Abstract: A wing for an aircraft is disclosed having a main wing, a high lift body, and a connection assembly movably connecting the high lift body to the main wing, such that the high lift body can be moved between a retracted position and at least one extended position. The connection assembly includes a drive system having a first drive unit and a second drive unit, wherein the first drive unit has a first input section coupled to a drive shaft, a first gear unit and a first output section drivingly coupled to a first connection element. The second drive unit has a second input section coupled to the drive shaft, a second gear unit, and a second output section drivingly coupled to a second connection element. The first output section includes a first output wheel and the second output section includes a second output wheel.

Abstract: An ice protection system is configured for a rotor blade having a leading edge along at least a portion of a spanwise length extending between a root portion and a tip portion. The system has an electric spanwise anti-ice heater configured for placement on the leading edge of the blade and a first electric spanwise de-ice heater adjacent the anti-ice heater and having varying chordwise dimensions. The de-ice heater is configured for placement on an upper surface of the blade or a lower surface of the blade. Electrical connectors for each heater are configured for connection near the root portion of the blade to a source of electrical power.

Abstract: Systems and methods for mechanically rotating an aircraft about its center-of-gravity (CG) are disclosed. The system can enable the rear, or main, landing gear to squat, while the nose landing gear raises to generate a positive pitch angle for the aircraft for takeoff or landing. The system can also enable the nose gear and main gear to return to a relatively level fuselage attitude for ground operations. The system can include one or more hydraulically linked hydraulic cylinders to control the overall height of the nose gear and the main gear. Because the hydraulic cylinders are linked, a change on the length of the nose cylinder generates a proportional, and opposite, change in the length of the main cylinder, and vice-versa. A method and control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of the nose gear and main gear is also disclosed.

Abstract: A multicopter aircraft with boom-mounted rotors may include a fuselage; a port side wing coupled to the fuselage; and a starboard side wing coupled to the fuselage. Each of the wings has mounted thereto one or more booms, each boom having a forward end extending forward of a corresponding wing to which the boom is mounted and an aft end extending aft of said corresponding wing to which the boom is mounted. The aircraft further includes a first plurality of lift rotors, each rotor in said first plurality being mounted on a forward end of a corresponding one or said booms; and a second plurality of lift rotors, each rotor in said second plurality being mounted on an aft end of a corresponding one or said booms. Each rotor produces vertical thrust independent of the thrust produced by the other rotors.

Abstract: Aspects related to aircraft for commercial air travel and methods of manufacture. An aircraft includes a blended wing body, a single deck located within the blended wing body, wherein the single deck additionally includes a passenger compartment located in a lateral middle portion of the blended wing body and at least a cargo store located laterally outside the passenger compartment, and a landing gear, wherein the landing gear includes at least a nose gear located substantially forward of the single deck and at least a main gear located substantially aft of the single deck, wherein one or more of the at least a nose gear and the at least a main gear occupies a gear housing that overlaps with a plane coincident with at least a portion of the single deck.

Abstract: A fuselage structure of an aircraft includes a fuselage skin, and a plurality of frame elements spaced apart from one another in a direction parallel to the aircraft longitudinal axis for supporting the fuselage skin. The fuselage skin includes a plurality of interconnected fiber-reinforced composite skin panels that extend between each pair of frame elements and are connected thereto. The composite skin panels further comprise a stiffener integrally formed in each composite skin panel. A method for manufacturing the fuselage skin. The composite skin panels may be interconnected and/or connected to a frame element through an induction welded connection.

Abstract: An autonomous thrust vectoring ring wing pod is disclosed. A plurality of distributed propulsion element (thruster) layout within a self-articulating ring wing pod allows the pod to selectively control its thrust vector by controlling each propulsion element in the pod. This arrangement allows autonomous and independent control of the tilting of the ring wing relative to the aircraft. The ring wing pod acts as both a nacelle to house the propulsion elements as well as a lifting surface when in wing-borne flight. The autonomous thrust vectoring ring wing pod also provides superior aircraft attitude control in wing-borne flight, thus negating the need for conventional surface controls.

Abstract: Systems and methods for mechanically rotating an aircraft about its center-of-gravity (CG) are disclosed. The system can enable the rear, or main, landing gear to squat, while the nose landing gear raises to generate a positive angle of attack for the aircraft for takeoff or landing. The system can also enable the nose gear and main gear to return to a relatively level fuselage attitude for ground operations. The system can include one or more hydraulically linked hydraulic cylinders to control the overall height of the nose gear and the main gear. Because the hydraulic cylinders are linked, a change on the length of the nose cylinder generates a proportional, and opposite, change in the length of the main cylinder, and vice-versa. A method and control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of the nose gear and main gear is also disclosed.

Abstract: A compound helicopter includes a fuselage including a fuselage airframe, a translational thrust system coupled to the fuselage airframe and a pylon assembly subject to vibration. The pylon assembly includes a transmission and a rotor system having a main rotor assembly. The compound helicopter also includes a main rotor vibration isolation system including a plurality of augmented liquid inertia vibration eliminator units each having an isolation frequency and each coupled between the fuselage airframe and the pylon assembly to reduce transmission of the pylon assembly vibration to the fuselage airframe at the isolation frequency. Each augmented liquid inertia vibration eliminator unit includes at least one active tuning element movable to tune the isolation frequency thereof.

Abstract: A multicopter with angled rotors includes a fuselage and a plurality of rotors. At least some of the rotors are disposed on opposite sides of the fuselage and each is oriented at a corresponding angle to a substantially horizontal plane of the aircraft, the angle being of a magnitude such that a plane of rotation of the rotor does not intersect at least a critical portion of the fuselage.

Abstract: A variable length stay for an aircraft landing gear is disclosed having first and second sets of struts lying on different longitudinal axes that enable the stay to extend and contract by movement of the struts parallel to their axes. The stay may be locked in its extended and retracted configurations thus providing downlock and uplock functions for the landing gear. The struts of the stay may have an open and easy to inspect structure, have low friction kinematics, and do not need to telescope within each other or lie on a single common axis.

Abstract: An active wing extension includes a body portion substantially parallel to a wing of an aircraft, as if it were an extension of the wing. The body portion is attachable to an aircraft wing and includes multiple controllable airflow modification devices coupled thereto. By virtue of having multiple controllable airflow modification devices, the wing extension is capable of adjusting control surfaces of the multiple controllable airflow modification devices in response to in-flight conditions, to reduce wing loads, improve wing fatigue characteristics, increase range, and/or increase efficiency.

Abstract: A rotorcraft-assisted system configured to launch a fixed-wing aircraft into flight comprising a fixed-wing aircraft and an aircraft launch apparatus where the aircraft launch apparatus comprises a mechanism for attaching the rotorcraft to the fixed-wing aircraft, such as a saddle that removably engages the wing or wings of the fixed-wing aircraft.

Abstract: A landing apparatus for an airship or hybrid air vehicle. The landing apparatus comprises a hollow, non-toroidal, flexible enclosure (103), having a substantially vertical axis (104), and a substantially circular cross-section centred on the axis. A base (122) of the enclosure is arranged to contact the ground. The enclosure (103) is inflatable with air or gas for landing, and deflatable for retraction of the enclosure during flight.

Abstract: An active winglet includes a body portion substantially parallel to a wing of an aircraft, as if it were an extension of the wing. The body portion is attachable to an aircraft wing and includes a controllable airflow modification device coupled thereto. By virtue of having a controllable airflow modification device, the winglet is capable of adjusting a control surface of the controllable airflow modification device in response to in-flight conditions, to reduce wing loads, increase range, and/or increase efficiency.

Abstract: An aircraft wing trailing edge section assembly is disclosed having an upper skin structure providing an upper external aerodynamic trailing edge surface, a lower skin structure providing a lower external aerodynamic trailing edge surface, and a movement mechanism including a first portion attached to an internal surface of the upper skin structure, a second portion attached to an internal surface of the lower skin structure, and a rotationally mounted connector member connected between the first and second portions, such that rotational movement of the connector member causes simultaneous movement of both first and second portions and therefore both upper and lower skin structures, such that the camber of the trailing edge section is changed. An aircraft wing section assembly, an aircraft and methods of operating an aircraft are disclosed.

Abstract: A thermal control system may transfer energy (directly or after a delay) to a thrusting device that can be used to slow a reentry vehicle entering a gaseous atmosphere from orbit. The thermal control system may mitigate the heating of the vehicle by transferring heat generated by the viscous interaction between the vehicle and high-altitude portions of a planetary atmosphere to a working fluid. This working fluid may then be routed through and/or ejected through one or more nozzles aligned to produce thrust in a direction that opposes the forward motion of this vehicle. This counter thrust may help to slow the reentry vehicle and reduce the amount of kinetic energy that can be converted into thermal energy. The working fluid may also be stored to use for propulsion after the reentry vehicle slows below hypersonic velocities.

Abstract: A launch system and method for orbital or suborbital air-launch of a payload involving releasably coupling a launch vehicle with a towed aircraft via an articulatable carriage to form an air-launch assembly, towing the air-launch assembly via a tow aircraft and interconnected tow cable to a first altitude, releasing the air-launch assembly from tow at or above the first altitude, activating the towed aircraft propulsion system and initiating a pull-up and climb maneuver of the towed aircraft to a second altitude, articulating the articulatable carriage to shift the air-launch assembly from a stowed position to a deployed position with the launch vehicle spaced from the towed aircraft, releasing the launch vehicle from the articulatable carriage and thus from the towed aircraft, and activating the launch vehicle propulsion system for further altitude gain or to meet specific mission requirements.

Abstract: An acoustic system for an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicle may comprise: a first shroud configured to be disposed around a rotor of the UAM vehicle, the first shroud comprising: a radially inner wall configured to be spaced radially outward from a blade tip of a rotary blade of the rotor, the radially inner wall including a perforated portion; and a hollow chamber defined by an internal surface of the first shroud and the radially inner wall.

Abstract: A method of supersonic thrust generation includes generating a thrust supersonic exhaust plume having a first average velocity from an engine, and expelling a bypass exhaust plume having a second average velocity from the engine, the first average velocity greater than the second average velocity, so that the bypass exhaust plume inhibits coalescence of an engine exhaust plume compression shockwave.