A flow body for an aircraft includes a torsion box with spars and/or ribs and at least two skin portions for enveloping the spars and/or ribs, wherein at least one inner cell is formed in the torsion box. It is provided that a gas tank with a gas tank shell is arranged in the at least one inner cell, and that the gas tank includes fastening elements coupled to retaining elements in the relevant inner cell in order to hold the gas tank such that the gas tank shell is supported at a distance from the spars and/or ribs and the skin portions and is supported in three spatial directions.

A flow body for an aircraft includes a torsion box with spars and/or ribs and at least two skin portions for enveloping the spars and/or ribs, wherein at least one inner cell is formed in the torsion box. It is provided that a gas tank with a gas tank shell is arranged in the at least one inner cell, and that the gas tank includes fastening elements coupled to retaining elements in the relevant inner cell in order to hold the gas tank such that the gas tank shell is supported at a distance from the spars and/or ribs and the skin portions and is supported in three spatial directions.

Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a fuselage, a tail boom or empennage extending from the fuselage, a main rotor, a tail rotor, and at least one counter torque device. The counter torque device provides counter torque to the fuselage to prevent rotation of fuselage when the main rotor is operated, particularly in right sideward flight (RSF) for conventional helicopters with a counter-clockwise rotating (when viewed from above the helicopter) main rotor.

Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a fuselage, a tail boom or empennage extending from the fuselage, a main rotor, a tail rotor, and at least one counter torque device. The counter torque device provides counter torque to the fuselage to prevent rotation of fuselage when the main rotor is operated, particularly in right sideward flight (RSF) for conventional helicopters with a counter-clockwise rotating (when viewed from above the helicopter) main rotor.

One example of a duct support for a rotorcraft includes a stabilizing mechanism configured to transfer a weight of a duct to an airframe of the rotorcraft, where the duct undergoes thermal expansion. The stabilizing mechanism includes a first stabilizing member attached to the duct, a second stabilizing member attached to the rotorcraft, and a coupling mechanism where the coupling mechanism is configured to couple the first stabilizing member to the second stabilizing member and accommodate thermal expansion of the duct by allowing for movement of the first stabilizing member relative to the second stabilizing member. In an example, the duct is an exhaust duct of an engine of the rotorcraft and heat from the engine cause the exhaust duct to undergo the thermal expansion.

One example of a duct support for a rotorcraft includes a stabilizing mechanism configured to transfer a weight of a duct to an airframe of the rotorcraft, where the duct undergoes thermal expansion. The stabilizing mechanism includes a first stabilizing member attached to the duct, a second stabilizing member attached to the rotorcraft, and a coupling mechanism where the coupling mechanism is configured to couple the first stabilizing member to the second stabilizing member and accommodate thermal expansion of the duct by allowing for movement of the first stabilizing member relative to the second stabilizing member. In an example, the duct is an exhaust duct of an engine of the rotorcraft and heat from the engine cause the exhaust duct to undergo the thermal expansion.

An airfoil assembly for an aircraft includes an airfoil body having an internal frame and a skin covering the internal frame to define a cavity of the airfoil body. The airfoil body defines a span between a root and a tip and is deflectable in a deflection direction transverse to the span upon experiencing aerodynamic loading. At least one shaft is attached to the airfoil body and disposed within the cavity adjacent to an inner surface of the skin. The shaft extends along at least part of the span. A shaft measuring device is mounted to the airfoil body within the cavity. The shaft measuring device operates to measure a parameter of the shaft caused by deflection of the airfoil body such that the parameter is indicative of the aerodynamic loading on the airfoil body. A method for determining aerodynamic loading on an airfoil body is also disclosed.

An aircraft comprising a fixed structure, a fuselage mounted on the fixed structure and a tail unit system comprising a structural element housed inside the fuselage and mounted to be rotationally mobile relative to the fixed structure about a transverse axis of rotation parallel to a transverse axis of the aircraft. A first actuation system displaces the structural element in rotation about the transverse axis of rotation, on either side of the structural element. A horizontal tail unit has one end rotationally mobiley mounted on the structural element about a longitudinal axis of rotation parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and another end which extends out of the fuselage by passing through a window in the fuselage. For each horizontal tail unit, a second actuation system displaces the horizontal tail unit in rotation about the longitudinal axis of rotation.

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.

A sandwich component including at least two cover layers and one core layer containing wires including shape-memory metal. A process for producing the sandwich component is also disclosed.