Abstract: A flow body for a vehicle having a flow surface, as well as a skin system attached to the flow surface is proposed. The skin system has a top layer and a foam arrangement positioned between the flow surface and the top layer, wherein the top layer includes an elastic, surface-like material, wherein the foam arrangement includes a first layer of an elastic, compressible open cell foam, wherein the foam arrangement is bonded to the top layer. The skin system has a static shape in an unloaded state, in which the shape defines an outer surface geometry that directly follows the geometry of the respective flow surface, and the skin system has a deflected shape when the flow body is subjected to turbulent air flow. The deflected shape at least temporarily compresses the foam arrangement.

Abstract: An arrangement of individual seats intended to be installed in an aeroplane cabin includes at least one module of two seats disposed opposite one another, said module having a longitudinal elongation direction, characterized in that said arrangement further comprises: a console disposed between the two seats of the module; a screen connected to each seat, each screen being mounted on a screen support; the screen supports being movable between a stowed position and a deployed operating position, in which the screen supports are positioned substantially edge-to-edge and form a partition wall between the two seats located opposite one another.

Abstract: An aircraft having a fuselage with a nose and a flat tail at opposite ends and a pair of wings extending therefrom. A pair of nacelles are detachably connected to the top of respective ones of the wings to be spaced from the fuselage to establish an air flow space therebetween. Each wing-mounted nacelle includes a plurality of fans, a corresponding plurality of electric motors to drive the fans, and dividers that separate the fans from one another. Each wing-mounted nacelle also includes a pair of rotatable air inlet slats at an air intake end and a pair of rotatable air exhaust flaps at an air exhaust end that are rotated relative to one another to control horizontal propulsive thrust, thrust vectoring and thrust reversing of the aircraft. A third nacelle is mounted on top of the flat tail of the fuselage between a pair of horizontal turbo generators.

Abstract: A planting structure includes a trough and a plurality of lateral covers. The trough has a hollow space and a planting space, and a canal is formed inside of the trough; the lateral covers cover a lateral side of the trough and seals off the planting space. The inner walls on the two sides have bottom ends thereof integrally extended to form the canal therebetween. In addition, the planting structure possesses features such as being light in weight, easy to assemble and operate, and can be used to effectively lower production costs by modifying the length and the arrangement mode of the structure according to requirements.

Abstract: A temperature monitoring unit may be removably installed inside an aircraft wing structure for monitoring temperature conditions along the span of the wing. The wing structure has a temperature-sensitive device (162) for monitoring a temperature condition, which is attached to a support frame (173). The support frame and attached temperature-sensitive device may be installed as a unit within the wing structure. The support frame may be configured for sliding engagement inside the wing structure, for example, with a set of tracks.

Abstract: An aircraft landing gear assembly including a plurality of noise-inducing elements, at least one of the noise-inducing elements comprising a brake assembly or electric drive assembly, and a noise reduction fairing arranged to shield only at least a portion of the brake assembly from incident airflow.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a body constructed to enable the UAV to fly and three or more legs connected to the body and configured to land and perch the UAV on a curved ferromagnetic surface. Each leg includes a first portion connected to the body, a second portion including a magnet and configured to magnetically attach and maintain the magnetic attachment of the leg to the ferromagnetic surface during the landing and perching, and a passive articulation joint connecting the first and second portions and configured to passively articulate the second portion with respect to the first portion in response to the second portion approaching the ferromagnetic surface. The UAV further includes a releasable crawler including magnetic wheels which detach the crawler from the body during the perching and maneuver the crawler on the ferromagnetic surface while magnetically attaching the crawler to the ferromagnetic surface after detachment.

Abstract: A container retention and release apparatus includes an actuator a swaybrace and retention assembly pivotally coupled to the actuator. The swaybrace and retention assembly pivot relative to the actuator between a first position to retain a container and a second position to release the container.

Abstract: A dual-wing aircraft includes a body extending from a front end to a rear end; a front wing, having: a first section secured to the body; and a second section secured to an opposing side of the body; a rear wing, having: a third section secured to the body; and a fourth section secured to the opposing side of the body; a tail wing rigidly attached to the body and positioned between the front wing and the rear wing.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a surface for contacting a fluid medium through which the vehicle is propelled. The vehicle also includes an array of transducers and a controller. The transducers in the array are arranged across the vehicle's surface for generating pressure waves in the fluid medium. Each transducer in the array is arranged to vibrate for generating a respective pressure wave, which propagates away from the surface in the fluid medium. The controller vibrates the transducers in the array so that the pressure waves control the drag of the vehicle from the fluid medium.

Abstract: A ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of low-energy high-rate maneuvers for both vertical roll control and horizontal pitch control. The UAV includes ducted fans which are with respective piezoelectric-actuated thrust vectoring flaps. Thrust vector control is achieved by controlling the angular positions of a plurality of thrust vector flaps pivotably coupled at respective outlets of a plurality of ducts having fan rotors at the inlets. Each thrust vectoring flap has only one degree of freedom in the frame of reference of the UAV, namely, rotation about a single axis that is perpendicular to the axis of the duct. The angular position of the flap is controlled by sending electrical signals to a piezoelectric actuator (e.g., a piezoelectric bimorph actuator) having a voltage sufficient to cause the piezoelectric actuator to bend.

Abstract: A cap assembly for a cultivation bottle for growing mushrooms is provided. The cap assembly (10) includes a bottle fitting member (20) configured to fit onto a mouth part (54) of the cultivation bottle (50) and a bowl-shaped member (30) configured to be placed on the bottle fitting member. The cap assembly being connected to the bottle prior to fruiting such that the mushrooms grow up through the mouth of the bottle and the attached cap assembly. The bowl-shaped member being separable from the bottle and attached bottle fitting member to facilitate harvesting of the mushroom fruiting bodies and removal of a section of the elongated hard tip portion.

Abstract: Vortex reduction apparatus for use with airfoils are disclosed. An example vortex reduction apparatus includes a housing to couple to a tip of an airfoil. The housing defines a volute fluid flow passageway between an inlet and an outlet. The volute fluid flow passageway is structured to induce a rotational fluid flow in a first rotational direction opposite a second rotational direction of a shed vortex induced at the tip of the airfoil during flight.

Abstract: An aircraft passenger seating unit and aircraft seating arrangements including seating units, each seating unit configured as a window-facing seating unit or as an aisle-facing seating unit. Each individual seating unit including first and second laterally adjacent seats mounted on a common platform and oriented at an angle to a longitudinal aircraft axis. A forwardmost point of each of the first and second seats, when in an upright sitting position, resides along a plane common to both the first and second passenger seats perpendicular to the longitudinal aircraft axis to allow longitudinal alignment of rows and increased seating density.

Abstract: A fastener for holding together two or more structures. The fastener includes a first bush and a second bush. The first bush includes a hollow shaft having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The first end of the first bush has a first radially-extending protrusion. The second bush includes a hollow shaft having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The first end of the second bush has a second radially-extending protrusion. The second end of the second bush is configured to connect to the second end of the first bush so as to resist separation of the first and second bushes and so as to define an axial hole through the fastener defined by the shaft of the first bush and the shaft of the second bush.

Abstract: An air, sea and underwater tilt tri-rotor UAV capable of performing vertical take-off and landing. By the method for controlling a submerged floating device and a tilt tri-rotor device, the UAV is switched among the vertical take-off and landing mode, fixed wing mode, water surface sailing mode and underwater submerging mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling an electric aircraft. An apparatus comprises a motor, a power source, and a four-quadrant controller. The motor operates in four quadrants of operational space and operates in one of an accelerating state and a regenerative braking state. A total current flows through the motor. The power source is connected to the motor, and when the motor operates in the regenerative braking state, the total current flows through the power source. The power source has a maximum allowable current. The four-quadrant controller is programmed to identify a recharging parameter, brake the motor to initiate the regenerative braking state when the recharging parameter is present, recharge the power source with the total current during the regenerative braking state, and control a duty cycle of the motor such that the total current does not exceed the maximum allowable current during the regenerative braking state.

Abstract: A mechanical power transmission that pivots about an axis to vary an angle between an input shaft and an output shaft. The mechanical power transmission includes an input gear having an input shaft that couples to a drive shaft, an output gear having an output shaft that couples to a tail rotor, a first intermediate gear rotationally coupled to the input gear, and a second intermediate gear rotationally coupled to the output gear. The mechanical power transmission further comprises a shaft that mechanically couples the first intermediate gear with the second intermediate gear, where a centerline of the shaft is coincident with the axis.

Abstract: A control bar stopper includes a stopper body having a sleeved line receiving slip groove that allows sleeved line slippage. The stopper body has an underlying control bar bumper. A brake body is provided having a sleeved line receiving stop groove that resists sleeved line slippage. The brake body is smaller than the stopper body and is positioned above and at a distance from the control bar bumper with the stop groove facing the slip groove. A pivotal link connects the stopper body and the brake body. In response to a control bar striking the control bar bumper, the slip groove allows the stopper body to slide along a sleeved line and as the stopper body slides along the sleeved line, the brake body pivots about the pivotal link into stop contact with the sleeved line with the stop groove resisting further slippage.

Abstract: A storage unit for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) includes a container, a UAV landing platform, and a receptacle. The container is provided for enclosing the UAV. The receptacle is positioned above the UAV landing platform and it includes at least one inclined surface for guiding a landing UAV to a predetermined UAV landing position on the UAV landing platform.