Disclosed herein are a vehicle system and method for VTOL. The vehicle system includes: a carrier vehicle and a cruise vehicle. The carrier vehicle includes one or more fuselages, one or more wings, one or more attach units coupled to the one or more fuselages or to the one or more wings, and propulsion systems operable to provide, at least, substantially vertical thrust and substantially horizontal thrust. The cruise vehicle includes one or more fuselages for carrying passengers or cargo and one or more wings. The one or more attach units of the carrier vehicle are adapted to couple to the cruise vehicle to detachably engage.

Disclosed herein are a vehicle system and method for VTOL. The vehicle system includes: a carrier vehicle and a cruise vehicle. The carrier vehicle includes one or more fuselages, one or more wings, one or more attach units coupled to the one or more fuselages or to the one or more wings, and propulsion systems operable to provide, at least, substantially vertical thrust and substantially horizontal thrust. The cruise vehicle includes one or more fuselages for carrying passengers or cargo and one or more wings. The one or more attach units of the carrier vehicle are adapted to couple to the cruise vehicle to detachably engage.

A system for shrinking landing gear includes a shock strut having a cylinder and a piston to be received by the cylinder. The system further includes a collar coupled to a brace linkage and the piston, a torque arm configured to resist rotation between the collar and the piston, and a shrink linkage coupled between the torque arm and the cylinder. The collar rotates relative to the cylinder in response to retraction of the landing gear. Rotation of the collar rotates the piston and the torque arm relative to the cylinder. The rotation of the collar relative to the cylinder forces, via the shrink linkage, the piston towards the aircraft attachment within the cylinder.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a UAV body including a first mounting member, a gimbal, and a plurality of stands. The gimbal includes a second mounting member connected to the first mounting member, and a gimbal body connected to the second mounting member. The plurality of stands are fixedly attached to the gimbal body and configured to rotate together with the gimbal body around a yaw axis of the gimbal body.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a UAV body including a first mounting member, a gimbal, and a plurality of stands. The gimbal includes a second mounting member connected to the first mounting member, and a gimbal body connected to the second mounting member. The plurality of stands are fixedly attached to the gimbal body and configured to rotate together with the gimbal body around a yaw axis of the gimbal body.

A ground effect craft having a ground effect wing, a plurality of sponsons, and a control system is disclosed. The ground effect wing may include a fore ground effect wing and an aft ground effect wing. The ground effect wing may generate a stabilizing moment on at least one sponson to stabilize the ground effect craft. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to the body. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to each other. The dynamic coupling may permit the sponsons to move relatively independent of the body and each other, thereby stabilizing the ground effect craft. The ground effect craft may include a stabilizing wing.

A ground effect craft having a ground effect wing, a plurality of sponsons, and a control system is disclosed. The ground effect wing may include a fore ground effect wing and an aft ground effect wing. The ground effect wing may generate a stabilizing moment on at least one sponson to stabilize the ground effect craft. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to the body. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to each other. The dynamic coupling may permit the sponsons to move relatively independent of the body and each other, thereby stabilizing the ground effect craft. The ground effect craft may include a stabilizing wing.

A method for manufacturing structural rods to make it easier to manufacture a structural rod for an aircraft and to improve performance. Each rod includes a rod body and two end portions disposed at either end of the rod body along a longitudinal central rod axis, each end portion comprising at least one mounting lug that protrudes from the rod body along the longitudinal axis. The method includes producing a sandwich panel including two skins gripping a cellular inner body, at least one of the two outer skins having a skin extension for forming a part of the at least one mounting lug of at least one of the two end portions of the rod, and cutting the panel along parallel cutting lines to obtain the structural rods.

An example charging station for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the charging station generally including a nest and a charging device. The nest includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion defines an upper opening sized and shaped to receive a landing apparatus of the UAV, and a diameter of the nest reduces from a first diameter at the upper opening to a second diameter at the lower portion. The charging device is mounted in the nest, and includes a first contact pad and a second contact pad. The charging device is configured to apply a voltage differential across the first contact pad and the second contact pad such that the charging station is operable to charge a power supply of the UAV via the landing apparatus.

An aircraft landing gear assembly having a bogie beam, first and second wheel assemblies mounted on the bogie beam on longitudinally opposite sides of the bogie beam with respect to a bogie mounting bearing, a jacking dome mounted on the bogie beam to face a ground plane, and a guard that is distinct from the jacking dome and removably coupled to the bogie beam on an opposite side of the jacking dome with respect to the bogie mounting bearing. The jacking dome projects towards the ground plane by a first distance, and the guard extends from the bogie beam towards the ground plane by a second distance which is at least 0.9 times the first distance.