Abstract: The present invention relates to an autonomous, multi-use, subterranean aircraft pull-through system that connects with an aircraft arriving at the ramp pick-up point and transits through the terminal building, in a unidirectional movement, where the aircraft is serviced, then disconnects from the aircraft at the ramp release point. The autonomous, subterranean aircraft pull-through system receives multiple aircraft in a row, with rows adjacent to each other, where aircraft are nose to tail, and side by side, occupying the smallest footprint in the industry. The autonomous, subterranean aircraft pull-through system is remotely controlled and operates autonomously in a subterranean manner to assist in servicing the aircraft. The system helps to speed up the aircraft handling component of airside operations, improve safety, reduce emissions, and the cost factors borne by both airports and airlines.

Abstract: A system for an unmanned aerial vehicle can include an altitude control system, which further includes a compressor assembly, a valve assembly, and an electronics assembly. The compressor assembly may include a driveshaft and a bearing assembly configured to rotate the driveshaft. The driveshaft may be formed from a first material and a compressor housing may be formed from a second material. The first and second materials may have different rates of thermal expansion. A dynamic preloading mechanism, such as a flexible plate, may be provided within the compressor assembly to exert a preloading force on the bearing assembly. Throughout the duration of the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the preloading mechanism can continually compensate for differences in rates of thermal expansion between the first and second materials throughout.

Abstract: A space transportation system for providing high volume, high mass access to space that includes tethers that extend between the earth and one or more space stations or platforms. One or more counterweights may be utilized at the terminal end of the tethers in space. The tethers utilize may be made of carbon nanotubes or other advanced materials and woven into cables with electromagnets embedding therein. The tethers include tapering profiles along their lengths to facilitate operation of the system. Transport vehicles for passengers and cargo travel up the tethers using electromagnetic levitation and impulsion. Energy from solar panels or movement of the vehicles along the tethers may be generated for use in the system or for supplemental uses.

Abstract: A main frame structure having box-section bearing beams of a launch vehicle engine includes a body. The body includes upper bearing table tops, lower bearing table tops, a cross gasket, a connecting ring and the box-section bearing beams. The box-section bearing beam includes an upper surface, a lower surface and two side beam walls, and has a cavity structure. Penetrating transverse ribs penetrating the two side beam walls are arranged on the box-section bearing beams, and one ends of the box-section bearing beams are circumferentially distributed at an outer side of the connecting ring. The lower bearing table tops are arranged at the outer side of the connecting ring, the lower bearing table tops are connected to the cross gasket, and the other ends of the upper surfaces and the lower surfaces are connected by means of arc chamfers and are connected to the upper bearing table tops.

Abstract: The aircraft includes a fuselage, a front wing and a rear wing provided to extend laterally from the fuselage for generating lift during cruise, a boom 18 supported by the front wing and the rear wing to be spaced apart from the fuselage, and at least one VTOL rotor that is supported on the boom, and having one or more blades for generating thrust in a vertical direction during take-off and landing, wherein the boom has a shape in a top view in which a barrel forms a curvature in a direction away from the fuselage with respect to a front end and a rear end while extending in a front-back direction, and has a cross section in a front view in which an upper side forms a round curvature, the boom being tapered from an upper side from a lower side, and the lower side is substantially flat.

Abstract: A propulsion system (1) for a helicopter, comprising a turboshaft engine (2) with a linked turbine and an electric machine (3) capable of operating as an electric motor, the turboshaft engine (2) and the electric machine (3) being capable of driving in rotation at least one main rotor (5) intended to be coupled to a rotating wing (6) characterised in that it comprises means of coupling and decoupling (14) in rotation between a rotor (3a) of the electric machine (3) and a rotor (2a) of the turboshaft engine (2), the means of coupling and decoupling (14) being capable of allowing the rotor (2a) of the turboshaft engine (2) to be driven in rotation with the aid of the electric machine (3), in a first state of the propulsion system (1), and capable of allowing the rotor (2a) of the turboshaft engine (2) and the rotor (3a) of the electric machine (3) to be decoupled in rotation, in a second state of the propulsion system (1).

Abstract: Described herein is a blended wing body aircraft. In some embodiments, a blended wing body aircraft may include a passenger cabin separated into two or more cabin bays. In some embodiments, two or more cabin bays may be separated by a structural element that runs through the passenger cabin along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

Abstract: A coaxial rotor system includes a center mast non-rotatably disposed at and extending from a helicopter. A rotation axis extends along the center mast. An inner mast is disposed along the center mast and is rotatable about the rotation axis in a first direction. A portion of the inner mast extends above an end of the center mast. An outer mast circumscribes the center mast and is rotatable about the rotation axis in an opposite second direction. The center mast extends above an end of the outer mast. An upper rotor blade assembly is rotatable with the inner mast. A lower rotor blade assembly is rotatable with the outer mast. A control system disposed at the center mast between the upper and lower rotor blade assemblies is operable to adjust pitch of a plurality of upper rotor blades and to adjust pitch of a plurality of lower rotor blades.

Abstract: A spacecraft capable of re-entry into atmosphere includes an airframe, including a body and one or more wings, and one or more propulsion devices, for example, rocket engines, reaction control thrusters, and jet engines. One or more louver systems are incorporated into the airframe to assist in controlling the aerodynamic profile of the spacecraft. The louver system includes a number of fins rotatable about and axis. An actuator system may rotate the fins in unison or independently of the other fins. A controller may receive information from sensors incorporated into the airframe and send instructions to the actuator system to rotate the fins in response to the sensor information in order to achieve a calculated aerodynamic profile. The spacecraft may also include retractable landing legs. One or more of the wings may be actuated wings.

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: An aerial vehicle adapted for vertical takeoff and landing using pivoting thrust producing elements for takeoff and landing. An aerial vehicle which is adapted to takeoff with thrust units providing vertical thrust and then transitioning to a horizontal flight path. An aerial vehicle with pivoting thrust units with propellers, wherein some or all of the propellers are able to be stowed and fully nested during forward flight.

Abstract: Described is a spacecraft locker configured be deployed in outer space and configured to assemble satellites (e.g., CubeSats) within it and deploy them in outer space. In an embodiment, an unmanned spacecraft includes a housing configured to be deployed in a microgravity environment, the housing having an access point (e.g. a door), a storage area configured to store parts of a satellite, one or more robots movably positioned in the housing, and a controller configured to control at least one of the one or more robots to access parts from the storage area and to assemble the parts on an assembly platform of the housing. The controller may also control deployment of the assembled satellite through the door of the housing to a position in the microgravity environment.

Abstract: A rotor assembly includes a propeller, a motor, and a connection assembly. The motor includes a stator and a rotator rotatable with respect to the stator. The connection assembly is configured to connect the propeller to the motor and includes a locking member that is arranged between the propeller and the motor. The locking member is configured to rotate with respect to the rotator and the propeller in a rotation direction identical to a rotation direction of the propeller in operation to lock the propeller to the motor.

Abstract: An oxygen container for a passenger transport vehicle with a compartment configured to hold at least one oxygen mask, a moving mount coupled to the compartment and configured to linearly or pivotally move the compartment from a stowed position to a release position, and a bottom lid hinged to the compartment and configured to move to an open position and releasing the at least one oxygen mask, when the compartment moves from the stowed position to the release position. Also provided are a monument and a passenger vehicle section, as well as an aircraft having such an oxygen container.

Abstract: The present invention explains an apparatus 100 for transporting a vehicle 111 to space comprising a vertical tower 101 having an upper end 116 and a lower end 117 wherein the lower end 117 is below sea level 108 and a horizontal pipe 102, connected to the lower end 117 of the vertical tower 101. The vertical tower 101 is filled with water and the horizontal pipe 102 extends underground to sea shore 110. The horizontal pipe 102 includes a valve 104 for outlet of water. A horizontal inlet pipe 105 connected to the vertical tower 101 below the sea level 108, wherein the horizontal inlet pipe 105 includes a valve 106 for inlet of water. A plurality of shutters 107, 113, 114, 115 placed at intervals in the vertical tower 101; and a platform 112 is provided at the upper end 116 of the vertical tower 101.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the control of the attitude of earth orbiting satellites and the orbit and attitude control of a novel gravitational wave detection satellite configuration located near the sun-earth Lagrangian points L3, L4 and L5, utilizing the control of solar radiation pressure by the use of electrically controllable variable reflection glass panels to provide the torques and forces needed.

Abstract: An aircraft having two or more pairs of airfoils, each airfoil having an embedded vertical thruster. The vertical thrusters provide sufficient lift to permit the aircraft to perform vertical takeoffs and landings. The aircraft has two or more horizontal thrusters which accelerate the aircraft to a speed at which the airfoils provide most or all of the lift required to maintain altitude. In horizontal flight, the vertical thrusters may operate at a reduced power level, sufficient to control the orientation of the aircraft.

Abstract: Systems and methods for transferring electric power to an aircraft during flight. Power transfer to the receiver aircraft is effected by means of a donor aircraft using a wired electrical connection. The method for transferring electric power includes: establishing an electrical connection between a receiver aircraft and a donor aircraft during flight; and transferring electric power from the donor aircraft to the receiver aircraft via the electrical connection. In one embodiment, electric power is transferred by way of a power cable deployed by the donor aircraft, a drogue attached to a trailing end of the power cable, and a probe mounted to the fuselage of the receiver aircraft, The probe and drogue are configured to form an electrical connection when fully engaged.

Abstract: A multi-layer sleeping compartment for an aircraft is provided in order to more comfortable accommodate passengers to recline and sleep. The multilayer compartment houses a plurality of sleeping pods arranged either side of an entrance, and the sleeping compartment is generally aligned with a longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Further the pods may be booked for session times during the normal flight of an aircraft.

Abstract: A plurality of energy storage packs supply a current to a plurality of motor driver that drive a plurality of motors mounted on moving object, respectively. Sub energy storage pack supplies a current to at least one of a plurality of first current paths connecting the plurality of motor driver and the plurality of energy storage packs, or pulls a current from at least one of the plurality of first current paths. Controller controls the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches to adjust capacities between the plurality of energy storage packs.