Abstract: A pitch horn assembly for an aircraft including a blade attachment member having a first end, a second end configured to be coupled to a rotor blade; and a blade attachment axis extending between the first end and the second end of the blade attachment member; a moveable arm configured to be coupled to the blade attachment member at a pitch horn axis, the moveable arm having a first end configured to be coupled to a pitch link; a second end; and a moveable arm axis extending between the first end and the second end of the moveable arm; an extendable member configured to be coupled to the blade attachment member and the moveable arm of the pitch horn, wherein the extendable member moves the moveable arm about the pitch horn axis. An embodiment provides a method of adjusting a pitch-flap coupling in an aircraft.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a flying frame and a pod assembly that is selectively attached to the flying frame. The pod assembly has an aerodynamic outer shape. The flying frame includes an airframe having first and second wings, a propulsion system attached to the airframe and a flight control system operably associated with the propulsion system. The flying frame has a vertical takeoff and landing mode in which the first wing is forward of the pod assembly and the second wing is aft of the pod assembly. The flying frame has a forward flight mode in which the first wing is below the pod assembly and the second wing is above the pod assembly. The flying frame is operable for flight both with the pod assembly and without the pod assembly attached thereto. The flying frame is operable to jettison the pod assembly during flight.

Abstract: An aircraft has a fuselage, an engine disposed within the fuselage, a rotatable wing disposed above the fuselage and selectively rotatable about a wing rotation axis, and a plurality of interconnect driveshafts disposed within the rotatable wing, and at least one drive system component that is connected between the engine and the interconnect driveshaft is disposed along the wing rotation axis.

Abstract: A flight control system includes a pilot control module configured to receive commands from a pilot, a flight control module operable to transmit an instruction to change at least one operating condition of an aircraft, and a flight control computer in communication between the flight control module and the pilot control module. The flight control computer is configured to receive a pilot command to change a first flight characteristic, wherein changing the first flight characteristic would result in an expected change to a second flight characteristic. The flight control computer may instruct the flight control module to transmit an instruction to change a first operating condition of the aircraft and instruct the flight control module to transmit an instruction to change a second operating condition of the aircraft to at least partially offset the expected change to the second flight characteristic.

Abstract: An engine mount assembly for coupling an engine to an airframe. The engine mount assembly includes a torsion bar coupled between the engine and the airframe. The torsion bar includes an external spline. The engine mount assembly also includes a bell crank having a clamp forming an internal spline with the internal spline of the bell crank adapted to mate with the external spline of the torsion bar to secure the bell crank to the torsion bar such that the bell crank rotates with the torsion bar responsive to movements of the engine.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a rotor yoke comprising two longitudinal side portions interconnected by two outboard portions, wherein a center portion of each longitudinal side portion comprises a build-up of material that is configured to accommodate a yoke hub clamp. Included is an apparatus comprising a rotor yoke comprising two longitudinal side portions interconnected by two outboard portions, wherein no apertures pass through the two longitudinal side portions and the two outboard portions. Also included is a method of coupling aircraft blades comprising providing a rotor yoke comprising two longitudinal side portions interconnected by two outboard portions, wherein no apertures pass through the two longitudinal side portions and the two outboard portions.

Abstract: A gear includes a toothed portion that has a plurality of teeth, an inner wall that defines a cavity, and a lubricant feed aperture. The lubricant feed aperture extends from the inner wall portion to a surface of a tooth. The lubricant feed aperture can deliver lubricant from the cavity to the surface of the tooth.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a shaft, a rotor, and a cam surface. The shaft comprises a spiral spline along a length of the shaft. The rotor comprises a blade extending from the rotor and a tubular hole extending into the rotor. The tubular hole comprises a spiral groove configured to mate with the spiral spline on the shaft. Relative rotation between the spiral spline and the spiral groove causes the rotor to linearly move along the shaft. The cam surface comprising a recession. The blade nesting in the recession to constrains rotation of the rotor about the shaft and allows linear movement of the rotor along the shaft.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a quality analyzer receives aerodynamic performance data for a part that has been manufactured according to a design. The aerodynamic performance data expresses aerodynamic performance of the part as calculated from a plurality of coordinates measured on the part. The quality analyzer determines whether the aerodynamic performance data for the part satisfies minimum aerodynamic performance requirements.

Abstract: A gimbal lock mechanism for a rotor hub can include a cam member having a cuff lock lobe and a gimbal lock lobe. The cam member is configured so that rotation can cause the first cuff lobe to become adjacent to the root end of the rotor blade and at the same time causes the gimbal lock lobe to become adjacent to a gimbal so as to inhibit gimbaling of the gimbal. A first moveable pin can be located on the root end portion of the rotor blade and inserted into the cuff lock lobe to prevent pitch change of the rotor blade.

Abstract: A high stiffness hub assembly for a rotor system operable to rotate with a mast of a rotorcraft. The hub assembly includes a yoke and a constant velocity joint assembly. The yoke has a plurality of blade arms each configured to hold a rotor blade. The constant velocity joint assembly provides a torque path from the mast to the yoke that includes a trunnion assembly, a plurality of drive links and a plurality of pillow blocks. The trunnion assembly is coupled to the mast and has a plurality of outwardly extending trunnions. Each drive link has a leading bearing coupled to one of the trunnions and a trailing bearing coupled to one of the pillow blocks. Each pillow block is independently mounted between an upper surface of the yoke and a hub plate.

Abstract: An aircraft has a vertical takeoff and landing fight mode and a forward flight mode. The aircraft includes an airframe with first and second M-wings each having a pair of leading apexes with swept forward and swept back portions extending therefrom at a swept angle. A propulsion system includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies each attached to the airframe proximate one of the leading apexes. Each of the propulsion assemblies includes a rotor assembly having a tilting degree of freedom. A flight control system is operable to control the propulsion assemblies including tilting the rotor assemblies to generate variable thrust vectors that have a maximum angle that is generally congruent with the swept angles of the M-wings.

Abstract: An enclosure including a bottom side having a pass through opening, a connector surface having one or more connector openings, a first side adjacent to the connector surface, and a second side having at least a portion of an access opening, where the first side, the second side, the connector surface and the bottom side bound an interior cavity. The enclosure further includes one or more connectors, each of the one or more connectors disposed in a respective connector opening of the one or more connector openings and extending from the interior cavity, through the connector surface, and a cover attached to an exterior surface of at least the second side, the cover covering the access opening.

Abstract: A method for operating a sensor system includes detecting a first wake trigger by a plurality of sensors for a component disposed in a remote location, generating, by each sensor, sensor service data that includes a battery charge level of the sensor, determining an active sensor according to the sensor service data of each sensor of the plurality of sensors, and assigning the active sensor to enter an active mode assigning each sensor of the plurality of sensors, other than the active sensor, to enter a sleep mode, generating, by the active sensor, sensor reading data for the component until an inactive trigger is detected, sending the sensor reading data using a wireless transmission to a sensor data server, and leaving the active mode by the active sensor and entering a sleep mode in response to the active sensor detecting an inactive trigger.

Abstract: A composite core with non-traditional geometries includes multiple elongate tubes arranged in a two-dimensional array. Each tube is made of a composite material. Each tube includes multiple curved sides. Each curved side inwardly curves toward a longitudinal axis passing through a geometric center of the tube to form a valley on an outer surface of the tube. An end of a first curved side connects to an end of a second curved side to form a crest on the outer surface of the tube. At least one crest formed on an outer surface of a first tube in the two-dimensional array contacts at least one valley formed on an outer surface of an adjacent second tube in the two-dimensional array.

Abstract: A yoke split into separate, individual yoke arms permit rotor blade fold about inboard yoke arm bolts in a rotor blade assembly for rotorcraft and tiltrotor aircraft. In use, the compact folded arrangement of the rotor blades reduces folded aircraft dimensions in response to ever increasing restricted storage space parameters.

Abstract: A folding rotor blade assembly for a tiltrotor aircraft comprising a rotor blade pivotally connected to a yoke with dual concentric blade bolts having a common central axis providing a pivotal axis inboard of an outboard shear bearing. In use, the compact folded arrangement of the rotor blades reduces folded aircraft dimensions in response to ever increasing restricted storage space parameters.

Abstract: A rotor blade assembly for a tiltrotor aircraft comprising a rotor blade pivotally connected to a yoke with dual concentric blade bolts having a common central axis providing a pivotal axis inboard of an outboard CF bearing and the yoke tip. In use, the compact folded arrangement of the rotor blades reduces folded aircraft dimensions in response to ever increasing restricted storage space parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods of constructing a thermoplastic component include joining a thermoplastic skin to a thermoplastic core by introducing heat at an interface of each of the thermoplastic skin and the thermoplastic core to at least partially melt the thermoplastic skin to a thermoplastic core at the interfaces, applying pressure to at least one of the thermoplastic skin and the thermoplastic core to sandwich the elements, and cooling the interfaces below the melting point of each of the thermoplastic skin and the thermoplastic core to consolidate the thermoplastic skin and the thermoplastic core into a unitary thermoplastic component. An optional thermoplastic film may be disposed between the thermoplastic skin and the thermoplastic core. The thermoplastic skin may be joined to the thermoplastic core to form an intermediate thermoplastic component prior to joining the thermoplastic skin to the intermediate component.

Abstract: A folding yoke comprising a center yoke pivotally connected to separate foldable flexible yoke arms permits rotor blade fold about a single through bolt connection inboard of a set of bearings. In use, the compact folded arrangement of the rotor blades reduces folded aircraft dimensions in response to ever increasing restricted storage space parameters.