Abstract: An aircraft comprises a fuselage, a wing assembly, and a pinned fuselage-to-wing connection including a forward pin joint, an aft pin joint, and intermediate pin joints between the forward and aft pin joints. The intermediate pin joints have pins aligned in an axial direction and are configured to slide along the axial direction without transferring axial loads from the wing assembly to the fuselage. At least one of the forward and aft pin joints is constrained to prevent translation along the axial direction.

Abstract: An improved frame is disclosed for a rotary wing aircraft comprising a power frame having a power frame lower element and a power frame upper element. A curved beam extends between a first and a second end and having a lower and an upper edge. A coupling secures the lower and an upper edge of the curved beam to the power frame lower element and the power frame upper element for stabilizing the power frame to reduce flexing and vibration of the power frame.

Abstract: A passenger seat 100 for an aircraft, including a seat bottom frame 210, a backrest frame 220 and a headrest frame 230 that constitute a reclining assembly, which are supported by a spreader 170 and pipes 130 and 132 fastened to a floor by seat track fittings 110, the pipes 130 and 132 passing through left and right legs 120. A direct-acting-type damper 300 is attached to the backrest frame 230, and an extension member 400 is attached to the headrest frame 230, whereby a structural design is provided in which the reclining assembly, the direct-acting-type damper and the extension member can be easily replaced.

Abstract: An edge flap arrangement for an aircraft wing includes a main flap element and an actuator for moving the main flap element relative to the aircraft wing. A linkage arrangement supports the main flap element and includes a drop hinge link arrangement having a fixed strut secured to the aircraft wing and a drop link secured to the main flap element. The fixed strut and the drop link are connected by a hinge point having an hourglass bearing assembly having hourglass shaped rollers with a circular cross section symmetrical about a longitudinal axis, first and second axial ends, and an exterior surface. The exterior surface defines a concave engagement surface having a first radius of curvature R1 and a second radius of curvature which is greater than the first radius of curvature R1. The first radius of curvature is between 50 and 95 percent of the second radius of curvature.

Abstract: A trap system is presented for deployment of a reserve parachute. The trap system includes a trap line with a first end coupled to a main parachute and a trap attached to a surface of the container. The trap includes an outer perimeter to removably hold the trap line and an interior to removably hold the reserve bridle. A kit is also presented for converting a parachute container into an improved parachute container to deploy a reserve parachute. The kit includes an attachment to be secured to a surface of the parachute container. The attachment includes a trap line with a first end configured to be coupled to the first end of the RSL lanyard, and a trap secured to a region of the attachment, with an outer perimeter to removably hold a second end of the trap line and an interior to removably hold the reserve bridle.

Abstract: A novel passive control technique for laminar flow over air transportation vehicles and space reentry vehicles flying at high supersonic and hypersonic speeds is disclosed. The control of laminar flow can be achieved by applying an array of surface roughness elements in the region before the laminar-turbulent transition. For example, an array of two-dimensional rings, stripes, or closely packed three-dimensional isolated roughness elements may be used to stabilize the instability waves and delay transition. The roughness elements may have a height between 40% and 60% of the local boundary-layer thickness. The exact location, height, and spacing of surface roughness elements may be determined by a numerical simulation strategy based on the most unstable second mode, e.g. using known eN transition prediction method, experimental measurement, or any other suitable technique.

Abstract: An exhaust arrangement is for an aircraft having sensing equipment and a front prop engine. An extension mounts on the underside along an edge of the fuselage to direct exhaust from the engine's exhaust pipes to a point to or past the sensing equipment typically exposed at the mid-section of the aircraft. An extension inlet mounts adjacent the pipe and defines a funnel or conical orifice not directly affixed to the pipe. One or more conductors for the extension then extend from the inlet to convey the exhaust to an outlet of the extension. Preferably, multiple conductors can be used with an expansion joint provided between them. The outlet preferably diverts exhaust away from the tail end of the aircraft. To mount the extension to the aircraft, several arrangements of supports including rods, lugs, angles, and the like hold the extension in vertical, lateral, and axial directions to the aircraft.

Abstract: A control system for an aircraft refueling boom controls the movements of the boom in certain areas in a total field of movement volume of possible boom movements based on the location of the boom in the total field of movement volume and based on the current rate of movement of the boom in the total field of movement volume.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for mounting a thruster onto a vehicle. A thruster mounting structure may comprise a first, second, and third rotational joint, a boom, and thruster pallet, and a thruster attached to the thruster pallet. The first rotational joint may be attached to the vehicle and configured to rotate in a first axis. The first rotational joint may be connected to the boom and configured to pivot the boom about the first axis. The boom may be connected to the second rotational joint, which is connected to the third rotational joint and configured to rotate the third rotational joint in the first axis. The third rotational joint may be connected to the thruster pallet and configured to pivot the thruster pallet in a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to harvest renewable energy are provided herein. In some embodiments, a wind-powered aircraft includes an airframe suitable for untethered flight in an open airspace; and an airborne kinetic energy conversion system attached to the airframe, the airborne kinetic energy conversion system comprising a turbine, a generator connected to the turbine, and an electrical storage means connected to the generator.

Abstract: In a craft such as a passenger aircraft, an apparatus is provided for storing and retrieving service trolleys (110) in a craft having a passenger deck (150) and a cargo bay. The apparatus can comprise a container (101) located in the cargo bay (100) and configured to hold at least one service trolley (110). The apparatus can also comprise a pillar (102) located on the passenger deck, and the pillar can be configured to receive at least one service trolley. The apparatus can also comprise a lift (103) configured to move the at least one service trolley between the container and the pillar. The apparatus can use the electricity, heat, and by-products from an integrated fuel cell system (106) to power a trolley distribution system and fulfill catering purposes, like heating and cooling.

Abstract: One variation of a tram system includes: a chassis; a latch configured to selectively engage a latch receiver mounted to an aircraft; an alignment feature adjacent the latch and configured to engage an alignment receiver mounted to the aircraft and to communicate acceleration and braking forces from the chassis into the aircraft; an optical sensor facing upwardly from the chassis; a drivetrain configured to accelerate and decelerate the chassis along a runway; and a controller configured to detect an optical fiducial arranged on the aircraft in optical images recorded by the optical sensor adjust a speed of the drivetrain to longitudinally align the alignment feature with the alignment receiver based on positions of the optical fiducial detected in the optical images, trigger the latch to engage the latch receiver once the aircraft has descended onto the chassis, and trigger the drivetrain to actively decelerate the chassis during a landing routine.

Abstract: A system and methods for reducing flow field velocity into a propeller is disclosed. An aerodynamic structure is enhanced to provide a reduced velocity flow field region, and a propeller is positioned in the reduced velocity flow field region.

Abstract: A spacecraft 10 includes wings 11 or an airframe 12 which generates lift in an atmosphere 2, a thruster 14 which accelerates or decelerates rotating speed in an orbit, an attitude controller 16 which controls an attitude of the airframe 12, and an orbital plane controller 18 which controls the orbital plane change. The orbital plane controller causes the spacecraft 10 to enter the earth's atmosphere 2 within a pre-change orbital plane Fb (A?B?C), changes the orbital plane by using the lift of the wings 11 or airframe 12 in the earth's atmosphere 2 (C?D?E), and then lifts the spacecraft 10 up to the post-change orbital altitude (E?F).

Abstract: An aircraft including a fuselage defining an upper lobe and a lower lobe, the fuselage including a wall structure that includes an outboard boundary and an inboard boundary spaced from the outboard boundary, wherein the outboard boundary and the inboard boundary define a wall volume therebetween, and a barrier sheeting member extending into the wall volume.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an empennage attachment system features an aft attachment mechanism and a forward attachment system. The aft attachment mechanism is configured to be coupled to a tail section of a body of an aircraft and to an empennage proximate to an aft spar of the empennage. The aft attachment mechanism defines a pitch axis such that the aft attachment mechanism allows the empennage to rotate about the pitch axis. The forward attachment system is configured to be coupled to the tail section of the body and to the empennage proximate to a forward spar of the empennage. The forward attachment system is configured to restrict rotation of the empennage about the pitch axis to an allowable range of motion.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for determining wind by an airborne aerial vehicle without reliance on direct measurements of airspeed by the vehicle. Instead, wind may be computationally estimated using disclosed techniques for utilizing measurements of only ground-speed and heading, or only measurements of forces experienced by the airborne aerial vehicle during flight. In one technique, samples of ground-speed measurements and corresponding heading measurements of an airborne vehicle are used in a mathematical optimization of a wind-driven hypothesis of deviations between the two types of measurement at each of multiple sampling times. In another technique, an aerodynamic model of an aerial vehicle can be used to adjust parameters of a wind hypothesis in order to achieve a best-fit between predicted and measured forces on the aerial vehicle during flight.

Abstract: An actuation system for deploying and retracting a lift assisting device of a leading edge of a wing of an aircraft including a track pivotally coupled to the lift assisting device. The track has first and second outer surfaces and side surfaces. The actuation system includes a shaft rotationally coupled within the wing of the aircraft and operable, in response to flight control signals, to deploy or retract the lift assisting device. The actuation system includes an actuator for actuating the lift assisting device, coupled to the shaft, between a retracted position to a deployed position along an arcuate path. The actuation system includes a plurality of track roller bearings rotatably contacting the first and second outer surfaces of the track to guide the track along the arcuate path. The plurality of track roller bearings includes one or more lined track roller assembly.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention resides in an edge flap arrangement for an aircraft wing that has a main flap element and an actuator for moving the main flap element relative to the wing, a linkage arrangement that supports the main flap element from the aircraft wing for movement relative to the wing, the linkage arrangement including a drop link and a hinge point. The fixed strut and the drop link are pivotally connected by the hinge point. The hinge point includes a bearing. The bearing is an hourglass bearing assembly that has an inner raceway outer raceway. The outer raceway is positioned around the inner raceway. A plurality of rollers is disposed between the inner raceway and the outer raceway. The plurality of rollers, the outer raceway and/or the inner raceway are manufactured from CREN and/or CRES.

Abstract: An actuator for hinging a first element to a second element about a first pivot axis (A1), the actuator comprising a motor-drive device, a first mounting plate (4) connected to a body (2) of the motor-drive device, a second mounting plate (5) connected to the second element, the second mounting plate being mounted in the first mounting plate in order to pivot about the first axis, and a bush (6) mounted in the second mounting plate to pivot about a second axis (A2) perpendicular to the first axis. The motor-drive device has an outlet shaft (3) pivotable about a third axis (A3) perpendicular to the first axis and intersecting the first axis, and it is extended by a pin (7) that is pivotally received in the bush and that has a central axis (A4) intersecting the first axis and the third axis, and forming an acute angle with the third axis. An aircraft guidance assembly including such an actuator.