255results about "All-wing aircraft" patented technology

The present disclosure relates to an aircraft including two or more propulsive devices, and a fuselage integrated with a pair of wings to create a Blended Wing Body (BWB) structure, wherein an orientation of the fuselage and the pair of wings change based on a transition of the aircraft from a vertical position to a horizontal position. Further, each wing of the pair of wings includes a lower winglet and an upper winglet that are identical and coupled to each other at a wing tip. The aircraft further includes a plurality of elevons controlled by two or more propellers associated with the two or more propulsive devices.

Systems, devices, and methods for a ground support system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including: at least one handling fixture, where each handling fixture is configured to support at least one wing panel of the UAV; and at least one dolly, where each dolly is configured to receive at least one landing pod of the UAV, and where each landing pod supports at least one wing panel of the UAV; where the at least one handling fixture and the at least one dolly are configured to move and rotate two or more wing panels to align the two or more wing panels with each other for assembly of the UAV; and where the at least one dolly further allows for transportation of the UAV over uneven terrain.

An aircraft component including a structural foam having a predetermined shape, an outer flange located near a first end of the structural foam, an inner flange located near a second end of the structural foam, a web skin encapsulating the inner flange and at least a portion of the structural foam wherein the structural foam is affixed to the web skin, wherein the aircraft component comprises a portion of a blended wing body aircraft (BWB), the BWB having no demarcation between a wing and a main body of the BWB.

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.

Disclosed herein is an aircraft with engines positioned so as to avoid damage to other components of the aircraft. The aircraft may include a blended wing body aircraft. The engines may be positioned aft of a pressure vessel of the aircraft. The engines may be positioned aft of and / or above a fuel store of the aircraft. Such engine positioning may reduce the likelihood of damage to a pressure vessel and / or fuel store in the event of engine failure.

A coupled landing gear apparatus for an aircraft including at least a nose gear disposed forward of a neutral point of an aircraft by a first distance and at least a main gear disposed aft of the neutral point of the aircraft by a second distance. The at least a nose gear and the at least a main gear are in communication with one another.

Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft of the fixed-wing type, comprising a centre section defining a centreline of the aircraft, and a pair of wings, arranged on either side of the centre section, wherein the wings extend longitudinally from the centre section away from and mutually symmetrical with respect to a plane of symmetry extending through the centreline, wherein each wing comprises a main wing section extending longitudinally from the centre section, wherein the main wing section is configured for generating lift in an upward direction, a wingtip section extending longitudinally from the main wing section in a downwards sloping manner with respect to the main wing section, and a control surface provided in the wingtip section.

An aircraft (10) comprising a first swept wing (14A) and a second swept wing (14B), each swept wing having an inner wing section (26A, 26B) comprising an integrated payload fuselage and an outer wing section (30A, 30B) for extending the wingspan, in which each outer wing section has a thickness less than a thickness of the corresponding inner wing section, a central region (12) where the first swept wing meets the second swept wing, a first transition region (23A) where the first inner wing meets the first outer wing section, a second transition region (23B) where the second inner wing meets the second outer wing section, in which at least one extension (44) having an internal volume is provided behind the trailing edge of the wings, the at least one extension being disposed in the central region.

An assembly is provided for an aircraft. This assembly includes a first propulsor rotor, a powerplant and a propulsion system housing. The powerplant is configured to drive rotation of the first propulsor rotor about an axis. The propulsion system housing includes an inner structure and an outer structure with a bypass flowpath radially between the inner structure and the outer structure. The bypass flowpath is downstream of the first propulsor rotor and extends axially along the inner structure and the outer structure within the propulsion system housing. The inner structure extends axially along and circumferentially around the powerplant. The outer structure extends axially along and partially circumferentially about the first propulsor rotor to cover an outer periphery of a first circumferential sector of the first propulsor rotor. A remaining second circumferential sector of the first propulsor rotor is open to an environment outside of the propulsion system housing.

An aircraft 10 comprising a first swept wing 14A and a second swept wing 14B, each swept wing having an inner wing section 26A, 26B comprising an integrated payload fuselage 20 and an outer wing secti

An airframe includes a body, a first wing, a second wing and a vane. The body extends longitudinally along a longitudinal centerline from a forward end of the body to an aft end of the body. The first wing and the second wing are disposed to opposing lateral sides of the body. The vane projects vertically out from the body to a tip of the vane. The vane extends longitudinally along the body from a leading edge of the vane to a trailing edge of the vane. A first open rotor propulsion system is vertically above and mounted to the body. A second open rotor propulsion system is vertically above and mounted to the body. The vane is configured as a structural barrier laterally between the first open rotor propulsion system and the second open rotor propulsion system.

Aspects relate to systems and methods for folding wings on an aircraft. An exemplary system includes a blended wing body, where the blended wing body includes a main body and at least a wing, a hinge located on the at least a wing and configured to allow folding of the at least a wing, an actuation system configured to fold the at least a wing, and a controller configured to control the at least an actuation system.

A blended wing body (BWB) aircraft comprising a first composite part comprising, a first dry carbon fiber sheet having a width greater than 3 inches and comprising a first layer comprising dry carbon fibers, a second layer disposed on top of the first layer comprising dry carbon fibers, a stitching extending through the first dry carbon fiber sheet, wherein the stitching is configured to bind the first dry carbon fiber sheet together, and a resin matrix, wherein the stitching and the first dry carbon fiber sheet are embedded within the resin matrix to create a single unified structure. BWB aircraft further comprises a blended wing body, having no clear demarcation along a leading edge of the BWB aircraft from a wing to a nose of the blended wing body, and wherein the first composite part comprises a portion of the blended wing body.

Systems and methods for mechanically rotating an aircraft about its center-of-gravity (CG) are disclosed. The system can enable the rear, or main, landing gear to squat, while the nose landing gear raises to generate a positive angle of attack for the aircraft for takeoff or landing. The system can also enable the nose gear and main gear to return to a relatively level fuselage attitude for ground operations. The system can include one or more hydraulically linked hydraulic cylinders to control the overall height of the nose gear and the main gear. Because the hydraulic cylinders are linked, a change on the length of the nose cylinder generates a proportional, and opposite, change in the length of the main cylinder, and vice-versa. A method and control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of the nose gear and main gear is also disclosed.

An aircraft structure including an outer mold line skin, one or more frames located on an inner surface of the outer mold line skin having an outer flange attached to an inner surface of the outer mold line skin, a first core filler in contact with the outer flange, an inner flange in contact with the first core filler and a web skin, wherein the web skin and the outer flange encapsulate the inner flange and at least a portion of the first core filler, and an arched inner mold line skin located between each frame of the one or more frames, wherein the arched inner mold line skin is in contact with each web skin of the one or more web skins.

Systems, devices, and methods for a ground support system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including: at least one handling fixture, where each handling fixture is configured to support at least one wing panel of the UAV; and at least one dolly, where each dolly is configured to receive at least one landing pod of the UAV, and where each landing pod supports at least one wing panel of the UAV; where the at least one handling fixture and the at least one dolly are configured to move and rotate two or more wing panels to align the two or more wing panels with each other for assembly of the UAV; and where the at least one dolly further allows for transportation of the UAV over uneven terrain.

The invention discloses a novel heavy-load aircraft with a stub-wing lift fuselage. Comprising an airfoil-shaped lift fuselage, front stub wings connected to the two sides of the nose of the lift fuselage in a smooth transition mode, rear stub wings connected to the two sides of the tail of the lift fuselage in a smooth transition mode, a propeller power mechanism arranged on the nose of the lift fuselage, a V-shaped empennage arranged on the tail of the lift fuselage and a ventral fin arranged on the belly of the lift fuselage. The wingspan of the novel heavy-load stub wing lift fuselage aircraft is less than or equal to 2m, the wingspan of the front stub wing is smaller than that of the rear stub wing, and the mounting angle of the front stub wing is larger than that of the rear stub wing; after the scheme is adopted, the lift fuselage can provide large lift force, the short wings can provide a part of lift force, meanwhile, longitudinal balancing of the aircraft can be completed by adjusting the mounting angle, the static stability requirement of the aircraft is met, the performance of high-speed cruise is reserved, the wingspan of the wings is reduced, and the stability of the aircraft is improved. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle has flexible performance and can be applied to narrow and complex environments.

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.

An assembly is provided for an aircraft. This aircraft assembly includes an airframe structure, a propulsion system and a vane. The airframe structure includes a fuselage and at least two wings. The fuselage extends longitudinally along a longitudinal centerline from a forward end of the fuselage to an aft end of the fuselage. The wings extend laterally from opposing sides of the fuselage. The propulsion system is mounted to the airframe structure. The propulsion system includes an airflow inlet into the propulsion system. The airflow inlet is spaced vertically out from a top side of the airframe structure. The vane projects vertically out from the top side of the airframe structure to a distal end of the vane. The vane laterally overlaps and is longitudinally forward of the airflow inlet.

An aircraft with a multi-walled fuel tank and method of manufacturing is presented. The aircraft includes a blended wing body and a fuel tank attached to the blended wing body configured to store liquified gas fuel. The fuel tank includes an inner wall, outer wall, and interstitial volume in between that is filled with insulation. The interstitial volume includes a reflective film layer and a structural insulation layer.

A system and method for a blended wing body aircraft with permanent tanks is presented. The aircraft comprises a blended wing body and at least a tank permanently attached the blended wing body. The at least a tank is configured to store liquified gas fuel and further comprises at least a vent configured to vent gaseous fuel from the at least a tank and an insulation to reduce thermal transfer to the liquified gas fuel inside of the at least a tank.

A system for manufacturing modular aircraft includes at least at least a common tooling component, including at least one or more of a first component in a shape of a nose and a second component in a shape of a wing. The system further including at least a modular tooling component in a shape of a main body, wherein connecting the at least a common tooling components to the at least modular component forms a mold in a shape of at least a portion of a blended wing body (BWB) aircraft with no clear demarcation between the shape of the wing and a shape of a main body along an edge of the shape of the BWB.

A composite assembly for a blended wing body aircraft, the composite assembly comprising: a first assembly comprising a first molded part, wherein the first molded part comprises a first plurality of fibers, the first molded part partially infused with a first resin, a second assembly oriented relative to the first assembly, the second assembly comprising a second molded part wherein the second molded part comprises a second plurality of fibers, the second molded part partially infused with a second resin, and a joining region, the joining region comprising at least a portion of first plurality of fibers and at least a portion of second plurality of fibers, the at least a portion of first plurality of fibers and the at least a portion of second plurality of fibers substantially adjacent and infused with a third resin.

An aircraft notification system, the aircraft notification system having a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the memory containing instructions configuring the processor to receive aircraft angle data from a blended wing body aircraft (BWB) having a main body and a wing with no clear demarcation between the wings and the main body along a leading edge of the aircraft, determine an aircraft orientation as a function of the aircraft angle data, wherein the aircraft orientation comprises at least a pitch angle of the BWB while the BWB is in contact with a ground surface, transmit the aircraft orientation to an aircraft display system and visually display the aircraft orientation through the aircraft display system.

An aircraft including a blended wing body aircraft (BWB) having a main body and wings with no clear demarcation between the wings and the main body along a leading edge of the aircraft, a rear spar located within the main body, one or more gear wells located on a lower surface of the rear spar, a landing gear system having at least a main gear the at least a main gear situated in one of the one or more gear wells, and one or more propulsors located directly above the one or more gear wells, wherein at least one propulsor is located over the at least one gear well of the one or more gear wells.