An aircraft safety lifesaving system, which includes an aircraft body, wherein an openable safety cabin is provided at the top of the aircraft body, a deceleration device is provided in the safety cabin, and the deceleration device is capable of being ejected from the safety cabin to enable the aircraft body to decelerate and land; a damping and buffering mechanism is provided at the bottom of the aircraft body, the damping and buffering mechanism is telescopically provided in the vertical direction, and the damping and buffering mechanism is capable of extending to the position below the aircraft wheel body.

A coupled landing gear apparatus for an aircraft including at least a nose gear disposed forward of a neutral point of an aircraft by a first distance and at least a main gear disposed aft of the neutral point of the aircraft by a second distance. The at least a nose gear and the at least a main gear are in communication with one another.

A wear amount estimation device estimates plural kinds of wear energy depending on each of an internal pressure of aircraft tires, a load acting on the aircraft tires, a velocity of an aircraft, a slip angle caused in the aircraft tires, and a braking force of the aircraft, in accordance with each of these elements and wear energy EFR of the aircraft tires in a state of a free rolling run The wear amount estimation device estimates the wear amount wear of the aircraft tires in accordance with each of the calculated wear energy and a wear resistance R indicating a relationship between predetermined wear energy and a predetermined wear amount.

There is provided an acoustically treated landing gear door for reducing noise from a landing gear of an aircraft. The acoustically treated landing gear door includes a landing gear door for attachment to the aircraft. The landing gear door includes an acoustic treatment assembly integrated on an inner mold line of an interior side, and extending within an interior cavity of the landing gear door. The acoustic treatment assembly includes a core structure having a first side and a second side, a plurality of core cells extending between the first side and the second side, and a drainage system. The acoustic treatment assembly further includes an acoustic facesheet and a nonporous backsheet. The acoustically treated landing gear door reduces the noise from the landing gear, when the landing gear is in a deployed position, by attenuating acoustic waves emanating from the landing gear and reflected off the acoustic treatment assembly.

An aircraft assist system described herein includes an aircraft coupling counterpart attached to a strut of a landing gear of an aircraft, and an assist vehicle. The assist vehicle includes a frame, ground-engaging wheels mounted to the frame, a power source for driving one or more of the ground-engaging wheels, and a vehicle coupling counterpart for engagement with the aircraft coupling counterpart. The aircraft coupling counterpart and the vehicle coupling counterpart define a swivel connection for transferring a propulsive force from the takeoff assist vehicle to the aircraft. The aircraft coupling counterpart is disengageable from the vehicle coupling counterpart by upward movement of the aircraft coupling counterpart relative to the vehicle coupling counterpart.

An aircraft assist system described herein includes an aircraft coupling counterpart attached to a strut of a landing gear of an aircraft, and an assist vehicle. The assist vehicle includes a frame, ground-engaging wheels mounted to the frame, a power source for driving one or more of the ground-engaging wheels, and a vehicle coupling counterpart for engagement with the aircraft coupling counterpart. The aircraft coupling counterpart and the vehicle coupling counterpart define a swivel connection for transferring a propulsive force from the takeoff assist vehicle to the aircraft. The aircraft coupling counterpart is disengageable from the vehicle coupling counterpart by upward movement of the aircraft coupling counterpart relative to the vehicle coupling counterpart.

An unmanned aerial vehicle according to certain embodiments generally includes a chassis, a power supply mounted to the chassis, a control system operable to receive power from the power supply, at least one rotor operable to generate lift under control of the control system, and a winch mounted to the chassis. The winch includes a reel and a motor. The reel has a line wound thereon, the line having a free end. The reel includes a circumferential channel in which a wound portion of the line is wound onto the reel. The circumferential channel includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a passage connecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The motor is operable to rotate the reel under control of the control system to thereby cause the line to wind onto and off of the reel, thereby causing the free end of the line to raise and lower.

An aircraft assembly includes a first body connected to a second body via a flexible coupling that limits separation of the bearing faces while permitting relative rotational movement between the bodies. The flexible coupling includes one or more first flexible straps attached to the first side of the first body and attached to the second side of the second body, and one or more second flexible straps attached to the second side of the first body and attached to the first side of the second body. The bearing faces include planar central portions to react compressive loads while the parts are aligned, and convex outer rolling surfaces to react loads during rotational movement between the bodies, such that a point of contact between the first body and the second body moves along curves of the respective curved end regions during the rotational movement between the bodies.

The invention relates to a propulsion device comprising a platform, a thrust unit, support means arranged to hold and support the thrust unit, integrally cooperating with the platform via one or more suitable mechanical connections, projecting means, integrally cooperating via suitable mechanical connections with the platform, a central foot, passing through the centre of inertia of the propulsion device and integrally cooperating via a suitable mechanical connection at its proximal end with the platform. In order to enable a landing of said propulsion device on receiving surfaces having relatively small dimensions with respect to the propulsion device and/or moving surfaces, the projecting means and the central foot are mutually arranged so that the central foot can provide the first contact between the device and a surface receiving the device.

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.