Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a toolset configured to fabricate a component of an aircraft, the toolset comprising: a mold base configured to seat at least one mandrel, a mold lid configured to be coupled to the mold base, and at least one driver block that is integral with the mold lid and projects from an interior surface of the mold lid.

An aeronautical apparatus is disclosed that has two pairs of wings: an aft pair and a fore pair. Each wing has a thrust-angle motor. An assembly is coupled to each thrust-angle motor. Assemblies coupled to the wings have a propeller motor with a propeller and a control surface. The control surface provides lift when in forward flight. In vertical flight or hovering, the control surface, if it remains fixed with respect to the fuselage, i.e., in the position which provides lift in forward flight, produces significant drag. However, by rotating the control surfaces with the propeller motor, the drag from the control surfaces is significantly reduced. The control surfaces are outboard the propellers in some embodiments and inboard in others. In the latter case, the control surface is part of the trailing edge of the wing.

An aeronautical apparatus is disclosed that has two pairs of wings: an aft pair and a fore pair. Each wing has a thrust-angle motor. An assembly is coupled to each thrust-angle motor. Assemblies coupled to the wings have a propeller motor with a propeller and a control surface. The control surface provides lift when in forward flight. In vertical flight or hovering, the control surface, if it remains fixed with respect to the fuselage, i.e., in the position which provides lift in forward flight, produces significant drag. However, by rotating the control surfaces with the propeller motor, the drag from the control surfaces is significantly reduced. The control surfaces are outboard the propellers in some embodiments and inboard in others. In the latter case, the control surface is part of the trailing edge of the wing.

A hypersonic aircraft includes one or more leading edge assemblies that are designed to cool the leading edge of certain portions of the hypersonic aircraft that are exposed to high thermal loads, such as extremely high temperatures and/or thermal gradients. Specifically, the leading edge assemblies may include an outer wall tapered to a leading edge or stagnation point. A coolant supply may be in fluid communication with at least one fluid passageway that passes through the outer wall to deliver a flow of cooling fluid to the stagnation point. In addition, a nose cover is positioned at least partially over or within the at least one fluid passageway and is formed from a material that ablates or melts when the leading edge is exposed to a predetermined critical temperature, the nose cover being configured for restricting the flow of coolant until the nose cover is ablated or melted away.

A hypersonic aircraft includes one or more leading edge assemblies that are designed to cool the leading edge of certain portions of the hypersonic aircraft that are exposed to high thermal loads, such as extremely high temperatures and/or thermal gradients. Specifically, the leading edge assemblies may include an outer wall tapered to a leading edge or stagnation point. A coolant supply may be in fluid communication with at least one fluid passageway that passes through the outer wall to deliver a flow of cooling fluid to the stagnation point. In addition, a nose cover is positioned at least partially over or within the at least one fluid passageway and is formed from a material that ablates or melts when the leading edge is exposed to a predetermined critical temperature, the nose cover being configured for restricting the flow of coolant until the nose cover is ablated or melted away.

The method for producing an assembly is a method for producing an assembly equipped with a member to be reinforced (20), a reinforcing member body (41), and a filler (42), wherein the reinforcing member body (41) has a pair of flanges (44) arranged spaced on the surface (20B) of the member to be reinforced (20), a web (45), and a connection portion (46) which connects the flanges (44) and the web (45) and forms a filler space (V) with the surface (20B). The method for producing an assembly includes a step for inserting a filler (42) into the filler space (V), a step for attaching a crack control member (43) to cover the end of the filler (42), a step for joining the flanges (44) and the member to be reinforced (20), and a step for curing at least the member to be reinforced (20).

Expandable decoy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are disclosed. A disclosed example decoy UAV includes an expandable body at least partially defining an exterior of the expandable decoy UAV, an expander to expand the expandable body to a desired footprint, and a propulsion device operatively coupled to the expandable body, the propulsion device to move the expandable decoy UAV.

An aerostructure assembly that includes an aerostructure (e.g., a resin pressure molded structure) and a coupling assembly is disclosed. The aerostructure includes an outer shell and a female receiver located within an interior of the outer shell. The coupling assembly includes a coupling and a beam that extends from this coupling. The beam is disposed within the female receiver, including where at least part of the coupling is positioned beyond an open end of the outer shell. The shape of the female receiver may retain the aerostructure to the beam in at least one direction/dimension. One or more fasteners may be utilized to attach the aerostructure to the beam. The coupling may be formed from one or more metals, and in any case, accommodates attachment of the aerostructure assembly to a flight vehicle.

A guided missile with a sleeve-shaped missile body, at least one engine for producing forward thrust, at least one flight direction control device, and at least one aerodynamic extension. The least one flight direction control device is rotatably mounted to a top area and/or a bottom area of the sleeve-shaped missile body for adjusting a flight direction of the guided missile. The least one aerodynamic extension comprises an aerodynamic cross-sectional shape that is arranged on a left-hand side and/or a right-hand side of the sleeve-shaped missile body.

Systems and methods for controlling a fixed-wing aircraft during flight are disclosed. The aircraft comprises first and second flight control surfaces of different types. The method comprises determining that a pilot command of the first flight control surface will excite a structural flexible mode of the aircraft and then executing the pilot command of the first flight control surface in conjunction with a command of the second flight control surface to mitigate the effect of the excitation of the structural flexible mode of the aircraft.