An aircraft nose gear-mounted flight control device promotes aircraft stability during low-speed phases of flight, including take-offs and landings. The flight control device is an operable airfoil secured to an aircraft nose gear, either to a vertical support strut or to a wheel axle thereof. The airfoil is deployed when the nose gear is deployed, and is retracted when the nose gear is retracted. Upon deployment, the airfoil is effective to at least provide aircraft pitch control. In some configurations, the airfoil deploys as two separate but mirror-imaged left and right airfoil components that move in concert to provide pitch control. In other configurations, the airfoil components move at relatively different angular rates and amounts to provide both pitch and roll control. The entire airfoil may be pivotal for pitch control, or may instead be fixed, but have moveable flaps or flap-like portions that provide pitch control.

An aircraft nose gear-mounted flight control device promotes aircraft stability during low-speed phases of flight, including take-offs and landings. The flight control device is an operable airfoil secured to an aircraft nose gear, either to a vertical support strut or to a wheel axle thereof. The airfoil is deployed when the nose gear is deployed, and is retracted when the nose gear is retracted. Upon deployment, the airfoil is effective to at least provide aircraft pitch control. In some configurations, the airfoil deploys as two separate but mirror-imaged left and right airfoil components that move in concert to provide pitch control. In other configurations, the airfoil components move at relatively different angular rates and amounts to provide both pitch and roll control. The entire airfoil may be pivotal for pitch control, or may instead be fixed, but have moveable flaps or flap-like portions that provide pitch control.

Disclosed is a helicopter having a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis and a vertical axis, a helicopter centre of mass and a maximum gross mass of less than 5000 kg, the helicopter comprising a fuselage elongate along the longitudinal axis, the fuselage comprising an aerodynamically shaped shell defining a front, a rear, a top and a bottom of the fuselage and a passenger cabin therein having two forward-facing front seating positions for the pilot and a co-pilot or a passenger, and forward-facing rear seating positions for at least 2 passengers, optionally 3 passengers; a primary fuel cell mounted substantially behind the passenger cabin; the front seating position for the pilot having a centre of mass at a first location substantially in front of the rotor hub location, and the primary fuel cell having a centre of mass at a second location substantially behind the rotor hub location; a landing gear arrangement; a power plant mounted substantially above and behind the passenger cabin, wherein the primary fuel cell is arranged to provide fuel to the power plant; and a secondary fuel cell having a centre of mass at a nose location in front of the rotor hub location by at least 1500 mm.

Disclosed is a helicopter having a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis and a vertical axis, a helicopter centre of mass and a maximum gross mass of less than 5000 kg, the helicopter comprising a fuselage elongate along the longitudinal axis, the fuselage comprising an aerodynamically shaped shell defining a front, a rear, a top and a bottom of the fuselage and a passenger cabin therein having two forward-facing front seating positions for the pilot and a co-pilot or a passenger, and forward-facing rear seating positions for at least 2 passengers, optionally 3 passengers; a primary fuel cell mounted substantially behind the passenger cabin; the front seating position for the pilot having a centre of mass at a first location substantially in front of the rotor hub location, and the primary fuel cell having a centre of mass at a second location substantially behind the rotor hub location; a landing gear arrangement; a power plant mounted substantially above and behind the passenger cabin, wherein the primary fuel cell is arranged to provide fuel to the power plant; and a secondary fuel cell having a centre of mass at a nose location in front of the rotor hub location by at least 1500 mm.

An aeronautical vehicle that rights itself from an inverted state to an upright state has a self-righting frame assembly has a protrusion extending upwardly from a central vertical axis. The protrusion provides an initial instability to begin a self-righting process when the aeronautical vehicle is inverted on a surface. A propulsion system, such as rotor driven by a motor can be mounted in a central void of the self-righting frame assembly and oriented to provide a lifting force. A power supply is mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame assembly and operationally connected to the at least one rotor for rotatably powering the rotor. An electronics assembly is also mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame for receiving remote control commands and is communicatively interconnected to the power supply for remotely controlling the aeronautical vehicle to take off, to fly, and to land on a surface.

An aeronautical vehicle that rights itself from an inverted state to an upright state has a self-righting frame assembly has a protrusion extending upwardly from a central vertical axis. The protrusion provides an initial instability to begin a self-righting process when the aeronautical vehicle is inverted on a surface. A propulsion system, such as rotor driven by a motor can be mounted in a central void of the self-righting frame assembly and oriented to provide a lifting force. A power supply is mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame assembly and operationally connected to the at least one rotor for rotatably powering the rotor. An electronics assembly is also mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame for receiving remote control commands and is communicatively interconnected to the power supply for remotely controlling the aeronautical vehicle to take off, to fly, and to land on a surface.

A modular energy storage system within a vehicle, wherein the energy storage system comprises a plurality of discrete energy storage units which are movable within the vehicle and selectively securable in a variety of positions.

Methods of damping vibrations in a host structure are described. In one embodiment, the vibrations can be damped using a tuned mass damper. The tuned mass damper can include a suspended mass with magnets which is configured to move in response to current being applied to a voice coil. The tuned mass damper can damp vibrations resulting from an external load applied to the host structure, such as an external aerodynamic load. In one embodiment, the tuned mass damper can be mounted within a wind tunnel model undergoing transonic testing. The tuned mass damper can be operated to limit potentially destructive vibrations which can occur during testing.

Methods of damping vibrations in a host structure are described. In one embodiment, the vibrations can be damped using a tuned mass damper. The tuned mass damper can include a suspended mass with magnets which is configured to move in response to current being applied to a voice coil. The tuned mass damper can damp vibrations resulting from an external load applied to the host structure, such as an external aerodynamic load. In one embodiment, the tuned mass damper can be mounted within a wind tunnel model undergoing transonic testing. The tuned mass damper can be operated to limit potentially destructive vibrations which can occur during testing.

An aerial dispensing method includes obtaining a wind velocity of a wind that causes a drift to a substance dispensed from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and controlling one or more components of the UAV based on the obtained wind velocity to cause at least mitigation to the drift.