Abstract: An aircraft having a fixed structure, an engine pylon, and a cowling system, a slider bearing a rear cowl and able to move in translation from an advanced position to a retracted position, a displacement system having, on either side of a median plane of the engine pylon, a guide as one with the fixed structure, a sliding element as one with the slider and sliding along each guide disposed on the same side, and a support as one with the fixed structure and having a blade parallel to the translation direction and on which a surface parallel to the translation direction of the slider rests. The presence of the mobile cowl ensures, inter alia, easy access to the inside of the engine pylon and to the systems that are housed therein.

Abstract: The present application discloses an aircraft configured for vertical take-off and landing and horizontal flight. The aircraft includes a valve configured to control the permitting or restricting of a release of gas from different regions of a fuel tank when the aircraft is in a vertical take-off and landing orientation and when the aircraft is in a horizontal flight orientation.

Abstract: An aircraft system is provided that includes a propulsor rotor, a powerplant, a cooling system, an anti-icing system and an aircraft structure. The powerplant is operatively and rotatably coupled to the propulsor rotor. The cooling system includes a cooling circuit and an air duct. The cooling circuit is thermally coupled with the powerplant to extract heat energy from the powerplant. The cooling circuit is thermally coupled with air flowing within the air duct to transfer the heat energy into the air and provide heated air. The anti-icing system includes an inlet fluidly coupled with the air duct. The anti-icing system is adapted to bleed some of the heated air from the air duct through the inlet to provide bleed air. The aircraft structure includes an exterior surface. The anti-icing system is adapted to direct the bleed air into the aircraft structure to heat the exterior surface.

Abstract: A satellite constellation (100) includes a plurality of artificial satellites (111 to 116) that number a multiple of 6. Each of the plurality of artificial satellites orbits in an inclined circular orbit a plurality of times a day. Normals to a plurality of orbital planes corresponding to the plurality of artificial satellites are shifted by an equal angle from each other in an azimuth direction. The plurality of orbital planes make up one or more orbital plane sets each consisting of six orbital planes. Timings at which the six artificial satellites orbit on the six orbital planes of each orbital plane set are synchronized with each other.

Abstract: An air vehicle has a body, more than one wing located on the body creating a lifting force, at least one control surface located on the wing and movable along the direction in which the wing extends, an open position in which the control surface moves out of the wing in the direction in which the wing extends and increases the lifting force acting on the body, a closed position in which the control surface is moved from the open position and brought to the wing, a main actuator moving the control surface between the open and closed positions, at least one shaft enabling the control surface to be moved with the triggering of the main actuator and having one end connected to the control surface, and at least one additional actuator enabling the attack angle of the wings to be changed by rotating the wings on the body.

Abstract: A landing gear includes: a wheel support member including a first portion for rollably supporting a wheel, and a second portion extending from the first portion toward a fuselage in a direction of an axis of the first portion and supporting the first portion such that the first portion is rotatable about the axis; a swing support member for supporting the second portion of the wheel support member such that the second portion is swingable relative to the fuselage; a retraction actuator for swinging the wheel support member to retract the wheel into the fuselage and deploy the wheel from the fuselage; a brace attached to the fuselage and supporting the wheel support member; and a joint connecting the brace to the first portion of the wheel support member. The joint is disposed closer to the wheel than to the swing support member.

Abstract: A satellite system may have a constellation of communications satellites in orbits such as highly inclined eccentric geosynchronous orbits and low earth orbits. To place satellites in inclined eccentric geosynchronous orbits, a series of launch vehicles may be launched. Each launch vehicle may be used to place a set of satellites, such as a set of three satellites, into a common orbital plane with distinct longitude of ascending node values. To place satellites in low earth orbits, a series of launch vehicles may be launched, each of which releases satellites in sequence from a stack of satellites into a common orbital plane. After desired separations have been produced between the released satellites, circularization procedures may be performed using the propulsion systems of the satellites to place the satellites into final orbit.

Abstract: An auxiliary propulsion apparatus of an air vehicle may include an engine mounted in a fuselage of the air vehicle, a generator configured to be driven using power from the engine, a compressor configured to be driven by the engine or the generator, a battery configured to store electricity generated by the generator, an electricity distributor connected to the generator, the battery and the main propulsion apparatus and configured to distribute electricity generated by the generator to the battery and to a main propulsion apparatus, and at least one nozzle device configured to jet high-pressure gas, supplied from the compressor, to an outside of the fuselage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a protective foldable cage (100) adapted to flying drones. It comprises several ribs linked at their extremities by a ring and comprising on their length several connection points allowing strings to join each of the adjacent ribs. The length of the string corresponds to the maximal angular shift between the first and the last ribs. The protective cage further comprises easily removable locking means adapted to maintain the ribs at predetermined relative angular position once deployed. The present invention further relates to a system comprising such a protective cage and a drone support, as well as a method of protection of flying drones.

Abstract: A cargo system for an aircraft may include one or more of the following: a cargo deck configured for the receipt of bulk cargo, the cargo deck including at least one deck panel; and a cargo transport system including a track for moving a cargo container; and at least one floor fixture exposed on the cargo deck, where the cargo transport system includes an installed state and an uninstalled state, the track being secured to the floor fixture when the cargo transport system is in the installed state and the track being displaced from the cargo deck when the cargo transport system is in the uninstalled state.

Abstract: A drone docking station that includes an elevated platform fixed above the ground for drone docking is provided. The platform has a first locking element and a second locking element adapted on the drone to correspond to the first locking element to fulfill auto-alignment while the drone is approaching or docking the platform as well as auto-separation while the drone is leaving or about to leave the platform. A bearing and identification system is also included to identify location and bearing of the drone relative to the platform.

Abstract: A parachute retention system may include a container and a replaceable flap. The container can be attached to a vehicle and can hold a parachute. The container may have a first attachment member. A replaceable flap may have a second attachment member that connects to the first attachment member and that has a flexible barrier portion for enclosing at least a portion of the container to retain the parachute therein.

Abstract: A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) flying machine. The machine includes a ducted fan having an intake side and an outlet side, at least two co-axial rotors configured to contra-rotate about a fan axis X when driven in rotation; a primary drive source arranged substantially co-axially with the ducted fan and to the outlet side of the ducted fan; and first and second thrust air ducts configured to split thrust from the ducted fan into a pair of thrust streams and to guide the two respective thrust streams to opposite respective sides of the primary drive source, the ducts being rotatable to direct motion of the machine. A number of configurations of secondary drive sources and alternative thrust sources are provided for improved safety.

Abstract: A system and method for actuating one or more high-lift flight control surfaces of an aircraft are disclosed. The system comprises actuators operatively coupled between a driveline and one or more high-lift flight control surfaces associated with a wing of the aircraft. The actuators are configured to cause actuation of the one or more first high-lift flight control surfaces in response to being driven by the first driveline. Each actuator is associated with a no-back device configured to prevent an air load on the one or more high-lift flight control surfaces from driving the one or more high-lift flight control surfaces. The system also comprises a backup brake applicable to the driveline. The backup brake can be applied upon the identification of a developing unsafe condition such as an asymmetry condition between the flight control surfaces of each wing of the aircraft or an uncommanded movement the flight control surfaces.

Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft has a body (2), a rotor (3) positioned so as to extend outward from within the body (2) and to rotate about its axis, at least one blade (4) extending outward from the rotor (2) and providing lift and/or thrust force to the body (2) by its movement, at least one outer blade (401) positioned in the blade (4) and providing lift and/or thrust force to the body (2), and at least one mechanism (5) enabling the outer blade (401) to switch from a retracted first position in which the it is almost entirely located in the blade (4) to a second position in which it extends outward from the blade (4) by moving linearly under the influence of the centrifugal force generated during the movement of the rotor (2).

Abstract: A configurable spacecraft attachment and deployment system and a method of constructing a configurable spacecraft attachment and deployment system are provided herein. In one embodiment, the configurable spacecraft attachment and deployment system includes: (1) a connecting structure configured to secure at least one spacecraft to a launch interface, (2) an actuating assembly configured to constrain the spacecraft to the connecting structure before deployment thereof and release the spacecraft from the connecting structure when deployed, and (3) a deploying mechanism coupled to the connecting structure and configured to eject the spacecraft from the attaching structure, wherein the connecting structure, the actuating assembly, and the deploying mechanism are modular components and the connecting structure and deploying mechanism are selected to form the system based on parameters of the spacecraft.

Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft has a nacelle, at least one rotor provided with at least one blade, a braking device to stop the rotation of the rotor, an emergency parachute provided with a canopy and with a rope, a rocket to start the extraction of the canopy from the nacelle, two operating devices to operate the braking device and the rocket, respectively, and a single actuator device to operate both the operating devices.

Abstract: A coupled landing gear apparatus for an aircraft including at least a nose gear disposed forward of a neutral point of an aircraft by a first distance and at least a main gear disposed aft of the neutral point of the aircraft by a second distance. The at least a nose gear and the at least a main gear are in communication with one another.

Abstract: Provided is a tailstock type vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle and a control method thereof. The unmanned aerial vehicle is mainly composed of a fuselage, wings, ailerons, empennages, an elevator, a rudder, an engine, an attitude adjustment nozzle, a landing gear, and the like. The wings are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the middle of the fuselage; the ailerons are hinged to the trailing edges of the wings on the both sides; the empennages are located at the tail of the fuselage, and a form of vertical empennages+horizontal empennages or V-shaped empennages can be used; the elevator and rudder are hinged to the trailing edges of the empennages; the engine is arranged at the tail of the fuselage for producing main thrust.

Abstract: A lighter than air airship (1) comprising a gas-filled flexible hull (2) which is elongate with a longitudinal axis (1?) and with a front end (4) and a rear end (5), wherein a harness-structure (3) is abutting an outer side of the hull (2) and not perturbing the hull and not extending through the hull, the harness-structure (3) is made of a bendable material and carries a propeller engine (10) for forward thrust of the airship (1), rechargeable batteries (11) for providing electrical power to the propeller engine (10), and a solar panel for providing electrical power to recharge the batteries (11).