A fan for providing thrust including at least one blade, a hub adapted to carry the at least one blade, a hub motor adapted to rotate the hub 360 degrees about a first axis extending perpendicular to the at least one blade, a first mount adapted to carry the hub, and a first mount motor adapted to rotate the hub 360 degrees about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and extending through the first mount first and second side securing points. The first mount may include a first mount first side securing point adapted to pivotally carry the hub, and a first mount second side securing point adapted to pivotally carry the hub.

A method for designing, constructing and fabricating the skeleton of turbine-propeller-jet (THR) wheels which simultaneously use, in the same wheel, the principles of the turbine, the propeller, and the jet, and which can also serves as a hybrid wheel (THRE) powered by an energising fluid.

A proprotor blade for a ducted aircraft including a duct includes a main body having a distal end and a sacrificial blade tip coupled to the distal end of the main body. The sacrificial blade tip includes a deformable core material and a shell layer at least partially covering the deformable core material. The sacrificial blade tip deforms upon contact with the duct, thereby reducing damage to the ducted aircraft.

A fan-in-wing aerial vehicle according to an embodiment may comprise: a fuselage; main wings expending from both sides of the fuselage in the span direction; rotors rotatably mounted inside the main wings, respectively; and opening/closing portions installed on the main wings such that the same can be opened/closed and thereby expose the rotors to the outside or conceal the rotors from the outside, respectively.

Embodiments of the invention relate to advanced propeller assemblies that include a pressure modifying element that modifies its aerodynamic characteristics. Embodiments of the invention may provide benefits including but not limited to: increased thrust per rotation, greater efficiency, modified aerodynamics, and the ability to use such propellers for novel applications. Practical applications for embodiments of propellers of the invention include use with aircraft, drones, watercraft, autogyros, fans, blowers, pumps, generators, compressors, mixers, and blenders.

Rotary electric engines, aircraft including the same, and associated methods. A rotary electric engine includes a nacelle, a fan configured to generate thrust, a stator operatively coupled to the nacelle, and a rotor operatively coupled to the fan. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades. The rotor includes a plurality of rotor magnets operatively coupled to respective blade tips of the fan blades. The stator includes a plurality of field coils configured to produce a magnetic interaction between the field coils and the rotor magnets to rotate the fan. In examples, the stator is configured to rotate each field coil relative to the nacelle. In examples, an aircraft includes one or more rotary electric engines pivotally mounted within engine mount regions. In examples, a method of operating an aircraft includes operating one or more rotary electric engines in a vertical lift configuration and in a forward flight configuration.

One embodiment is a rotor system comprising a duct ring; a hub disposed centrally to the duct ring; first and second stators each connected between the duct ring and the hub; first and second control vanes rotatably connected to the first and second stators, respectively; and a structural hoop having a first end connected to the first control vane and a second end connected to the second control vane, the structural hoop for translating rotation of the first control vane about a vane axis to the second control vane.

A proprotor system for a ducted aircraft includes a duct and proprotor blades surrounded by the duct. Each proprotor blade is rotatable about a respective pitch change axis. The proprotor blades are configured to change collective pitch about the pitch change axes. The proprotor blades are extendable along the pitch change axes into various positions including a retracted position and an extended position. The proprotor blades change between the retracted position and the extended position based on the collective pitch of the proprotor blades, thereby controlling a tip gap between the proprotor blades and the duct.

An aircraft including a body, a first propeller assembly, a second propeller assembly, a flight control surface, and a parachute. The first propeller assembly is coupled to the body and configured to provide vertical lift. The second propeller assembly is coupled to the body and configured to provide horizontal thrust. The flight control surface is operably coupled to the body. The parachute extends from the body and is arranged to facilitate aircraft takeoff.

The present invention relates to a method, system, and apparatus of flight system for individual users using electric ducted fans. The flight system comprises a modular unit, which comprises a plurality of electric ducted fans, means for connecting electric ducted fans, and a pair of armpit supports. The flight system further comprises means for securing a modular unit around respective left and right shoulders of a user. In one embodiment, the flight system can be controlled to generate a horizontal acceleration of 20 MPH/second and a vertical acceleration of 10 MPH/second.