An autothrottle system for an aircraft includes a motor, actuator assembly, and position sensor operatively connected between the motor and a moving portion of the actuator assembly. An electronic controller is configured to control the motor to move the actuator assembly to actuator positions based at least on position information from the position sensor to move the throttle lever to lever positions.

A galley cart includes walls defining an interior cavity extending between a front and a rear of the galley cart and the interior cavity extending between a top end and a bottom end. A supply port is provided in flow communication with the interior cavity and a return port is provided in flow communication with the interior cavity. A barrier is positioned between the supply port and the return port within the interior cavity of the cart to define a supply chamber and a return chamber to control airflow through the interior cavity.

A galley cart includes walls defining an interior cavity extending between a front and a rear of the galley cart and the interior cavity extending between a top end and a bottom end. A supply port is provided in flow communication with the interior cavity and a return port is provided in flow communication with the interior cavity. A barrier is positioned between the supply port and the return port within the interior cavity of the cart to define a supply chamber and a return chamber to control airflow through the interior cavity.

Methods and systems relating to the design and testing of systems that include hinged flight control surfaces of aircraft are disclosed. The systems and methods disclosed herein make use of a structural model representing a structural environment of the system in a relatively simple manner. In various embodiments, the structural model comprises one or more actuation branches having a common linear actuation direction, a load mass, and a massless connector representative of a hinge line of the flight control surface. The massless connector is connected to and disposed between the one or more actuation branches and the load mass and is movable along the common linear actuation direction so that linear movement of the massless connector is correlated to rotational movement of the hinged flight control surface.

According to one or more aspects, a control system for managing operational limits associated with two or more actuators includes a controller. The controller may continually monitor a first operational limit associated with a first actuator and a first operational limit associated with a second actuator. The controller may determine a first overall distributed control system operating limit based on the first operational limit associated with the first actuator, the first operational limit associated with the second actuator, and a type of operational limit associated with both operational limits.

According to one or more aspects, a control system for managing operational limits associated with two or more actuators includes a controller. The controller may continually monitor a first operational limit associated with a first actuator and a first operational limit associated with a second actuator. The controller may determine a first overall distributed control system operating limit based on the first operational limit associated with the first actuator, the first operational limit associated with the second actuator, and a type of operational limit associated with both operational limits.

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft (10) includes a fuselage and first and second forward wings (20, 22), each wing (20, 22) having a fixed leading edge and a trailing control surface (50) which is pivotal about a generally horizontal pivot axis. The aircraft (10) includes first and second electric motors (60) each having rotors (70), the electric rotors (70) being pivotal with the trailing control surface (50) between a first position in which each rotor (70) has a generally vertical axis of rotation, and a second position in which each rotor (70) has a generally horizontal axis of rotation, a control system (90) is configured to selectively operate the first electric motor (60) and the second electric motor (60) at different rotational speeds to generate a turning moment to pivot the control surface (50) about the pivot axis (33).

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft (10) includes a fuselage and first and second forward wings (20, 22), each wing (20, 22) having a fixed leading edge and a trailing control surface (50) which is pivotal about a generally horizontal pivot axis. The aircraft (10) includes first and second electric motors (60) each having rotors (70), the electric rotors (70) being pivotal with the trailing control surface (50) between a first position in which each rotor (70) has a generally vertical axis of rotation, and a second position in which each rotor (70) has a generally horizontal axis of rotation, a control system (90) is configured to selectively operate the first electric motor (60) and the second electric motor (60) at different rotational speeds to generate a turning moment to pivot the control surface (50) about the pivot axis (33).

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft (10) comprises a fuselage (24) first and second forward wings (20, 22) and first and second rearward wings (30, 32), each wing having a fixed leading edge (25, 35) and a trailing control surface (50) which is pivotal about a generally horizontal axis. Electric rotors (60) are mounted to the wings (20, 22, 30, 32), the electric rotors (60) being pivotal with the trailing control surface (50) between a first position in which each rotor (60) has a generally vertical axis of rotation, and a second position in which each rotor (60) has a generally horizontal axis of rotation; wherein at least one of the wings (20, 22, 30, 32) has a first and a second electric rotor (60) which are each mounted having non-parallel axes of rotation so that the thrust lines of the first and second electric rotors are different.

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft (10) comprises a fuselage (24) first and second forward wings (20, 22) and first and second rearward wings (30, 32), each wing having a fixed leading edge (25, 35) and a trailing control surface (50) which is pivotal about a generally horizontal axis. Electric rotors (60) are mounted to the wings (20, 22, 30, 32), the electric rotors (60) being pivotal with the trailing control surface (50) between a first position in which each rotor (60) has a generally vertical axis of rotation, and a second position in which each rotor (60) has a generally horizontal axis of rotation; wherein at least one of the wings (20, 22, 30, 32) has a first and a second electric rotor (60) which are each mounted having non-parallel axes of rotation so that the thrust lines of the first and second electric rotors are different.