Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of vertical and horizontal flight modes, a method for assembling a UAV, and a kit of parts for assembling a UAV. The UAV comprises a wing structure comprising elongated equal first and second wings; a support structure comprising first and second sections coupled to a middle position of the wing structure and extending in opposite directions perpendicular to the wing structure; and four propellers, each mounted to a respective one of the first and second wings, and first and second sections, for powering the UAV during both vertical and horizontal flight modes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing a flight of a rotorcraft. Parameters for the flight of the rotorcraft are identified. A number of regions, above a terrain, to be avoided by the rotorcraft during the flight of the rotorcraft over the terrain are identified using the parameters for the flight of the rotorcraft. Information about the number of regions is displayed on a display device during the flight of the rotorcraft.

Abstract: A device (10) for assisted piloting of an aircraft having a rotary wing with a plurality of second blades (3?) and a propulsion unit with a plurality of first blades (2?). The device includes control means (30, 40) for delivering a movement order (O) for moving in a direction, said device (10) having a processor unit (20) for transforming said order (O) into an acceleration setpoint (C) along said direction, and then for transforming said acceleration setpoint (C) into at least one required longitudinal attitude setpoint (?*) that is transmitted to a first automatic system (26) for maintaining longitudinal attitude by controlling a longitudinal cyclic pitch of the second blades (3?), and into a first required load factor setpoint (Nx*) in a longitudinal direction that is transmitted to a second automatic system (25) for maintaining load factor by controlling the collective pitch of the first blades.

Abstract: There is described a convertiplane comprising a pair of semi-wings, a first and a second rotor which may rotate about relative first axes and tilt about relative second axes together with first axes with respect to semi-wings between a helicopter mode and an aeroplane mode; first axes are, in use, transversal to a longitudinal direction of convertiplane in helicopter mode, and are, in use, substantially parallel to longitudinal direction in aeroplane mode; first and second rotors may tilt about relative second axes independently of each other.

Abstract: A Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle (1, 46), e.g. a rotorcraft with long range and high cruising speed capability. The aerial vehicle (1, 46) has a torus-type fuselage (2) with radial inside a duct (5) and at least one main rotor (13, 26). A pair of lateral wings (40) are attached opposed to each other outside the fuselage (2) and at least one engine (18) drives said at least one main rotor (13, 26) and at least two propulsion means (24) fitted to each of said wings (40). The invention relates as well to a method of operating such a VTOL aerial vehicle (1, 46).

Abstract: VTOL amphibious aircraft comprising two fuselages spaced apart to enable the placement of single center wing and split ailerons, engine and rotor or fan such that they may be rotated from vertical flight to horizontal flight and back while center wing ailerons counter rotor torque. Out board wings remain fixed and the twin fuselages provide buoyant hulls to facilitate water landings. Standard aircraft components are employed such as a vertical tails and horizontal stabilizers.

Abstract: An aerial vehicle includes at least one wing, a plurality of thrust producing elements on the at least one wing, a plurality of electric motors equal to the number of thrust producing elements for individually driving each of the thrust producing elements, at least one battery for providing power to the motors, and a flight control system to control the operation of the vehicle. The aerial vehicle may include a fuselage configuration to facilitate takeoffs and landings in horizontal, vertical and transient orientations, redundant control and thrust elements to improve reliability and means of controlling the orientation stability of the vehicle in low power and multiple loss of propulsion system situations. Method of flying an aerial vehicle includes the variation of the rotational speed of the thrust producing elements to achieve active vehicle control.

Abstract: The aircraft is capable of two distinct fuel-efficient flight regimes: one is a vertical flight regime supported by two large two-bladed rotors with low disc loading located on right and left longitudinal booms. The booms extend between outboard regions of a front wing and inboard regions of a rear wing that has a larger span an area than the front wing. The other flight regime is high speed up to high subsonic Mach number with the aircraft supported by wing lift with high wing loading, and with the rotors stopped and faired with minimal local drag contiguous to the booms. The longitudinal location of the aircrafts center of gravity, aerodynamic center and the center of the rotors are in close proximity. The front wing is preferably swept back, and the rear wing is preferably of W planform.

Abstract: A method of controlling a high speed rotary wing aircraft (1) comprising: a fuselage (2); at least one main rotor (3); at least one variable pitch propulsive propeller (4); at least two half-wings (11, 11?) positioned on either side of said fuselage (2); at least one horizontal stabilizer (20) provided with a movable surface (21, 21?); and at least one power plant driving said main rotor (3) and each propulsive propeller (4) in rotation. Said method serves to adjust the lift of said half-wings (11, 11?) and the lift of the horizontal stabilizer (20) so that the collective pitch of said blades (31) of said main rotor (3) is equal to a setpoint collective pitch, so that the longitudinal cyclic pitch of said blades (31) of said main rotor (3) is equal to a setpoint longitudinal cyclic pitch, and so that the lateral cyclic pitch of said blades (31) of said main rotor (3) is equal to a setpoint lateral cyclic pitch during a stabilized stage of flight.

Abstract: A method of controlling a high-speed rotary wing aircraft (1) comprising a fuselage (2), at least one main rotor (3), at least one variable-pitch propulsive propeller (4), at least two half-wings (11, 11?) positioned on either side of said fuselage (2), at least one horizontal stabilizer (20) provided with a movable surface (21, 21?), and at least one power plant driving said main rotor (3) and said propulsive propeller (4) in rotation. Said method serves to adjust the lift of said half-wings (11, 11?) and the lift of the horizontal stabilizer (20) so that said lift of said half-wings (11, 11?) represents a predetermined percentage of the total lift of said aircraft (1) and so that the power consumed by said main rotor (3) is equal to a setpoint power during a stage of stabilized flight.

Abstract: A method for equalizing rolling moments at high advance ratios is disclosed including impelling an aircraft in a forward direction at an airspeed by means of a thrust source and rotating a rotor of the aircraft at an angular velocity with respect to the airspeed effective to cause a positive total lift on each blade due to air flow over the blades in the retreating direction when the blade is moving in the retreating direction. The rotor includes an even number of blades placed at equal angular intervals around the rotor hub. One or both of cyclic pitch and rotor angle of attack are adjusted such that a rolling moment of the retreating blade due to reverse air flow is between 0.3 and 0.7 times a rolling moment on the advancing blade due to lift.

Abstract: The invention relates to a compound helicopter (1) comprising a fuselage (2), at least one engine (14) and a main rotor (11) driven by said at least one engine (14). At least one pair of fixed wings are mounted in an essentially horizontal plane on a left hand and a right hand side of the fuselage (2) and horizontally oriented propulsion devices (12, 13) are mounted to each of said fixed wings, said fixed wings encompassing each a drive shaft (16) from said at least one engine (14). Each fixed wing comprises a lower main wing (18) and an upper secondary wing (19) being connected to each other within an interconnection region (22). The propulsion devices (12, 13) are arranged at said interconnection region (22) and said upper secondary wing (19) houses the drive shaft (16) from said at least one engine (14).

Abstract: The present invention is related to a compound helicopter (1) with a main rotor (13) providing lift, a pair of additional propulsion devices (14, 15) providing thrust and anti-torque and a fixed wing structure (16, 17, 26) on each side providing additional lift during horizontal cruise flight. The propulsion devices (14, 15) are arranged at each side of a fuselage body (2) with two tail booms (7, 8), one arranged at each side of said fuselage body (2), each of both tail booms (7, 8) having one of both propulsion devices (14, 15) arranged at its boom rear end (9). Each of the two tail booms (7, 8) houses an engine (21) and a drive shaft (24) driving the corresponding propulsion device (14, 15).

Abstract: An aircraft (1) comprising a fuselage (2), a rotary wing (10) having two contrarotating main rotors (12) arranged in tandem above the fuselage (2), at least one propulsion member (20), and a power plant (30). Each propulsion member (20) is carried by a rear portion (3) of the fuselage. The aircraft (1) includes an interconnection system (40) providing a permanent connection between the power plant (30) and the rotary wing (10), except in the event of a failure or during training, the aircraft (1) having differential control means (50) for controlling the cyclic pitch of the blades of the main rotors (12) to control the aircraft (1) in yaw, and inhibition means (60) for inhibiting each propulsion member (20).

Abstract: A rotor system for a rotorcraft includes a rotor hub having a plurality of rotor blade pairs mechanically coupled to a rotor mast. A pitch link assembly is mechanically coupled to each rotor blade pair for controlling the pitch angle of each rotor blade pair in tandem. Each rotor blade pair has an upper rotor blade and a lower rotor blade. The plurality of rotor blade pairs rotor in a single direction and about a single axis of rotation.

Abstract: The system of the present application represents a rotor hub for a rotorcraft and a rotorcraft incorporating the rotor hub. The rotor hub is represented as having multiple rotor disk assemblies, each rotor disk assembly rotating in the same direction about the same mast axis of rotation. In the preferred embodiment, each rotor disk assembly has three rotor blades. The upper rotor disc assembly and the lower rotor disk assembly are separated by approximately 2.5% of the rotor disk diameter, at least to take advantage of “wake contraction”.

Abstract: A rotor system for a rotorcraft having at least one rotor blade pair operably associated with a differential pitch assembly operably for controlling a pitch angle of an upper rotor blade and the lower rotor blade in the rotor blade pair. Operation of the differential pitch assembly changes the pitch of the upper rotor blade more severely than the pitch of the lower rotor blade. As such, the rotor system is configured to provide optimum pitch of the upper and lower rotor blades during a helicopter mode and an airplane mode.

Abstract: A system and method to control flight of an aircraft. The aircraft having an engine with a rotatably nozzle assembly configured to create forward propulsion and yaw control of the aircraft. The engine exhaust passing through the nozzle is redirected with a valve disposed within the nozzle. Lift is created with a lift system carried by the wing of the aircraft. Additional lift is created during flight with a retractable wing extension disposed within the wing of the aircraft.

Abstract: A safe, quiet, easy to control, efficient, and compact aircraft configuration is enabled through the combination of multiple vertical lift rotors, tandem wings, and forward thrust propellers. The vertical lift rotors, in combination with a front and rear wing, permits a balancing of the center of lift with the center of gravity for both vertical and horizontal flight. This wing and multiple rotor system has the ability to tolerate a relatively large variation of the payload weight for hover, transition, or cruise flight while also providing vertical thrust redundancy. The propulsion system uses multiple lift rotors and forward thrust propellers of a small enough size to be shielded from potential blade strike and provide increased perceived and real safety to the passengers. Using multiple independent rotors provides redundancy and the elimination of single point failure modes that can make the vehicle non-operable in flight.

Abstract: A method of controlling and regulating a rotorcraft presenting a speed of advance that is high and stabilized, the rotorcraft including at least a main lift rotor (10), at least one variable pitch propulsion propeller (6), and at least one power plant for driving the main rotor(s) (10) and at least one propeller (6), said method consisting in using a first loop for regulating pitch or attitude, and a second loop for regulating speed by means of a control over the mean pitch of the propulsion propeller(s) (6), wherein the method further consists in controlling the deflection angle of a horizontal tailplane (30, 25, 35) by using a third loop for controlling and regulating said deflection angle of the horizontal tailplane (30, 25, 35) in order to minimize the total power consumed by the main rotor (10) and the propulsive propeller(s) (6), for a given speed and attitude.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an aircraft (1) comprising an airframe (2) provided with a fuselage (10) and fixed wings (20), a rotary wing (30), at least two propellers (41, 42), and a power plant suitable for driving said rotary wing (30) and said propellers (41, 42) into rotation.

Abstract: A safe, quiet, easy to control, efficient, and compact aircraft configuration is enabled through the combination of multiple vertical lift rotors, tandem wings, and forward thrust propellers. The vertical lift rotors, in combination with a front and rear wing, permits a balancing of the center of lift with the center of gravity for both vertical and horizontal flight. This wing and multiple rotor system has the ability to tolerate a relatively large variation of the payload weight for hover, transition, or cruise flight while also providing vertical thrust redundancy. The propulsion system uses multiple lift rotors and forward thrust propellers of a small enough size to be shielded from potential blade strike and provide increased perceived and real safety to the passengers. Using multiple independent rotors provides redundancy and the elimination of single point failure modes that can make the vehicle non-operable in flight.

Abstract: A safe, quiet, easy to control, efficient, and compact aircraft configuration is enabled through the combination of multiple vertical lift rotors, tandem wings, and forward thrust propellers. The vertical lift rotors, in combination with a front and rear wing, permits a balancing of the center of lift with the center of gravity for both vertical and horizontal flight. This wing and multiple rotor system has the ability to tolerate a relatively large variation of the payload weight for hover, transition, or cruise flight while also providing vertical thrust redundancy. The propulsion system uses multiple lift rotors and forward thrust propellers of a small enough size to be shielded from potential blade strike and provide increased perceived and real safety to the passengers. Using multiple independent rotors provides redundancy and the elimination of single point failure modes that can make the vehicle non-operable in flight.

Abstract: An aircraft (1) having a fuselage (2), the aircraft (1) comprising a rotary wing (9) above the fuselage (2) and an extra fixed wing (10), the rotary wing (9) being above both the fuselage (2) and the fixed wing (10), said fixed wing (10) comprising at least one closed wing (20) comprising a first half-wing (21) and a second half-wing (22). Each half-wing (21, 22) is provided with a top lift portion (30) and a bottom lift portion (40), said bottom lift portion (40) of a half-wing being arranged in the wake (S) of the top lift portion (30) of that half-wing, the wake (S) being generated by a stream of air (F) coming from said rotary wing (9) and impacting against the top face (30?) of the top lift portion (30) when said aircraft (1) has a forward speed less than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A rotor aircraft has an engine, a propeller, wings, and a rotor. An electric motor is coupled to the rotor drive shaft for applying torque to the rotor drive shaft. The electric motor is sized to supply all of the torque to pre-rotate the rotor to a selected speed prior to liftoff of the aircraft. The wings are capable of providing substantially all of the lift required during forward flight at a cruise speed. The rotor being is capable of being trimmed to provide substantially zero lift and auto-rotate at cruise speed. Sensors sense flight conditions of the aircraft and provide signals to a controller that selectively causes the electric motor to cease applying torque to the rotor drive shaft during autorotation at cruise speed. The controller also causes the electric motor to apply torque to the rotor drive shaft if the sensors indicate additional rotor speed is needed.

Abstract: In order to regulate a power plant (105) having a gas generator (1) and a free turbine (3) to drive a rotary wing, a first speed of rotation (NTL) of the free turbine (3) is regulated on a first setpoint value (NTL*) equal either to a regulation term (NRc) or to a predetermined setpoint threshold (NTL*). The regulation term (NRc) is a function of a third speed of rotation (NR) of said rotary wing in accordance, where NRc=NR*(1?d), “d” representing a non-zero constant lying in the range 0 to 1.

Abstract: An aircraft features a source of forward thrust on a fuselage having a helicopter rotor assembly and an asymmetric primary wing configuration providing more wing-generated lift on one side of the fuselage than the other. The primary wing configuration counteracts the rotor's dissymmetry of lift during forward cruising, and reliance on the separate thrust source for such cruising reduces demand on the main rotor, keeping the angle of attack on the rotor blades low to avoid the stalling and violent vibration experienced by conventional helicopters at relatively high speeds. In some embodiments, an oppositely asymmetric tail wing or horizontal stabilizer acts alone, or together with an offset vertical stabilizer laterally outward from the tail, to counteract yaw-inducing drag of the primary wing.

Abstract: An aircraft (1) having a fuselage (2), a power plant (10), a rotary wing (15) having at least one main rotor (16), and a fixed wing (20) comprising two half-wings (21, 22) extending on either side of the fuselage (2). The aircraft (1) also has at least two propulsive propellers (30) on either side of the fuselage (2). Each is positioned on respective ones of the half-wings (21, 22), and an anti-torque and yaw-control tail rotor (35). A transmission system (40) connects the power plant (10) to each main rotor (16) and the tail rotor (35). The transmission system (40) connects the power plant (10) to each propeller (30) via a respective differential mechanism (50) that is controllable on request so that each propeller (30) can be driven in cruising flight and need not be driven in rotation by the power plant (10) on the ground or while hovering.

Abstract: A compound aircraft features variable incidence wings, a thruster, a rotor and a clutch connecting the engines to the rotor. Upon reaching a suitable forward speed, the control system of the compound aircraft unloads the rotor and disengages the clutch, disconnecting the rotor from the engines. The control system configures the cyclic and collective pitch effectors to cause the rotor to autorotate. The control system selects an autorotation rotational speed that is adequately rapid to prevent excessive deformation of the rotor blades due to aerodynamic forces acting on the blade and that is adequately slow to prevent excessive compressibility effects.

Abstract: A safe, quiet, easy to control, efficient, and compact aircraft configuration is enabled through the combination of multiple vertical lift rotors, tandem wings, and forward thrust propellers. The vertical lift rotors, in combination with a front and rear wing, permits a balancing of the center of lift with the center of gravity for both vertical and horizontal flight. This wing and multiple rotor system has the ability to tolerate a relatively large variation of the payload weight for hover, transition, or cruise flight while also providing vertical thrust redundancy. The propulsion system uses multiple lift rotors and forward thrust propellers of a small enough size to be shielded from potential blade strike and provide increased perceived and real safety to the passengers. Using multiple independent rotors provides redundancy and the elimination of single point failure modes that can make the vehicle non-operable in flight.

Abstract: A method of controlling the yaw attitude of a hybrid helicopter including a fuselage and an additional lift surface provided with first and second half-wings extending from either side of the fuselage, each half-wing being provided with a respective first or second propeller. The hybrid helicopter has a thrust control suitable for modifying the first pitch of the first blades of the first propeller and the second pitch of the second blades of the second propeller by the same amount. The hybrid helicopter includes yaw control elements for generating an original order for modifying the yaw attitude of the hybrid helicopter by increasing the pitch of the blades of one propeller and decreasing the pitch of the blades of the other propeller, the original order is optimized as a function of the position of the thrust control to obtain an optimized yaw control order that is applied to the first and second blades.

Abstract: A safe, quiet, easy to control, efficient, and compact aircraft configuration is enabled through the combination of multiple vertical lift rotors, tandem wings, and forward thrust propellers. The vertical lift rotors, in combination with a front and rear wing, permits a balancing of the center of lift with the center of gravity for both vertical and horizontal flight. This wing and multiple rotor system has the ability to tolerate a relatively large variation of the payload weight for hover, transition, or cruise flight while also providing vertical thrust redundancy. The propulsion system uses multiple lift rotors and forward thrust propellers of a small enough size to be shielded from potential blade strike and provide increased perceived and real safety to the passengers. Using multiple independent rotors provides redundancy and the elimination of single point failure modes that can make the vehicle non-operable in flight.

Abstract: An aircraft features a nose mounted propeller on a fuselage having a typical helicopter rotor assembly. By reducing the amount of forward thrust needed from the main rotor, the propeller allows greater forward speeds as the angle of attack on the rotor's blades can be kept low to avoid the stalling and violent vibration experienced by conventional helicopters at relatively high speeds. By reducing the maximum angle of attack experienced by the main rotor during its rotation during forward cruising from that of a conventional helicopter but still using the main rotor to generate lift, the addition of wings extending from both sides of the fuselage can be avoided. The aircraft may be flown in a forward direction in a generally horizontal orientation, as the nose does not have to be pitched downward to create thrust from the main rotor.

Abstract: VTOL amphibious aircraft comprising two fuselages spaced apart to enable the placement of center wing and ailerons, engine and rotor or fan such that they may be rotated from vertical flight to horizontal flight and back while center wing ailerons counter rotor torque. Out board wings remain fixed and the twin fuselages provide hulls to facilitate water landings. Standard aircraft components are employed such as a vertical tails and horizontal stabilizers.

Abstract: The lift, propulsion and stabilising system for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft of the invention consists of applying during vertical flight on, below or in the interior of the fixed-wing aircraft one or more rotors or large fans each one with two or more horizontal blades, said rotors are activated by means of turboshafts, turbofans or turboprops with a mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical transmission, and the respective motors. Using lifting and/or stabilising and/or controlling fans and/or oscillating fins and/or air blasts. Placing the horizontal lifters near at least one end of the longitudinal axis and of the transverse axis of the aircraft. Generally said stabilising elements form 90° with one another and with the central application point of the rotor or application of that which results from the lift forces.

Abstract: A control lever assembly for a tilt-rotor aircraft, comprises at least one control lever which is movable relative to a control lever support. The control lever support has a rotational position that varies in correspondence with the tilt of the rotor of the aircraft. For example, the control lever support is movable by an actuator between a first position, in the airplane mode of the aircraft, in which the control lever moves substantially horizontally and a second position, in the helicopter mode of the aircraft, in which the control lever moves substantially vertically.

Abstract: Conventional bottom blade type trefoil flight vehicles have composite structures wherein a plurality of pairs of fixing plates, forward/backward adjustment blades, and left and right rotation adjustment blades are separately mounted and adjusted, and thus have difficulties in scouting and surveillance in an indoor area due to the heavy weights and the large volumes of the flight vehicles. Another conventional flight vehicle has drawbacks in that flight in the left and right directions is difficult, and an adjustment blade and a fixing plate are arranged adjacent to each other to cause mutual influences of wind and non-uniformity in the flow of wind. The present invention provides a flight vehicle characterized in that three pairs of fixing plates with fixed pitch propellers and adjustment blades are installed at an angle of 120 degrees.

Abstract: The present invention relates to haptic feedback for operating at least one manual flight control device (21) for controlling the cyclic pitch of the blades (5) of a rotary wing (4) of a hybrid helicopter (1) via power assistance (27). Said operations of said control device (21) are defined according to a predetermined damping force relationship (A) that is a function of an instantaneous load factor of the hybrid helicopter (1) in such a manner that the instantaneous load factor is maintained between its minimum and maximum limit values in proportion to a position of a thrust control member (20) between its minimum and maximum thrust values (23, 22).

Abstract: A method for exhausting gas from an aircraft engine assembly is provided. The method includes coupling a first exhaust duct in fluid communication only to a first engine. The first exhaust duct includes a primary outlet and a secondary outlet. The method further includes coupling a second exhaust duct in fluid communication only to a second engine. The second exhaust duct includes a primary outlet and a secondary outlet. The method also includes aligning a portion of the first engine secondary outlet concentrically within a portion of the second engine secondary outlet.

Abstract: A hybrid helicopter (1) includes firstly an airframe provided with a fuselage (2) and a lift-producing surface (3), together with stabilizer surfaces (30, 35, 40), and secondly with a drive system constituted by: a mechanical interconnection system (15) between firstly a rotor (10) of radius (R) with collective pitch and cyclic pitch control of the blades (11) of the rotor (10), and secondly at least one propeller (6) with collective pitch control of the blades of the propeller (6); and at least one turbine engine (5) driving the mechanical interconnection system (15). The device is remarkable in that the outlet speeds of rotation of the at least one turbine engine (5), of the at least one propeller (6), of the rotor (10), and of the mechanical interconnection system (15) are mutually proportional, the proportionality ratio being constant.

Abstract: A system (100) for controlling a rotorcraft (1) including a rotor (10), at least one variable-pitch propulsion propeller (6L, 6R), and a motor (5) for driving the rotor and the propeller(s), the system includes: a member (101, 101A, 102, 103, 104) for generating a propeller pitch setpoint (?p*+?d*, ?p*??d*) as a function at least of a thrust variation command (TCL); a member (105, 105A) for generating a setpoint (RPM*) for the drive speed (RPM) of the rotor and the propeller(s), as a function at least of the travel speed (VTAS) of the rotorcraft; and a member (106) for generating a setpoint (NG*) for the engine speed as a function at least of the thrust command (TCL), of the drive speed setpoint (RTM*), and of a rotor collective pitch command (?0).

Abstract: A rotor system for a rotorcraft includes a rotor hub having a plurality of rotor blade pairs mechanically coupled to a rotor mast. A pitch link assembly is mechanically coupled to each rotor blade pair for controlling the pitch angle of each rotor blade pair in tandem. Each rotor blade pair has an upper rotor blade and a lower rotor blade. The plurality of rotor blade pairs rotor in a single direction and about a single axis of rotation.

Abstract: A hybrid helicopter (1) includes firstly an airframe provided with a fuselage (2) and a lift-producing surface (3), together with stabilizer surfaces (30, 35, 40), and secondly with a drive system including: a mechanical interconnection system (15) between firstly a rotor (10) of radius (R) with collective pitch and cyclic pitch control of the blades (11) of the rotor (10), and secondly at least one propeller (6) with collective pitch control of the blades of the propeller (6); and at least one turbine engine (5) driving the mechanical interconnection system (15). The speed of rotation (?) of the rotor (10) is equal to a first speed of rotation (?1) up to a first flightpath air speed (V1) of the hybrid helicopter (1), and is then reduced progressively in application of a linear relationship as a function of the flightpath air speed of the hybrid helicopter.

Abstract: A safe, quiet, easy to control, efficient, and compact aircraft configuration is enabled through the combination of multiple vertical lift rotors, tandem wings, and forward thrust propellers. The vertical lift rotors, in combination with a front and rear wing, permits a balancing of the center of lift with the center of gravity for both vertical and horizontal flight. This wing and multiple rotor system has the ability to tolerate a relatively large variation of the payload weight for hover, transition, or cruise flight while also providing vertical thrust redundancy. The propulsion system uses multiple lift rotors and forward thrust propellers of a small enough size to be shielded from potential blade strike and provide increased perceived and real safety to the passengers. Using multiple independent rotors provides redundancy and the elimination of single point failure modes that can make the vehicle non-operable in flight.

Abstract: A hybrid helicopter (1) includes a central fuselage (2) defining a front end (3) and a rear end (4), the hybrid helicopter (1) having a main lift rotor (10), an additional lift surface (20), a mechanical interconnection system (40), and at least one turbine engine (61, 62) for continuously driving the main rotor (10) in rotation. Furthermore, the main rotor (10) is mechanically connected to the mechanical interconnection system (40) by rotary rotor mast (12), and the additional lift surface (20) is arranged at the rear of the hybrid helicopter (1) between the rotor mast (12) and the rear end (4) of the fuselage (2), each end zone (21?, 22?) of the wings (21, 22) of the additional lift surface (20) being provided with a vertical element (23, 24) fitted with a rudder (23?, 24?).

Abstract: Systems and methods for transitioning an aircraft between helicopter and fixed wing flight modes are provided. In one embodiment, an aircraft comprises a plurality of wings each having a spar and a flap; a flap actuator configured to move the flap with respect to the spar; and a center section rotatably coupled to each spar. The center section includes at least one spar actuator configured to rotate at least one of the wings about a rotational axis of the spar when the aircraft transitions between helicopter and fixed wing flight modes.

Abstract: An augmented kinesthetic control system for use with a lift platform, the lift platform comprising first and second longitudinally-spaced thrust generating means, is provided. The first and second lift planes defined by the first and second thrust generating means are positioned below the lift platform center of gravity. The kinesthetic control means are coupled to means for aerodynamically altering the air flow from the first and second thrust generating means such that the intuitive and balancing movements of the pilot are magnified to allow kinesthetic control of a vehicle of greater size and utility.

Abstract: An aircraft features a source of forward thrust on a fuselage having a helicopter rotor assembly and an asymmetric primary wing configuration providing more wing-generated lift on one side of the fuselage than the other. The primary wing configuration counteracts the rotor's dissymmetry of lift during forward cruising, and reliance on the separate thrust source for such cruising reduces demand on the main rotor, keeping the angle of attack on the rotor blades low to avoid the stalling and violent vibration experienced by conventional helicopters at relatively high speeds. In some embodiments, an oppositely asymmetric tail wing or horizontal stabilizer acts alone, or together with an offset vertical stabilizer laterally outward from the tail, to counteract yaw-inducing drag of the primary wing.

Abstract: A hybrid helicopter includes an airframe provided with a fuselage and a lift-producing surface together with stabilizer surfaces and a drive system including: a mechanical interconnection system between a rotor of radius (R) with collective pitch and cyclic pitch control of the blades of the rotor and at least one propeller with collective pitch control of the blades of the propeller; and at least one turbine engine driving the mechanical interconnection system. The hybrid helicopter includes first members for controlling the angle at which the at least one pitch control surface is set as a function of the bending moment exerted on the rotor mast relative to the pitch axis of the hybrid helicopter, and second members for controlling the cyclic pitch of the blades of the rotor in order to control the longitudinal trim of the hybrid helicopter as a function of flight conditions.

Abstract: A rotorcraft having multiple rotors, and wings that provide lift in forward flight, has a mechanical coupling between rotors that can be disengaged and optionally reengaged, during flight. The coupling, which can prevent a failure of one rotor from interfering with rotation of the other rotor(s), can be accomplished using many different types of devices, including for example, dog clutches, friction clutches, and collapsible clutches. Disengagement can range from being completely under control of an operator, to partially under operator control, to completely automatic. Among many other benefits, designing, manufacturing, fitting, retrofitting or in some other manner providing an aircraft with a device that can disengage rotation of one of the rotors from that of another one of the rotors during flight can be used to improve survivability in an emergency situation.