Abstract: A hover-capable aircraft includes a body including a tubular strut, a first rotor assembly rotatably coupled to the body and positioned about the strut, wherein the first rotor assembly includes a first plurality of circumferentially-spaced blades, a first actuation assembly including a first plurality of electronically controlled actuators coupled to a first swashplate and configured to control the movement of the first swashplate relative to the body, and a control system coupled to the body and configured to control the first plurality of actuators, wherein the control system includes a cable extending through a passage formed in the tubular strut and in signal communication with the first plurality of actuators.

Abstract: An autonomous landing system includes a vertical landing aircraft, a visual cue coupled to an offshore landing platform and including a visual indicator located that extends vertically across a horizon and is maintained parallel with the horizon, and an autonomous control system configured to control a position of the aircraft with respect to the visual indicator to maneuver the aircraft into a hovering, predefined landing position above the offshore landing platform, and control the position of the aircraft with respect to the visual indicator to cause the aircraft to descend from the landing position and land on the offshore landing platform.

Abstract: An autonomous landing system for vertical landing aircraft includes a vertical landing aircraft including a powertrain and an onboard camera, a motion-stabilized visual cue including a visual indicator, wherein the visual cue is configured to maintain a fixed orientation of the visual indicator with respect to a horizon, and an autonomous control system configured to control a position of the aircraft with respect to the visual indicator of the visual cue based on image data captured by the onboard camera.

Abstract: An autonomous landing system for vertical landing aircraft includes a vertical landing aircraft including a powertrain and an onboard camera, a motion-stabilized visual cue including a visual indicator, wherein the visual cue is configured to maintain a fixed orientation of the visual indicator with respect to a horizon, and an autonomous control system configured to control a position of the aircraft with respect to the visual indicator of the visual cue based on image data captured by the onboard camera.

Abstract: A hover-capable aircraft includes a body including a tubular strut, a first rotor assembly rotatably coupled to the body and positioned about the strut, wherein the first rotor assembly includes a first plurality of circumferentially-spaced blades, a first actuation assembly including a first plurality of electronically controlled actuators coupled to a first swashplate and configured to control the movement of the first swashplate relative to the body, and a control system coupled to the body and configured to control the first plurality of actuators, wherein the control system includes a cable extending through a passage formed in the tubular strut and in signal communication with the first plurality of actuators.