Abstract: An aircraft with an engine support structure, the aircraft including at least an engine wherein the at least engine is top mounted to an aircraft, a main body, and an engine support structure including a plurality of hoop structures, wherein at least one horseshoe structure is located forward of the center of gravity to the at least engine.

Abstract: An aircraft with an engine support structure, the aircraft including at least an engine wherein the at least engine is top mounted to an aircraft, a main body, and an engine support structure including a plurality of hoop structures, wherein at least one horseshoe structure is located forward of the center of gravity to the at least engine.

Abstract: An aircraft with an engine support structure, the aircraft including at least an engine wherein the at least engine is top mounted to an aircraft, a main body, and an engine support structure including a plurality of hoop structures, wherein at least one horseshoe structure is located forward of the center of gravity to the at least engine.

Abstract: A tanker aircraft for long-distance travel, the tanker aircraft including a blended wing body having a main body, a transition, and wings with no clear demarcation between the wings and the main body along a leading edge of the tanker aircraft, a fuel storage located within the blended wing body, the fuel storage comprising a first fuel store, the first fuel store located within the transition and configured for long range flight and a second fuel store the second fuel store having a tanker capacity and a refueling boom system having a flying boom, the flying boom extending from the blended wing body, wherein the tanker aircraft is a long-range tanker aircraft.

Abstract: A commercial aircraft for short distance air travel, the commercial aircraft comprising a blended wing body aircraft having a main body, a transition and wings with no clear demarcation between the wings and the main body along a leading edge of the commercial aircraft, a passenger cabin, the passenger cabin located within the main body and having a wide body passenger capacity, at least a propulsor, the at least a propulsor attached to a portion of the main body and configured to propel the blended wing body commercial aircraft through air, a fuel storage located within the blended wing body, the fuel storage having a fuel capacity wherein the fuel capacity is configured for a fuel capacity associated with short-range flight, and a landing gear, the landing gear located on an undercarriage of the blended wing body, the landing gear configured for the short-range flight.

Abstract: A commercial aircraft for long distance air travel, the commercial aircraft comprising, a blended wing body aircraft having a main body, a transition and wings with no clear demarcation between the wings and the main body along a leading edge of the commercial aircraft, a passenger cabin, the passenger cabin located within the main body and having a single aisle passenger capacity, at least a propulsor, the at least a propulsor attached to a portion of the main body and configured to propel the blended wing body aircraft through air, and a fuel storage having a fuel capacity, the fuel capacity configured for long range flight, wherein the commercial aircraft is configured for long-range flight.

Abstract: A freighter aircraft for long-distance travel, the freighter aircraft comprising a blended wing body having a main body, a transition, and wings with no clear demarcation between the wings and the main body along a leading edge of the freighter aircraft, at least a propulsor, the at least a propulsor attached to a portion of the main body and configured to propel the freighter aircraft through air, a fuel storage located within the blended wing body, the fuel storage having a fuel capacity wherein the fuel capacity is configured for long-range flight, and a cargo bay located within the main body; the cargo bay configured to have a freighter capacity, wherein freighter aircraft is a long-range aircraft, the freighter aircraft including a ton-miles per sortie between 135,000 and 450,000.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a blended wing body aircraft including a blended wing body, wherein the blended wing body is characterized by having no clear dividing line between wings and a main body along a leading edge of the aircraft; a cabin located within the main body and a transitional portion of the blended wing body; and a plurality of transmissive panels integrated into a ceiling of the cabin configured to transmit light from outside the blended wing body aircraft to inside the cabin.

Abstract: Subsonic turbofan engines with variable outer guide vanes (OGVs) and associated methods. A subsonic turbofan engine includes an engine core configured to generate a torque, a fan configured to accelerate an air flow, an engine nacelle, and a plurality of OGVs positioned downstream of the fan. Each OGV is configured to transition among a plurality of OGV configurations defined between and including a nominal configuration and a reduced-drag configuration. The subsonic turbofan engine is configured to operate only at subsonic speeds. In examples, methods of operating a subsonic turbofan engine include transitioning each of a plurality of OGVs from a nominal configuration to a reduced-drag configuration. Transitioning each OGV from the nominal configuration to the reduced-drag configuration is performed while the subsonic engine operates at subsonic speeds.

Abstract: An aircraft with a mid-market passenger capacity, wherein the aircraft comprises, a blended wing body aircraft having a main body and wings with no clear demarcation between the wings and the main body along a leading edge of the aircraft, wherein the main body is structured to comprise a passenger cabin configured to have a mid-market passenger capacity, wherein the main body is structured to comprise a structural element, the structural element extending vertically from a lower surface of the main body toward an upper surface of the main body, and at least a propulsor, the at least a propulsor attached to the main body and configured to propel the aircraft.

Abstract: Subsonic turbofan engines with variable outer guide vanes (OGVs) and associated methods. A subsonic turbofan engine includes an engine core configured to generate a torque, a fan configured to accelerate an air flow, an engine nacelle, and a plurality of OGVs positioned downstream of the fan. Each OGV is configured to transition among a plurality of OGV configurations defined between and including a nominal configuration and a reduced-drag configuration. The subsonic turbofan engine is configured to operate only at subsonic speeds. In examples, methods of operating a subsonic turbofan engine include transitioning each of a plurality of OGVs from a nominal configuration to a reduced-drag configuration. Transitioning each OGV from the nominal configuration to the reduced-drag configuration is performed while the subsonic engine operates at subsonic speeds.

Abstract: An airship comprises a shell having a bi-convex shape, wherein the shell encompasses a volume, and a gas storage system located within the volume.

Abstract: An airship comprises a shell having a bi-convex shape, wherein the shell encompasses a volume, and a gas storage system located within the volume.

Abstract: A mobile platform lift increasing system includes at least one wing-shaped structure having a leading edge, a trailing edge and a chord length perpendicularly measurable between the leading and trailing edges. A rotatable control surface is located near a trailing edge undersurface. The control surface length is approximately one to five percent of the chord length. A deployment device is positioned between the wing shaped structure and the control surface. The deployment device operably rotates the control surface through a plurality of positions ranging between an initial position and a fully deployed position. Wing lift is increased at speeds up to approximately transonic speed by continuously rotating the control surface to accommodate variables including mobile platform weight change from fuel usage.

Abstract: A method for forming a trailing edge wedge for a wing wherein the size and configuration of a trailing edge wedge at various points along the span of the trailing edge wedge are adjusted and analyzed in an iterative manner to form an improved trailing edge wedge. An improved wing assembly is also provided.

Abstract: A method for forming a transonic wing that segregates a baseline transonic wing into a plurality of airfoil segments that are collectively modified an optimized so as to tailor a spanwise variation of the baseline transonic wing in a manner that includes the optimized airfoil segments. An improved wing is also provided.