Abstract: An airship has a carrier frame with triangular cross-ribs arranged so that an apex faces upwardly and a base faces downwardly, whereby longitudinal beams at the corners of the triangles interconnect the cross-ribs. The carrier frame is enclosed by an envelope including at least three skin segments joined to each other along seams coinciding with the longitudinal frame beams. Each skin segment extends entirely from the bow to the stern and may include several strips. At least two steering air chambers are provided, one near the bow, the other near the stern for trimming purposes. The seams or at least one of the seams, is so constructed that it is readily openable and closable for providing access to the interior of the airship.

Abstract: A device and method is disclosed whereby a protective cover is positioned on the upper surface of an aircraft wing. The cover comprises a lightweight, ultraviolet stabilized material which is resistant to propagation of tears and does not absorb water. Cover material, overhanging the leading or trailing edges of the wing, is locally out-out in the area of protuberances to assist in providing a form-fit when a plurality of cinch straps, attached to the leading and trailing edges, are tightened under the wing. Additional straps may be employed to secure the cover to the fuselage. The cover, when tightened, prevents significant ingress of air, protecting the upper surface.

Abstract: The aircraft includes a free wing freely pivotally supported about a spanwise axis for flight in a free wing mode and lockable in selected predetermined, fixed angles of incidence with respect to a fuselage for flight in a fixed wing mode. The predetermined angle of incidence in the fixed wing flight mode is selected to provide sufficient lift for flying the aircraft at low speeds as necessary for takeoff and landing. The aircraft can be converted in flight between the free wing or conventional fixed wing aircraft flight modes. A control system is provided for selectively enabling or disabling the elevators on the horizontal stabilizer and the wing flaps.

Abstract: A subframe for a motor vehicle has two side plates which extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, are connected with one another by cross members and have bearings for control arms of wheel suspension links, this subframe unit being connected with the vehicle body. The side plates are each formed of a torsion-proof and rigid lattice frame which extends in a vertical longitudinal plane of the vehicle. Between the side plates, torsion-proof cross members are held which can each be screwed on separately in a detachable manner. Together with the side plates, these cross members form a rigid assembly unit which comprises integrated bearings for control arms of wheel suspension links in the side plates. By way of one bearing respectively, which is arranged in spaced horizontal planes in a top and bottom chord of the side plate, the subframe unit is detachably fastened on the vehicle body.

Abstract: A manned space vehicle is described whose altitude control is achieved by constant drag compensation through the action of low level thrusters. The space vehicle include a low pressure electrolyzer that generates hydrogen and oxygen from water in a mass ratio of eight parts of oxygen to one part hydrogen. Oxygen and hydrogen from the electrolyzer are fed to the low level thrusters, with the oxygen proportion being reduced to limit thruster degradation. A life support system employs the excess oxygen from the electrolyzer and extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere of the vehicle. The extracted carbon dioxide is fed to the low level thrusters. The carbon dioxide enters into the combustion process with the oxygen and hydrogen, providing additional oxygen to the process and serving as a diluent to reduce the combustion temperature.

Abstract: An aircraft engine mount includes an annular casing fixedly disposed in the engine, a mounting platform spaced radially outwardly from the casing and fixedly joinable to an aircraft pylon, and a pair of circumferentially spaced apart links pivotally joined to the platform and the casing at respective radially outer and inner joints. The inner joints are circumferentially spaced closer together than the outer joints so that the intersection point of the longitudinal axes of the two links is disposed radially below the two links themselves for reducing lateral deflection of the casing relative to the engine mount.

Abstract: To reacquire the attitude of a satellite wholly or partially stabilized on three axes a test is executed to determine if a terrestrial sensor is sensing the Earth (test 1) and if a star sensor is sensing a star whose magnitude is at least approximately equal to that of a given reference star (test 2).* Phase a. If the results of tests 1 and 2 are positive, the Earth and the star are captured and the consistency of roll information supplied by the Earth and star sensors is checked: if the information is not consistent phase (b) is carried out.* Phase b: If the results of test 1 only is positive, the Earth is captured and the satellite is caused to rotate in yaw until the result of test 2 is positive. The reference star is captured and the phase (a) consistency test is carried out.* Phases c and d: If the result of test 1 is negative, the pitch speed is reversed for at most a given time. If the result of test 1 becomes positive, test 2 is carried out.

Abstract: A snow tilling implement when mounted on a snowmobile and in operating position with the snowmobile in motion digs into the snow and sprays broken up snow on the heat exchanger, track, and slide rail on the underneath side of the snowmobile to cool and lubricate the same. The tilling implement can be simply an elongate rod, the proximal portion of which is advantageously bent to form a coil spring and catch arm. The catch arm abuts against the snowmobile and causes the coil spring to provide a downward force pressing the distal end of the rod into snow.

Abstract: Parachute harness including laterally spaced apart right and left main lift web and leg strap devices, a parachute container disposed therebetween and connected on the top by shoulder straps and on the bottom by articulating rings which also serve to connect the bottom of the main lift web with the opposite ends of respective leg straps.

Abstract: A pneumatic deicing system includes a deicer assembly 32 comprised of an outer ply 52, an inner ply 54, and a plurality of inflatable tube-like members 36 provided therebetween. The deicer assembly is disposed directly on top of and bonded to the airfoil 34. Pressurized fluid is provided to the tube-like members via a manifold 40 in the deicer assembly which is positioned directly over a plurality of ducts 42 provided through the airfoil.

Abstract: A wing/winglet configuration, which basically comprises: (a) a wing having upper and lower wing surfaces, a wing leading edge, a wing trailing edge, and a wing tip; and (b) a winglet having upper and lower winglet surfaces, a winglet leading edge, a winglet trailing edge, and a winglet tip, where the winglet is mounted to the wing tip at a winglet/wing tip intersection and extends upwardly from the wing tip Aft portions of the upper wing surface and upper winglet surface are flattened near the winglet/wing tip intersection to substantially reduce flow separation near wing/winglet intersection.

Abstract: An arrangement for venting a destructive internal pressure generated by an explosion within an enclosure, such as aircraft fuselage. The arrangement includes a pressure venting device for venting an exterior boundary, fuselage skin, of the enclosure; and an explosion sensitive sensor located within the enclosure. In response to an explosion within the enclosure, the sensor will send a signal to the pressure venting device. The pressure venting device creates a pressure relieving vent in the exterior boundary in advance of build up of destructive internal pressure within the enclosure.

Abstract: A window clip for attaching window panes to aircraft supporting structures comprises a clip body which has an outwardly bent flange at the bottom which applies pressure to the inner pane of an aircraft window and an inwardly bent u-shaped platform at the top. A hole is located in the platform portion for receiving a fastener to attach the clip to an underlying support. A spacer is optionally located on the fastener.

Abstract: Multiple subsidiary small payloads are connected to standard mechanical and electrical interfaces provided by an expendable or recoverable modular mother satellite bus (MMSB) and launched into space as an assembly acting as a common carrier providing low unit launch costs for the attached subsidiary payloads and also providing a variety of electrical, pointing, and thermal control services for these payloads after reaching orbit.

Abstract: The protective enclosure for a space vehicle with a magnetic propulsion system includes an insulated Dewar vessel formed of walls of superconducting material surrounded and suspended by superconducting magnets. The superconducting walls shield the interior of the enclosure from external magnetic and electric fields, and the superconducting walls and corresponding magnetics act to cushion passengers or equipment within the enclosure from acceleration or gravitational forces. One or more accelerometers are preferably provided for sensing acceleration or gravity in each of the three orthogonal axes of the enclosure, and a control unit is also preferably provided for controlling the superconducting magnets of the enclosure responsive to output signals from the accelerometers.

Abstract: The invention relates to raisable landing gear having a shock absorber strut and a sliding rod. According to the invention, the landing gear includes a lateral stabilizer hinged to the strut and fitted with a wheel at its free end, together with mechanical coupling means associated with said lateral stabilizer, in such a manner that: firstly lowering the landing gear deploys the lateral stabilizer so that its wheel, when the landing gear is in its lowered position, provides support additional to that provided by the wheels of the wheel set, and also constitutes a lateral stabilizer proper during taxiing of the airplane; and secondly raising the landing gear folds the lateral stabilizer so as to enable the entire landing gear assembly to be housed when in the raised position. It then becomes possible to organize the landing gear beneath the fuselage of the airplane, thereby making it possible to obtain landing gear that is extremely short.

Abstract: A mounting bracket for holding a heat insulating mat in an aircraft cabin has a lower and an upper section configured to conform to a trough-shaped flange of a stringer secured to the fuselage. A holding pin forms part of the lower section and can be connected to the insulating mat. The two sections are onto the stringer (2) as a clip. For this purpose the lower section (4) fits with a trough (10) around the stringer (2) and the upper section (5) formed with a snap-in locking device including an expander pin (9) is arranged with a barrel portion in the trough of the stringer. The upper section (5) has a plate (14) tangentially merging into the barrel portion and extending outside the stringer (2) for the snap-in action.

Abstract: A hybrid active cooling system for hypersonic vehicle nosecaps and leading edges integrates a forced convection cooling system with a transpiration cooling system. A pair of concentric shells, hemispherical for a nosecap and cylindrical for a leading edge, are separated by pin fins to form a first manifold for passage of a convection coolant. A second manifold for a transpirant coolant is located behind the first manifold. The pin fins comprise a nonporous structural outer shell surrounding a porous core. The porous cores are open to the inside of the second manifold and to the outside of the first manifold. The outside of the first manifold forms part of the outer surface of the nosecap or leading edge. Convection coolant is pumped through the first manifold to provide forced convection cooling. Transpirant coolant pumped into the second manifold travels through the porous cores of the pin fins to be injected into the atmosphere to provide transpiration cooling.

Abstract: An arrangement of sensors on the landing gear of an aircraft measure the weight and position of center of gravity of the aircraft. In order to compensate for errors caused by moment of torsion, one sensor each is arranged on a pair of lugs (53, 54) at two measurement points of an axle (55) or bogie beam lying opposite each other on the outside or of a shock-absorber landing-gear leg. Each of the sensors gives off an electric output variable corresponding to a vertical displacement (sensor deflection) between the lugs of a pair. The lugs (53, 54) are tapered at their roots (61, 62).

Abstract: An improved fly by wire or fly by light system which provides for a smooth manual override of the autopilot function by allowing the pilot to modify the autopilot command to the control surfaces by physically manipulating the yoke to a position different than that commanded by the autopilot.