Abstract: A vehicle capable of taking off and landing vertically and operating in water, land, air and submarine environments includes a fuselage, two main wings, ailerons, a vertical tail, a rudder, a horizontal tail, elevators, a propeller, rotor wings, rotor wing supports, etc. The vehicle has the advantages of adaptability to various environments, good concealment and strong survivability. Compared with a traditional unmanned rotorcraft, the vehicle has longer endurance time and larger load. Compared with a fixed wing UAV, the vertical take-off and landing function makes the work more convenient. Compared with unmanned diving equipment, the vehicle is applicable to richer environments, and can complete designated missions in air, land, water and submarine environments. Compared with a tilt rotor UAV in water, land, air and submarine environments, the vehicle is rapider in switching of various modes and is higher in stability.

Abstract: An airship includes a ballonet, a ballonet tracking system, and a vehicle management system. The ballonet is disposed within the airship and includes a ballonet surface. The ballonet tracking system includes one or more light emitters disposed within the ballonet at one or more fixed locations and one or more light detectors disposed within the ballonet at the one or more fixed locations. The ballonet tracking system measures a plurality of distances between one or more fixed locations and one or more locations on the ballonet surface. The ballonet tracking system also calculates differences between a predetermined set of expected distances and the plurality of measured distances. Based on the calculated differences, the ballonet tracking system calculates a volume of the ballonet. The vehicle management system is communicatively coupled to the ballonet tracking system and controls the operation of the airship using the calculated volume of the ballonet.

Abstract: A rotor blade control system and methods therefor including a hub assembly pivotally attached to a rotor blade; a mast attached to the hub assembly; a swashplate assembly engaged with the mast and including a swashplate actuation mechanism pivotally coupled with the non-rotating ring at a plurality of coupling locations for moving the non-rotating ring and pivotally coupled with the base at a plurality of base locations, the swashplate actuation mechanism comprises a plurality of substantially triangular dual actuator assemblies that are independently and concurrently operable to move the respective coupling location so as to impart movement on the non-rotating ring. The swashplate actuation mechanism is configured to move the swashplate assembly about a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis in response to a cyclic input. The swashplate actuation mechanism is configured to move the swashplate assembly along the mast in response to a collective input.

Abstract: A landing gear includes a pair of skids, a cross tube and a stiffening portion. The pair of skids is arranged in parallel with a front-rear axis of an airframe of a rotary wing aircraft. The cross tube is attached to the airframe and coupling the pair of skids to each other. The cross tube includes curved portions located closer to end portions of the cross tube than to portions of the cross tube attached to the airframe. The stiffening portion suppresses flattening of the cross tube and is arranged in at least one of internal spaces of the curved portions or a stiffened portion located between a pair of curved portions. The stiffening portion includes an enlarged diameter portion which increases in diameter by an axial fastening power acting in an axial direction of the cross tube, and a fastening portion configured to generate the axial fastening power.

Abstract: A disruption device for fixing to an aerial vehicle. The disruption device is adapted to disrupt at least one radio path between at least one receiving unit of an unmanned flying body and at least one transmitting unit provided for controlling the flight path of the unmanned flying body. An aerial vehicle having the disruption device is further provided.

Abstract: To improve reliability and safety of an actuator assembly for a high-lift device, a torque sensing device is provided on a static structural part, which is used to mount the actuator of the actuator assembly to an aircraft interface, such as a rib or an interconnection strut. A controller determines a reaction torque value based on the output signal of the torque sensing device and monitors and controls the actuator based on the reaction torque value and predetermined load thresholds.

Abstract: A landing gear for a vehicle includes a strut configured for reciprocating movement between a stowed position and a deployed position. A shock absorber has a first element slidingly disposed within the strut and a second element slidingly coupled to the first element. A trailing arm is rotatably coupled to the second element. A first linkage is coupled to the first element, wherein the first linkage drives the first element between a raised position when the strut is in the stowed position and a lowered position when the strut is in the deployed position. The landing gear further includes a second linkage coupled to the trailing arm. The second linkage rotates the trailing arm between a first trailing arm position when the strut is in the stowed position and a second trailing arm position when the strut is in the deployed position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a digital twin tethered balloon system; key running state data of a tethered balloon is collected through an Internet of Things of a tethered balloon system; the key running state data of the tethered balloon is transmitted to a twin data service center; the twin data service center receives, analyzes and stores the data and forwards the data to a tethered balloon digital twin system; the tethered balloon digital twin system simulates a pose of a tethered balloon body and the movement of a ground tethering facility; and the tethered balloon monitoring service provides running state monitoring, quality problem tracking, fault prediction and early warning, automatic control and other services.

Abstract: Technologies are described herein for a drag recovery scheme using a boundary layer bypass duct system. In some examples, boundary layer air is routed around the intake of one or more of the engines and reintroduced aft of the engine fan in the nozzle duct in a mixer-ejector scheme. Mixer-ejectors mix the boundary layer flow to increase mass flow.

Abstract: Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft include a fuselage having a center of gravity (CG) and defining mutually orthogonal X-, Y- and Z-axes. An even number of positionally mirror imaged port and starboard side rotors are provided laterally of the fuselage in spaced relationship to a plane established by the XZ axes while an even number of fuselage rotors are positioned along an X-axis centerline of the fuselage. Improved stability during failure of an engine/motor/rotor is achieved by causing one-half of the side rotors to rotate in one direction about the Z-axis and a remaining one-half of the side rotors rotate in a counter direction relative thereto, while one-half of the fuselage rotors rotate in one direction about the Z-axis and a remaining one-half of the fuselage rotors rotated in a counter direction relative thereto.

Abstract: A truck beam for an aircraft landing gear assembly is provided. The truck beam includes an elongate hub having first and second ends. The hub is rotatably mountable to a shock strut of the landing gear assembly. A first leg extends radially in a first direction from the first end of the hub. The first leg has an inner side facing the second end of the hub and is configured to have a first wheel rotatably mounted to the inner side about a first wheel axis. A second leg extends radially in a second direction from the second end of the hub and has an inner side facing the first end of the hub. The second leg is configured to have a second wheel rotatably mounted to the inner side of the second leg about a second wheel axis.

Abstract: A pylon for mounting to a bottom surface of an aircraft and for carrying an external payload is provided. The pylon comprises a body spanning along a vertical axis between an upper face and a lower face, the upper face comprising one or more mounting arrangements configured to facilitate mounting the pylon to the bottom surface of the aircraft, the lower face comprising at least one suspension mechanism configured to facilitate selective attachment of the payload to the pylon. The pylon further comprises a covering arrangement configured for selective shifting between a closed position in which it covers the suspension mechanism and an open position in which the suspension mechanism is uncovered. The width of the body varies smoothly along the vertical axis between, inclusively, the upper and lower faces.

Abstract: A range extension unit extends the range of a guided mortar bomb. The range extension unit includes a housing interface defining an internal cup that receives a rear portion of a guided mortar bomb, wherein the housing interface covers a rear portion of the mortar bomb. The housing interface, when coupled to the mortar bomb, collectively forms an aerodynamically shaped body with the mortar bomb. At least two deployable wings are attached to the housing interface, wherein the wings transition between a retracted state and a deployed state.

Abstract: A thermal management system for an aircraft is provided that includes thermo-acoustic engines that remove and capture waste heat from the aircraft engines, heat pumps powered by the acoustic waves generated from the waste heat that remove and capture electrical component waste heat from electrical components in the aircraft, and hollow tubes disposed in the aircraft configured to propagate mechanical energy to locations throughout the aircraft and to transfer the electrical component waste heat back to the aircraft engines to reduce overall aircraft mass and improve propulsive efficiency.

Abstract: A gas distribution assembly for providing gas to an actuator for opening an aircraft door and to an aircraft evacuation slide, the assembly comprising a single common gas supply and valve means for controlling distribution of gas from the common supply between the slide and the door actuator based on door opening position.

Abstract: A system for transferring a fluid from a first spacecraft to a second spacecraft. The first spacecraft includes a fluid transfer system comprising: a pressurant supply system, a first fluid tank to store a fluid to be transferred, one or more transfer feedlines to provide fluidic connection between the first fluid tank and the second spacecraft, a connector for connecting the first spacecraft to the second spacecraft, an accumulator tank comprising a first portion connected to the pressurant supply system, a second portion configured in fluidic communication with the one or more transfer feedlines, and a flexible separator to separate the first portion and the second portion. The pressurant supply system supplies pressurant gas to the first fluid tank for pressurising the first fluid tank and to supply pressurant gas to the first portion of the accumulator tank for pressurising the first portion of the accumulator tank.

Abstract: A levered landing gear including a first shock strut having a first end and a second end, a truck lever pivotally coupled to the second end of the first shock strut, and a second shock strut disposed between the second end of the first shock strut and the truck lever, where the second shock strut has a first end and a second end, the first end of the second shock strut being coupled to the second end of the first shock strut and the second end of the second shock strut being coupled to the truck lever.

Abstract: A flight vehicle includes a drone with a pair of shaped protrusions mechanically coupled to the drone. One of the shapes is a hollow lift-producing shape, such as being a balloon filed with a lighter-than-air gas, and the other of the shapes is below the drone. The shape below the drone may be a hollow shape that does not produce lift, for example being a balloon filled with air. The shapes may be similar in size and shape, so as to provide similar drag characteristics. The shapes may be opposite ends of a support, such as a stick, rod, or other (relatively) slender structure. The vehicle includes a payload, such as radar calibration equipment or an antenna. The drone may be used to counteract wind forces on the flight vehicle, and/or to otherwise position the flight vehicle.

Abstract: There is provided an energy absorbing landing gear system for attachment to a vertical landing apparatus. The energy absorbing landing gear system includes a linear damper assembly, and a load limiter assembly coupled to the linear damper assembly, the load limiter assembly having at least one deformable element to enhance an energy absorption capability. When the energy absorbing landing gear system is attached to the vertical landing apparatus, during a landing phase, the linear damper assembly contacts a landing surface, and a piston assembly of the linear damper assembly moves a first compression distance toward the load limiter assembly, and when the linear damper assembly reaches a maximum compression, the linear damper assembly moves a second compression distance into the load limiter assembly, and the at least one deformable element deforms.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the torque of a drive device (1) for rotating wheels (2) of an aircraft comprising actuators for selectively driving rotating wheels of the aircraft to ensure its movement on the ground, comprising the step of regulating a torque generated by the drive device according to a torque setpoint (4) issued by the pilot. According to the invention, the method involves the step of generating, as long as the torque setpoint is not sufficient to guarantee a stable movement speed of the aircraft, a replacement torque setpoint (5) to allow the aircraft to move at a stable speed, and substituting the replacement torque setpoint for the torque setpoint generated by the pilot.