modified pitch command, the modified pitch command representing a greater amount of collective pitch compared to an amount of collective pitch generated by a first pitch command, the modified pitch command being generated because a vertical descent speed of the rotorcraft at a given forward airspeed is greater than a threshold. A method of avoiding entry into an undesired vertical descent speed region during operation of a rotorcraft, including measuring a forward airspeed; evaluating a vertical descent of the rotorcraft; and generating a modified collective pitch command in respond to a first collective pitch command having a collective pitch value that would cause the rotorcraft to experience a vertical descent rate greater than a threshold value at the forward airspeed of the rotorcraft.

Abstract: A rotor blade system includes a hub assembly pivotally attached to a rotor blade, a mast attached to the hub assembly, and a swashplate engaged with the mast, the swashplate includes a non-rotating ring and a rotating ring. The method to raise the swashplate includes using an anti-drive link system pivotally engaged with a transmission top case and pivotally engaged with the non-rotating ring.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a linear control motor includes a first permanent magnet, a coil, a shaft, a first non-magnetic material, and a joint coupled between the shaft and a spool operable to convert rotations of the shaft into axial movements of the spool. The first non-magnetic material is disposed between at least one of the movable components and at least one of the static components and operable to prevent physical contact between at least one of the movable components and at least one of the static components.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a rotorcraft includes an engine, a rotor hub assembly mechanically coupled to the engine and a plurality of rotor blade assemblies rotatably mounted to the rotor hub assembly. Each of the rotor blade assemblies includes a rotor blade having a leading edge and an erosion shield system extending spanwise along the leading edge of the rotor blade. The erosion shield system includes a plurality of erosion shield segments positioned adjacent to one another forming joints therebetween wherein, the joints deform responsive to strain experienced by the rotor blade, thereby isolating the erosion shield segments from at least a portion of the strain experienced by the rotor blade.

Abstract: An all-terrain vehicle is provided comprising a chassis, four wheels and a passenger compartment that includes a passenger seating structure. The vehicle additionally comprises a drivetrain operatively connected to at least one of the wheels comprising at least one drive shaft and at least one torque transfer device. Furthermore the vehicle includes a prime mover that is mounted to the chassis forward of the seating structure and operatively connected to the drivetrain. The prime mover is structured and operable to provide motive force to at least one of the wheels. In various instances the prime mover is mounted to the chassis such that it has a longitudinal orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Additionally, in various instances wherein the torque transfer device is a transmission, the transmission is mounted such that it has a longitudinal orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a constant velocity (CV) joint includes a first yoke, a second yoke, and three bearings. The first yoke is configured to be rotatably coupled to an input device about a first axis and configured to receive the input device through a first opening. The second yoke is rotatably coupled to the first yoke about a second axis and rotatably coupled to an output device about a third axis. The first bearing is disposed about the first axis adjacent to the first yoke, the second bearing is disposed about the second axis adjacent to the first yoke or the second yoke, and the third bearing disposed about the third axis adjacent to the second yoke. The first and third bearings torsionally constrain movement the first yoke and the second yoke so as to achieve a substantially CV characteristic between the input device and the output device.

Abstract: A system and method to detect non-ferrous debris from a non-ferrous roller bearing element. The system includes a trap in fluid communication with a lubrication fluid of the non-ferrous bearing and a sensor operably associate with the trap. The method includes trapping the non-ferrous material debris in the lubrication fluid with the trap and triggering the sensor upon detection of the non-ferrous material debris trapped within the trap.