Abstract: An aircraft having a blended-wing-body configuration includes a centerbody, a pair of wings, at least one pair of engines, a pair of air inlets, and a pair of exhaust outlets. The centerbody has an airfoil-shaped cross section, an aircraft centerline, an aft portion, an upper mold line, a lower mold line, and a pair of centerbody leading edge portions respectively on opposite sides of the aircraft centerline. The wings are integral with the centerbody. The pair of engines are located on opposite sides of the aircraft centerline and are mounted within the centerbody between the upper mold line and the lower mold line. The pair of air inlets are located respectively along the centerbody leading edge portions and are respectively fluidly coupled to the pair of engines. The pair of exhaust outlets our located in the aft portion of the centerbody and our respectively fluidly coupled to the pair of engines.

Abstract: An aircraft wing is provided having a wing leading edge, a wing leading edge slat positioned forwardly of the wing leading edge having an internal duct extending in a spanwise direction of the wing leading edge, a cut-out opening in the wing leading edge, a telescopic tube extending through the cut-out opening and connected to the internal duct of the wing leading edge to establish fluid communication with heated air associated with an aircraft anti-icing system, wherein the telescopic tube is moveable between retracted and extended conditions in response to the wing leading edge slat being moved between slat retraction and deployment positions, respectively, and a shuttering mechanism synchronously connected to the telescopic tube to close the cut-out opening in response to the telescopic tube being moved from the retracted condition to the extended condition thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electric drive for an aircraft hybrid system. This electric drive comprises a rotor and a stator, wherein the stator may be connected to a structure of the aircraft and the rotor has an annular flange with a shaft through opening for mounting on a propeller flange, wherein the flange is formed of at least two parts, wherein each of these parts of the flange delimits a section of the shaft through opening.

Abstract: A method for building an aerodynamic structure, an aerodynamic structure, and a vehicle that includes the aerodynamic structure are provided. The method includes providing a structure with at least one substantially-flat exterior surface. The method also includes attaching blocks of rigid fibrous insulation to the at least one substantially-flat outer surface of the structure. Outward-facing surfaces of the blocks of rigid fibrous insulation extend past a target outer mold line of a final aerodynamic shape. The method also includes machining the outward-facing surfaces of the attached blocks to the outer mold line.

Abstract: An aircraft wing is provided with a shutter mechanism to close a cut-out opening in the leading edge of the wing when a leading edge wing slat associated with the wing leading edge is moved to a deployed condition.

Abstract: A vehicle control surface, such as an aircraft horizontal stabilizer, is hydraulically controlled using solenoid operated valves (SOVs) controlling directional control valves and/or rate control valves with small numbers of ports, e.g. a four port three position directional control value and/or a four port two position rate control valve.

Abstract: An aircraft comprises a weapons bay, the weapons bay comprising a cavity having an opening through which stores may be deployed, and a door assembly for exposing/closing the opening of the cavity. A first store is held in the cavity via a launcher and a first structure is disposed inside the cavity, for controlling the aero-acoustic environment. The first structure for controlling the aero-acoustic environment is removeably mounted in the weapons bay, such that if the first store is exchanged for a second, different, store, the structure for controlling the aero-acoustic environment may be unmounted from the weapons bay and removed, to be exchanged for a second, different, structure for controlling the aero-acoustic environment.

Abstract: An arrangement for mechanically changing a surface includes an insulating layer, a pair of electrodes, which is arranged on or in the insulating layer, and a piezo element, which is arranged on or in the insulating layer. The piezo element is separated from the pair of electrodes by the insulating layer. The pair of electrodes is designed to generate in a region of the piezo element an electric field, which causes the piezo element to carry out a mechanical change of shape, in order in this way to mechanically change a surface of the arrangement. The pair of electrodes is also designed to generate the electric field such that the electric field has a minimum field strength in a surrounding area of the arrangement, in order in this way to generate a plasma in the surrounding area of the arrangement.

Abstract: A wing for an aircraft is disclosed having a main wing, a slat, and a connection assembly movable connecting the slat to the main wing. The connection assembly includes an elongate slat track, and the front end of the slat track is mounted to the slat. The rear end and the intermediate portion of the slat track are mounted to the main wing by a roller bearing that includes a guide rail mounted to the main wing and a first roller unit mounted to the rear end of the slat track and engaging the guide rail, and wherein the roller bearing having a second roller unit that is mounted to the main wing and that engages an engagement surface of the slat track. The slat track is supported in a wing span direction by a lateral support.

Abstract: An aircraft wing includes a groove extending along a length between a forward extremity and an aft extremity. A forward segment of the groove extends upwardly to the forward extremity. The forward extremity is a highest point of the groove. A flap carriage is mounted to the groove and displaceable therealong. A flap is pivotably attached to the flap carriage to define a flap pivot axis about which the flap is rotatable. The flap is displaceable with the flap carriage. An actuator has an arm being extendable between an extended position and a retracted position to displace the flap carriage along the groove. The flap carriage in the retracted position being disposed in the forward segment of the groove and the flap being rotated about the flap pivot axis to position the flap trailing edge in negative flap deployment.

Abstract: Shield assemblies for an aircraft landing gear include an aerodynamic shield, a first support bracket assembly, and a second support bracket assembly. The first support bracket assembly is configured to couple with a structural member of the aircraft landing gear, to support a first end of the aerodynamic shield, and to have a first position that is fixed relative to the structural member in an x-direction, a y-direction, and a z-direction. The first support bracket assembly has a first clamp that is configured to fix the first support bracket assembly relative to the structural member in the x-direction. The second support bracket assembly is configured to support a second end of the aerodynamic shield and to have a second position that is fixed relative to the structural member in the y-direction and the z-direction.

Abstract: The invention comprises of a UAV designed to limit visually contrast and audibility in flight for covert surveillance operations, a method of configuring the UAVs structure to further reduce its visual signature to take account for the atmospheric and terrestrial environment it will operate in and a method of conducting a covert surveillance operation to actively minimise the UAVs visual & auditory signature from the viewpoint of an individual under surveillance. Both passive and active illumination are used to reduce the visual signature of the UAV. The UAV is actively camouflaged using lighting techniques that utilises the limitations of the human visual system and the optical effects of light interacting with the terrain, atmosphere and aircraft. The visual camouflage is directional. The audible signature of the UAV is reduced through the design of the propulsion system and the mode in which the UAV is operated.

Abstract: An actuator arrangement for an aircraft flexible control surface comprises a base and a rotary element having a joint axle articulated on the base. The actuator arrangement comprises at least two attachment struts, each having three joint axles. A first joint axle is rotatably articulated on the rotary element. A second joint axle, arranged at a first strut end, is configured to be articulated on a first control surface skin panel. A third joint axle, arranged at a second strut end, is configured to be articulated on a second control surface skin panel. The actuator arrangement also comprises at least one connecting element having one joint axle at both ends, a first joint axle being articulated on the base and a second joint axle being articulated on one of the two struts, and an actuator configured to rotate the rotary element relative to the base.

Abstract: An active flow control system for generating roll control moments for an aircraft during hover flight. The system includes right and left roll effectors disposed proximate the right and left wingtips of the wing. A pressurized air system includes a pressurized air source and a plurality of injectors operably associated with the right and left roll effectors. Based upon which of the injectors is injecting pressurized air, the right and left roll effectors generate no roll control moment, generate a roll right control moment or generate a roll left control moment.

Abstract: A signal line protection assembly of an aerial vehicle includes a foot stand and a protection sleeve. The foot stand includes a foot stand sleeve and a lower cover including an antenna compartment configured to receive an antenna of the aerial vehicle. The protection sleeve is configured to receive a signal line. At least a portion of the protection sleeve is received in the foot stand sleeve. The signal line includes a data line for the antenna.

Abstract: Aircraft main landing gear drag brace backup fitting assemblies and related methods are described herein. An example aircraft wing disclosed herein includes a rear spar having a rear side and a front side opposite the rear side, a side-of-body rib coupled to the rear spar, a rib post disposed on the front side of the rear spar, where the rib post is to couple a second rib to the rear spar, a side-of-body fitting coupled to the side-of-body rib, an intercostal member coupled between the side-of-body fitting and the rib post, and a drag brace fitting disposed on the rear side of the rear spar. The drag brace fitting is coupled to the rib post and the side-of-body fitting via a first plurality of fasteners extending through the rear spar.

Abstract: A self-leveling recovery platform for a landing operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle and a method for an unmanned aerial vehicle on a self-leveling recovery platform are described. The platform includes landing includes a base, a landing pad, first to sixth motors, first to sixth arms, an accelerometer, a gyroscope/inertial measurement unit, and a controller. The base is for fixedly mounting to a moving body. The landing pad has a landing surface on which an aerial vehicle can land. The first to sixth motors are attached to the base. The first to sixth arms control the first to sixth motors to the platform. The accelerometer and gyroscope/inertial measurement unit sense motion of the platform and output sensing signals. The controller is responsive to the sensing signals to control each of the motors to adjust the arms such that the landing surface is maintained in a substantially stable plane relative to a predetermined surface.

Abstract: A drive system for a rotorcraft includes at least one engine, the engine including a compressor section, and a turbine section positioned rearward from the compressor section. A main rotor input shaft extends from a rotor power turbine of the turbine section and is connectable to a main rotor assembly of the rotorcraft to transfer rotational energy from the rotor power turbine to the main rotor assembly. An auxiliary input shaft extends from an auxiliary power turbine of the turbine section and is connectible to an auxiliary rotor assembly of the rotorcraft to transfer rotational energy from the auxiliary power turbine to the auxiliary rotor assembly.

Abstract: A system for detecting overpressure in an aircraft including a door with a door frame and a door leaf with a first and second door leaf face. The door is mountable in an aircraft where the first door leaf face faces the interior and the second door leaf face faces the surroundings of the aircraft. The door leaf is movably attached to the door frame and selectively movable between an opened position where a door opening defined by the door frame is accessible and a closed position where the door leaf closes off the door opening. The door has a pair of contact faces including a first contact face on the door leaf and a second contact face on the door frame.

Abstract: A system is described and includes at least one track attached to an upper interior surface of a payload bay and extending along a bottom surface of a vehicle structure external to the payload bay, wherein the track comprises a horizontal flange; a rack moveably connected to the at least one track via at least one carrier assembly; and a payload actuator system for selectively extending the rack from the payload bay along the at least one track to a position from which payload carried by the rack may be safely deployed and retracting the rack into the payload bay along the at least one track.