A hinge-line actuator has: a drive shaft; first and second ground gears spaced apart along the drive shaft, wherein the first and second output gears include first and second contoured outer gear surfaces; and an output gear disposed on the drive shaft and disposed between the first and second ground gears, wherein the output gear includes a third contoured outer gear surface; an actuator housing that includes: contoured first, second and third gear seats that, respectively, seat the first, second and third outer gear surfaces.

Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft are provided with fixed-position port and starboard wings extending laterally from an elongate fuselage having an empennage at an aft end of the fuselage and a propeller to provide horizontal thrust to the aircraft in a direction of the longitudinal axis thereof. A series of port and starboard rotor units are provided, each of which includes axially opposed rotor blades, and a motor to rotate the rotor blades and provide vertical thrust to the aircraft. A logic control unit (LCU) controllably sets an angular position of the opposed rotor blades along a position axis relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft in response to determining an optimal position of the rotor blades during cruise flight operation to thereby minimize airflow disruption over the fixed-position wings.

Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft are provided with fixed-position port and starboard wings extending laterally from an elongate fuselage having an empennage at an aft end of the fuselage and a propeller to provide horizontal thrust to the aircraft in a direction of the longitudinal axis thereof. A series of port and starboard rotor units are provided, each of which includes axially opposed rotor blades, and a motor to rotate the rotor blades and provide vertical thrust to the aircraft. A logic control unit (LCU) controllably sets an angular position of the opposed rotor blades along a position axis relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft in response to determining an optimal position of the rotor blades during cruise flight operation to thereby minimize airflow disruption over the fixed-position wings.

An aircraft in the form of an electrically driven, vertical take-off and landing, preferably people-carrying and/or load-carrying multicopter (1) is provided, in which a multiplicity of rotors are arranged in a common rotor plane (R), in which a tail unit (6), protruding upward or downward with respect to the rotor plane (R), is provided above or below the rotor plane (R), preferably in a rear region of the aircraft (1) with respect to a forward flying direction.

An aircraft in the form of an electrically driven, vertical take-off and landing, preferably people-carrying and/or load-carrying multicopter (1) is provided, in which a multiplicity of rotors are arranged in a common rotor plane (R), in which a tail unit (6), protruding upward or downward with respect to the rotor plane (R), is provided above or below the rotor plane (R), preferably in a rear region of the aircraft (1) with respect to a forward flying direction.

An assembly is provided for an aircraft. This aircraft assembly includes an aircraft control surface and a hydraulic actuator. The hydraulic actuator includes a housing and a piston within the housing. The housing is formed integral with the aircraft control surface.

A component is provided that includes a monolithic structure and a fitting element. The monolithic structure includes first and second outer panels, and spars disposed between the first and second outer panels. The width of the monolithic structure extends between a fitting end and a distal end. The spars extend widthwise between the first and second outer panels. The spar fitting end of each spar has a Y-shaped configuration with first and second finger walls, and a channel disposed there between. Both the first and second finger walls have a divergent end and a distal end. The channel has a closed end and an open end defined at the finger wall distal ends. The fitting element has a body with one or more blades extending outwardly therefrom. Each blade is received in and mates with a spar fitting end channel and is bonded to the spar fitting end.

A telescoping tail assembly for use on an aircraft having a fore-aft length. The telescoping tail assembly includes a housing extending in an aftward direction, a tailboom slidable along the housing into various positions including an extended position and a retracted position and one or more control surfaces coupled to the tailboom. The tailboom increases the fore-aft length of the aircraft in the extended position and decreases the fore-aft length of the aircraft in the retracted position.

Methods and systems for providing reduced flaps takeoff or landing advice in an aircraft. The methods and systems include a display device and a processor in operable communication with the display device. The processor is configured to execute program instructions. The program instructions are configured to cause the processor to receive takeoff or landing performance data including weather data and runway conditions data for a plurality of runways at a destination aerodrome, calculate values of takeoff or landing performance parameters for a plurality of flap configurations for each of the plurality of runways, and present, on the display device, at least one of the values of takeoff or landing performance parameters.

A system and method are provided that enable joined materials to expand and contract at different rates while maintaining a structurally sound connection. A system for joining structures with differing coefficients of thermal expansion includes: a first structural element of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE); a plurality of flexures each defining a first portion and a second portion and attached at the first portion to the first structural element; and a second structural element of a second material having a second CTE, where the second structural element is attached to the second portion of each of the plurality of flexures, where in response to relative movement between the first structural element and the second structural element, the plurality of flexures bend to accommodate the relative movement.