42 results about "Flight control surfaces" patented technology

Disclosed here are unmanned aerial vehicle embodiments including some embodiments having a fuselage, tail, and wings including example embodiments with an adaptable payload section, alternatively or additionally, modular flight surfaces including tail, wings and motor, alternatively or additionally the vehicle configured for short landings with reversible thrust, alternatively or additionally, the unmanned aerial vehicle configured with direct connection to moveable flight control surfaces.

A digital surface position sensor includes a position sensor, an adaptable hardware interface, and a processing circuit. The position sensor is adapted to be coupled to an aircraft flight control surface and is configured to sense a position of the aircraft flight control surface and supply a position signal representative thereof. The adaptable hardware input supplies an identification signal that identifies the aircraft flight control surface to which the position sensor is coupled. The processing circuit is coupled to receive the position signal and the identification signal. The processing circuit is configured, upon receipt of the signals, to process the position signal and the identification signal and generate (i) a first digital position signal representative of the position of, and the identification of, the aircraft flight control surface and (ii) and independent second digital signal representative of the position of, and the identification of, the aircraft flight control surface.

A missile for delivering a payload and having a longitudinal axis. The missile comprises a nonfragmenation multi-directional munition having a hollow collar. The hollow collar has an inner surface and an outer surface opposed thereto and a first plurality of ports extending therebetween in a substantially radial direction. An ammunition is disposed in each port of the first plurality of ports, oriented outwardly from the longitudinal axis with an ignition source for expelling such ammunition from the collar. The missile also has at least one flight control surface for controlling a trajectory of the missile during flight and a controller for controlling the flight of the missile and the ignition source.

A method may include receiving, from a ground station and at an aircraft computing system onboard the aircraft, a definition of a primary route, the primary route representing a trajectory, for the aircraft, from an origin location to a destination location, causing the aircraft to autonomously traverse the primary route using a flight controller, the flight controller configured to automatically control a set of flight control surfaces of the aircraft, while autonomously traversing the primary route, receiving an input from an inceptor, automatically mapping a direction and magnitude of the input to a predetermined flight maneuver, computing a definition of a modified route, the modified route initiating the predetermined flight maneuver, validating the modified route, including determining whether the modified route intersects known obstacles, and in response to the validation succeeding, causing the aircraft to autonomously traverse the modified route using the flight controller.

The invention relates to an aircraft system for suppressing movement of a structural flight element. The aircraft system includes a movable aircraft structure, a power source, a controller, a resistor, and a first transistor connected in series to the resistor. When the power source of the aircraft provides power, the controller controls the first transistor to prevent current from flowing through a terminal of the first transistor and through the resistor. Further, when the power supply of the aircraft does not provide power, the first transistor allows a current generated by a back electromotive force (EMF) voltage generated by movement of the movable aircraft structure to flow through a terminal of the first transistor and through the resistor.

A differential actuator system for controlling a flight control surface is provided, which includes a first control lane subsystem, a second control lane subsystem, a differential subsystem and a differential lock subsystem. The differential subsystem includes a first gear set forming a first load path from the first control lane to the flight control surface, and a second gear set forming a second load path from the second control lane to the flight control surface. The differential lock subsystem operably couples to the first gear set and the second gear set and is switchable between a locked state to couple the first and second gear sets in a torque-summing mode for moving the flight control surface and an unlocked state to couple the first and second gear sets in a velocity-summing mode for moving the flight control surface. Control signals issued from a controller operate the differential actuator system.

The application discloses a method for controlling take-off, landing and take-off and landing of a tilt-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, and relates to the technical field of automatic take-off and landing control of unmanned aerial vehicles. The method for controlling take-off of a tilt-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle comprises the following steps: acquiring take-off airport information; the take-off airport information comprises weather of a take-off airport and a take-off and landing position; the take-off and landing position is a runway or a take-off and landing point; determining a current take-off mode according to the take-off and landing position; the current take-off mode is a vertical take-off mode or a taxiing take-off mode; when the weather of the take-off airport meets preset take-off weather conditions, sending a test command to a flight control surface actuator and receiving an actuation signal of the flight control surface actuator; when the actuation signal is consistent with the test command, sending a take-off operation request to a ground station; and when receiving an instruction for allowing take-off from the ground station, performing a take-off operation corresponding to the current take-off mode, and completing take-off. The application realizes automatic selection of a take-off and landing mode of a tilt-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, and improves work efficiency and safety.

An aircraft wing with a moveable leading edge device mounted towards the leading edge of the wing. The leading edge device is moveable between a first configuration, a second configuration and a third configuration. In the first configuration, the leading edge device is retracted fully within the wing profile. In the second configuration, a portion of a surface of the leading edge device is extended away from the wing profile and into the oncoming airflow on the lower surface of the wing as the wing moves through the airflow to increase lift produced by the wing. In the third configuration, a portion of the surface of the leading edge device is extended away from the wing profile into the oncoming airflow over the upper surface of the wing to impair lift produced by the wing.

Aircraft performance modification system including a center-of-gravity (CG) subsystem and processor system(s) operatively integrated with components of the aircraft. The CG subsystem is configured to adjust the location of the aircraft CG within, and at times outside, a range of CG locations specific to the aircraft. The processor system(s) is / are configured to manage and concurrently adjust the aircraft CG, aircraft flight controls settings, and aircraft engine power control settings to manipulate control forces about one or more axes of the aircraft, and for automatically or autonomously controlling adjustments to (i) the aircraft CG such that the CG location is within, and at times outside, the range of CG locations, (ii) movement and positions of aircraft flight control surfaces, and (iii) aircraft engine(s) output power, to reduce drag by providing / controlling aircraft configurations that result in adjusted drag, yielding flight performance improvements attributable to decreased drag, and to prevent a stalled condition.

The present invention belongs to the field of path prediction and discloses a flight path stability optimization method, system, storage medium, and device. The method comprises constructing a dynamic fusion dataset by aligning timestamps in response to aircraft dynamics parameters, pilot physiological state parameters, and three-dimensional spatial environmental parameters acquired synchronously from multiple sources. A pre-built dual-channel feature extraction architecture is used to extract dual-channel features from the dynamic fusion dataset. The first channel uses a sparse attention mechanism to analyze dynamic coupling relationships in the time dimension, while the second channel uses a graph neural network to model the spatial correlation topology of environmental parameters. The dual-channel features are then integrated to construct a deep reinforcement learning decision engine, establishing a mapping strategy from environmental state to control action to path stability, and driving control strategy optimization through a reward mechanism. Finally, a real-time decision engine is used to generate multi-parameter collaborative optimization instructions for flight control surfaces. The present invention can improve the efficiency and accuracy of path prediction, thereby optimizing the path.

An aircraft wing with a moveable leading edge device mounted towards the leading edge of the wing is disclosed. The leading edge device is moveable between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the leading edge device is substantially flush with the low pressure surface. In the second configuration, the surface of the leading edge device is retracted into the wing profile. The second configuration creates a void in the lower surface of the wing which modifies the airflow over the surfaces. The oncoming airflow can enter the void. In the second configuration, the leading edge device reduces the lift on the wing, acting to reduce the lift induced strain on the wing during high speed flight or to help manoeuvre the wing. The leading edge device may also be configured to move into a third configuration.

An aircraft includes an onboard power supply, an empennage assembly, and a horizontal main wing each connected to a fuselage, and a vertical cross-wing arranged orthogonally with respect to the main wing. Flight control surfaces are arranged on the empennage assembly, vertical cross-wing, and horizontal main wing. A distributed propulsion system includes a first pair of propellers connected to the horizontal main wing and a second pair of propellers connected to the vertical cross-wing. Each of the propellers is connected to and powered by the power supply. Each propeller forms an acute canting angle with respect to an axis of the particular horizontal main wing or the vertical cross-wing to which the propeller is connected. The flight modes may include vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), hover mode, rapid descent, and forward and backward flight modes. The propellers are unpowered during the rapid descent mode.

A lightweight, pocket-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be held in the outstretched palm of a user for takeoff and landing. The UAV includes a semi-annular or substantially annular hollow body defining a passageway. The UAV also includes a motor for rotating a fan that directs air into or out of the passageway to achieve takeoff. The UAV includes a flight control system comprising at least two flight control surfaces that can guide and modify the airflow as it passes through the passageway to control the UAV's roll, pitch, and optionally yaw during flight. The flight control system can be controlled by a microprocessor controller. The UAV also includes a payload configured with at least one wireless transmitting and receiving unit.

A rotary actuator for a flight control surface includes a first electric motor connected to a first geartrain having planetary gearsets in series and a first drive gear driven by the first electric motor via the first geartrain. The first geartrain and the first drive gear define a first powertrain. The rotary actuator also includes a second electric motor connected to a second geartrain having planetary gearsets in series. The second geartrain is separate from the first geartrain. The rotary actuator further includes a second drive gear driven by the second electric motor via the second geartrain. The second geartrain and the second drive gear define a second powertrain that is coaxial with the first powertrain. Additionally, the rotary actuator includes an output shaft parallel to the first and second powertrains. The output shaft is driven simultaneously via the first and second drive gears.

A valve for an actuator of a flight control surface is provided. The valve comprises an inner spool actuatable in a first direction and a second direction responsive to a first pressure differential between a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber, an outer spool actuatable in the first direction and second direction between an active position and a bypass position, an activation chamber for receiving hydraulic fluid, a bypass chamber for receiving hydraulic fluid, and a bypass spring. The inner spool is located within the outer spool. The outer spool is actuatable based upon forces from the bypass spring and a second pressure differential between the activation chamber and the bypass chamber.

A lightweight, pocket-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be held in an outstretched hand by a user for take-off and landing of the UAV. The UAV comprises a semi-toroidal or a substantially toroidal hollow body that defines a duct. The UAV further comprises a motor for rotating a fan that directs air into and out of the duct enabling UAV to take flight. The UAV comprises a flight-control system that comprises at least two flight control surfaces that can alter the directed air as it flows through the duct for controlling the roll and pitch and optionally the yaw of the UAV during flight. The flight control system may be controlled by a microprocessor controller. The UAV further comprises a payload, with at least a wireless transmitter and receiver unit.

A system for controlling aircraft flight control surfaces implements a method including: obtaining a control law for the flight control surfaces as a function of flight controls of the aircraft; obtaining measurements of ground speed, true speed, roll angle, pitch angle, angle of attack, sideslip angle and slope angle; performing an estimation of the wind in three dimensions using the measurements obtained; performing an adjustment of the control law for the flight control surfaces, to counter the estimated wind effect and to obtain an adjusted control law for the flight control surfaces, by adding, to the control law, a term for wind compensation comprising a term proportional to the derivative of the wind estimation; and controlling the aircraft by applying the adjusted control law. Thus, the impact of the wind on the aircraft is reduced by digital processing and automatic adjustment of the control of the flight control surfaces.

A control system and control method for mitigating jamming of control devices, without providing other sensors such as force sensors in addition to position sensors of the control devices, without relying on the magnitude of force manipulated by a pilot to select a disengagement mode of each control device, and capable of safely and reliably eliminating adverse effects of a jammed control device on the other control devices to use the other control devices not jammed for controlling the entire flight control surfaces. The control system includes a plurality of control devices each having a redundant position sensor and a force sensing mechanism, and a control unit, wherein each of the control devices does not include a force sensor for quantitatively measuring the magnitude of applied force, and the control unit determines an overall position command for controlling the entire flight control surfaces of an aircraft by voting individual position command signals output from the plurality of control devices.

Methods and systems for testing the performance of a flight control surface system are disclosed, providing a method, apparatus, and system for testing the performance of a device under different load conditions. A load profile to be applied to the device by a linkage system including a support member, a load member, and an actuation member is identified. A value for a setting of an actuator for the actuation member is determined based on the load profile. The actuator is operated with the setting having the determined value, causing a load to be applied to a control surface of the device via the load member. The load applied to the control surface is determined by both the value for the setting of the actuator and the geometry of the linkage system.

The present disclosure relates to rotational sensing systems for use in controlling the positions of flight control surfaces. The rotational sensing systems are integrated with actuators used to drive pivotal movement of the flight control surfaces and are configured to ensure higher accuracy in sensing angle changes and / or lack of angle changes of the flight control surfaces.

A flight control surface actuation system includes a rotary actuator having an output part configured to rotate about an axis (R-R), a connecting rod for connecting a flight control surface to the rotary actuator, and a connection mechanism connecting a first end of the connecting rod to the output part such that rotation of the output part about the axis causes at least part of the connection rod to rotate about the axis. The connection mechanism comprises a connection structure fixed to the output part and an engagement part mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis. The engagement part extends through the connecting rod and is fixed to it. A position sensor is arranged to measure the angular displacement of the first end of the connecting rod about the axis.

An assembly for maintaining the pitch angle of a flight control surface for an aircraft. The assembly includes a shaft comprising a screw thread and defining a shaft axis, and a nut. The nut includes a housing, a barrel located in the housing and comprising a screw thread for engaging with the screw thread of the shaft, and at least one locking element located in the housing. The housing comprises a radially inner cam surface adjacent to the locking element. The barrel is configured to rotate relative to the housing when the screw thread of the barrel is engaged and rotating with the screw thread of the shaft so as to move the locking element along the cam surface from a disengaged position in which the locking element is spaced from the screw thread of the shaft, to an engaged position.

An actuator system for a flight control surface of an aerial vehicle includes a motor, and an inner shaft. The inner shaft includes a first portion at a first end and a second portion that extends from the first portion to a second end of the inner shaft. The first portion of the inner shaft is coupled to the motor. The second portion of the inner shaft is coupled to at least one roller that includes roller threads. The actuator system includes an inverted nut defining an inner bore and having an outer diameter that defines an output rod. The inner bore includes nut threads. The inverted nut is coupled about the inner shaft such that the nut threads are to engage with the plurality of roller threads to move the output rod, and the output rod is to be coupled to the flight control surface.

A method may include receiving, from a ground station and at an aircraft computing system onboard the aircraft, a definition of a primary route, the primary route representing a trajectory, for the aircraft, from an origin location to a destination location, causing the aircraft to autonomously traverse the primary route using a flight controller, the flight controller configured to automatically control a set of flight control surfaces of the aircraft, while autonomously traversing the primary route, receiving an input from an inceptor, automatically mapping a direction and magnitude of the input to a predetermined flight maneuver, computing a definition of a modified route, the modified route initiating the predetermined flight maneuver, validating the modified route, including determining whether the modified route intersects known obstacles, and in response to the validation succeeding, causing the aircraft to autonomously traverse the modified route using the flight controller.

An integrated three function valve (ITFV) for an actuator of a flight control surface. The ITFV includes: an inner spool configured to be actuated in a first direction and a second direction responsive to a pressure differential acting across the inner spool; and an intermediate spool configured to be actuated in the first direction and second direction between an active position and a bypass position. The inner spool is located within the intermediate spool.

An aircraft wing with an array of moveably flight control surfaces is disclosed. Each flight control surface includes a trailing edge with a moveable tab attached to the flight control surface trailing edge. A flight control system coupled to a flight control surface drive system which moves the flight control surfaces; a tab drive system which moves the moveable tabs and one or more aircraft angle of attack sensors. The flight control system stores a set of angular deflections to deflect the tabs upwardly when the angle of attack reaches a threshold.

A stability and control augmentation system (SCAS) actuator is operable for actuating a flight control surface of an aircraft. The SCAS actuator includes an actuator housing having a first aperture, a second aperture and a hydraulic chamber therebetween. A piston extends through the actuator housing. Fluid inlets are in fluid communication with regions of the hydraulic chamber. A first end portion of the piston is arranged to slide through the first aperture without a seal between the first end portion and the first aperture. A second end portion of the piston is arranged to slide through the second aperture without a seal between the second end portion and the second aperture. An intermediate portion of the piston is arranged to slide in the hydraulic chamber without a seal between the intermediate portion and the hydraulic chamber.

A fly-by-wire (FBW) system comprising a plurality of servo actuators for controlling the flight control surfaces of an aircraft in which each of the servo actuators may comprise a flight control computer (FCC) that controls the output of the servo actuator. Input from a pilot or autopilot system may be communicated directly to the servo actuator FCCs, which may perform the requisite computations to determine the servo actuator output. For each axis, a primary and a secondary servo actuator may be provided, and the secondary servo actuator may operate in the event of a failure in the primary servo actuator. Each servo actuator may have two motors, each configured to drive an end of a differential such that each motor can act as a brake, a clutch or motor on the servo actuator.

A cartridge is disclosed with a casing and a projectile, wherein external ballistic stability is provided by a center of pressure of the projectile being rearward of a center of mass of the projectile. The projectile includes flight control surfaces that cooperate with the bore of a barrel without requiring rifling or sabots. The projectile can include fin configurations that cooperate with the bore to form a bearing surface with the bore.

Aircraft modification system (AMS) for operatively integrating multiple controllers and including an aircraft dynamics management coordinator (ADMC) subsystem that coordinates management of changes to aircraft center-of-gravity (CG) and changes to the movements or positions of the aircraft flight control surfaces effected by one or more of the multiple controllers via an aircraft flight control system (of the aircraft). The ADMC subsystem is configured to manage coordinated movement of the aircraft CG and the aircraft flight control surfaces to maintain balanced flight and reduce induced drag and to provide improved aircraft flight performance. The AMS also includes an aerial refueling system (ARS) and associated subsystems, an ARS carriage assembly that secures the ARS in relation to the aircraft fuselage, and a CG subsystem for moving fuel between, and to or from, fuel tanks to adjust the location of the aircraft CG and is configured to provide refueling presentations.