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.

There is disclosed in one example a flight control computer for a rotary aircraft, including: a first interface to communicatively couple to a flight control input; a second interface to communicatively couple to flight geometry actuators; a data source; a multi-dimensional lookup table including a data structure to correlate flight control inputs to flight geometry actuator outputs according to a third-factor; and circuitry and logic instructions to: receive an input via the first interface; query the data source for the third-factor; query the multi-dimensional lookup table for a control input modifier according to the flight control input and the third-factor; and compute and send via a third interface a flight geometry output according to the control input modifier.

A method for optimizing the take-off parameters of an aircraft. The aircraft comprises a system for automatically controlling the high lift devices at the moment when the wheels of the aircraft leave the ground. The method comprises a step of selecting a first configuration of the high lift devices at the start of the take-off phase and a selection of an acceleration speed of the aircraft. The method is advantageous in that, on reception of an actual aircraft take-off detection signal, a control unit is configured to transmit a control command making it possible to bring the high lift devices into a second configuration, in which they are retracted relative to the first position, and consecutively accelerate the speed of the aircraft automatically to an acceleration speed entered by the pilot.

A method for optimizing the take-off parameters of an aircraft. The aircraft comprises a system for automatically controlling the high lift devices at the moment when the wheels of the aircraft leave the ground. The method comprises a step of selecting a first configuration of the high lift devices at the start of the take-off phase and a selection of an acceleration speed of the aircraft. The method is advantageous in that, on reception of an actual aircraft take-off detection signal, a control unit is configured to transmit a control command making it possible to bring the high lift devices into a second configuration, in which they are retracted relative to the first position, and consecutively accelerate the speed of the aircraft automatically to an acceleration speed entered by the pilot.

Aircraft and associated methods, apparatus, system and storage devices for automatically positioning of lift control devices such as high lift devices including slats and flaps so an aircraft equipped with this technology will not need to count on the crew to command the lift control devices.

A protocol compiler to generate flight code and routing tables is disclosed. In various embodiments, one or more definition files are received. The one or more definition files are parsed to extract flight control system definition data. A communication topology comprising a set of entities of the flight control system and communication links between said entities is determined based on the flight control system definition data. A set of one or more routing tables is generated programmatically based at least in part on the communication topology and message type definition data. Flight code to implement a flight control system defined at least in part by said flight control system definition data is generating programmatically, based at least in part on the flight control system definition data, including code to route messages according to said one or more routing tables.

A fuselage, a support part supporting the fuselage, a thrust generation unit including fore, aft, left, and right thrust generators, and a flight controller controlling the unit are included. The fore, aft, left, and right thrust generators are respectively positioned on first, second, third, and fourth axes respectively extending in support part fore and aft, fore and aft, left and right, and left and right directions. The generators are respectively at the support part front, back, left, and right. The generators respectively generate thrust in directions intersecting the first, second, third, and fourth axes and can change thrust magnitude and direction around them. All generators are connected to the support part.

A projectile incorporates one or more spoiler-tabbed spinning disks to effect flow around the projectile and thus impart steering forces and/or moments. The spoiler tabs may be deployed only during steering phases of travel thus minimizing the drag penalty associated with steering systems. The disks are driven by motors and informed and controlled by sensors and electronic control systems. The spoiler tabs protrude through the surface of the projectile only for certain angles of spin of the spinning disk. For spin-stabilized projectiles, the disks spin at substantially the same rate as the projectile, but the disks may function in fin-stabilized projectiles as well. Any number of such spinning flow effector disks may be incorporated in a projectile, with the manner of functional coordination differing slightly for even and odd numbers of disks.

A projectile incorporates one or more spoiler-tabbed spinning disks to effect flow around the projectile and thus impart steering forces and/or moments. The spoiler tabs may be deployed only during steering phases of travel thus minimizing the drag penalty associated with steering systems. The disks are driven by motors and informed and controlled by sensors and electronic control systems. The spoiler tabs protrude through the surface of the projectile only for certain angles of spin of the spinning disk. For spin-stabilized projectiles, the disks spin at substantially the same rate as the projectile, but the disks may function in fin-stabilized projectiles as well. Any number of such spinning flow effector disks may be incorporated in a projectile, with the manner of functional coordination differing slightly for even and odd numbers of disks.

A method and system for managing a control system having triple redundancy for an aircraft. The method comprises receiving a group of messages from a transmitting lane in a controller including three lanes in which a first lane failure has previously occurred. The method identifies an activity indicator, a status generated by each lane in a group of lanes, and a cyclic redundancy check value generated by each lane in the group of lanes in the group of messages. The cyclic redundancy check value generated by a lane in the group of lanes is generated using a key assigned to the lane. The method disables the controller when at least one of an anomaly is indicated in the status, an activity indicator mismatch is present, or a cyclic redundancy check value mismatch is present in the group of messages that indicates a second lane failure has occurred.