An automatic landing system includes an imaging device mounted on a vertical take-off and landing aircraft; a relative-position acquisition unit that performs image processing on an image of a marker at a target landing point, and that acquires a relative position between the aircraft and the target landing point; a relative-altitude acquisition unit for acquiring a relative altitude between the aircraft and the target landing point; and a control unit for controlling the aircraft in a plurality of control modes so that the relative position becomes zero. The control modes include a hovering mode in which the relative altitude of the aircraft is lowered to a predetermined relative altitude when the relative position is within a first threshold value. A transition to a landing mode occurs upon satisfying predetermined conditions including the relative position being within a predetermined threshold value less than the first threshold value.

A propulsion system for an aircraft comprises at least first and second propulsors, each propulsor being independently driven by a respective electric motor. The first and second propulsors each comprise respective rotors comprising a plurality of blades. The rotor of the first propulsor (30a) comprises a different number of blades to the rotor of the second propulsor, and the rotors of the first and second propulsors each have a blade pitch varying mechanism.

Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft are provided with fixed-position port and starboard wings extending laterally from an elongate fuselage having an empennage at an aft end of the fuselage and a propeller to provide horizontal thrust to the aircraft in a direction of the longitudinal axis thereof. A series of port and starboard rotor units are provided, each of which includes axially opposed rotor blades, and a motor to rotate the rotor blades and provide vertical thrust to the aircraft. A logic control unit (LCU) controllably sets an angular position of the opposed rotor blades along a position axis relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft in response to determining an optimal position of the rotor blades during cruise flight operation to thereby minimize airflow disruption over the fixed-position wings.

There is disclosed in one example an apparatus, including: a hardware platform including a processor and a memory; and instructions encoded within the memory to instruct the processor to: receive stored performance data for an aircraft battery, the stored performance data including data that correlate power density to temperature and remaining charge; simulate a planned flight for an aircraft, including predicting a plurality of temperature and remaining charge values; and direct operation of a heat exchange apparatus to precondition the battery to a selected temperature before the planned flight.

In an aspect, a system comprising a computing device. The computing device is configured to determine a drag minimization axis of a rotor connected to an aircraft. The rotor includes a first end and a second end. The rotor is configured to rotate about an axis. The computing device is further configured to determine a halting point of the rotor, wherein the halting point includes a drag minimization axis of the rotor. The computing device is configured to send a halting command to at least a magnetic element to halt the rotor, wherein the halting process is configured to stop a movement of the rotor and position the rotor in the halting point. The position of the rotor in the halting point includes the first end pointing in one direction of the drag minimization axis and the second end pointing in an opposite direction of the first end.

An air mobility device improves propulsion due to the Coandă effect when flying so as to increase a flying range and reduces noise when flying.

A VTOL fixed wing aircraft capable of high-speed forward flight. The aircraft has a main wing internally reinforced with front and aft spars. Spar boxed are located in roll-balanced locations along the wing. Each spar box serves as a connection point for a support linkage that supports a leading-edge and trailing-edge propulsion units. The leading-edge propulsion unit is fitted with a puller propeller and designed for articulated movement between a VTOL position in front of the wing leading edge and a forward flight position below the wing leading edge. The trailing-edge propulsion unit is fitted with a pusher propeller and designed for articulated movement between a VTOL position in behind the wing trailing edge and a forward flight position above the wing leading edge. The propeller includes a propulsor thrust ring having an aerodynamic profile and a thrust nozzle to capture and vector radial air leakage into thrust.

A VTOL fixed wing aircraft capable of high-speed forward flight. The aircraft has a main wing internally reinforced with front and aft spars. Spar boxed are located in roll-balanced locations along the wing. Each spar box serves as a connection point for a support linkage that supports a leading-edge and trailing-edge propulsion units. The leading-edge propulsion unit is fitted with a puller propeller and designed for articulated movement between a VTOL position in front of the wing leading edge and a forward flight position below the wing leading edge. The trailing-edge propulsion unit is fitted with a pusher propeller and designed for articulated movement between a VTOL position in behind the wing trailing edge and a forward flight position above the wing leading edge. The propeller includes a propulsor thrust ring having an aerodynamic profile and a thrust nozzle to capture and vector radial air leakage into thrust.

An aircraft has a pilot compartment and a power source, apparatus adapted to control attitude and direction, apparatus adapted to vary power of the power source, sensors sensing at least altitude, airspeed, power level, and aircraft attitude, a CPU coupled to a data repository, to the sensors and to actuators adapted to change the flight attitude and direction and to vary power, and safe flight envelope data and conditions stored in the data repository defining flight conditions at boundaries of safe and unsafe operation. The CPU monitors the sensors while the aircraft is in operation, determines if flight status is outside the safe flight envelope, and if so, drives appropriate actuators to manipulate the apparats adapted to control flight attitude and direction and/or the apparatus adapted to vary power of the power source in a programmed manner until the flight status is within the safe flight envelope.

A technique for operating an aerial vehicle involves enabling a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) propeller of the aerial vehicle to rotate freely. The VTOL propeller is coupled with a VTOL motor (e.g., a 3-phase brushless DC motor). The technique further involves detecting when the VTOL propeller rotates to a predefined position relative to a direction of flight for the aerial vehicle (e.g., when blades of the VTOL propeller extend along an axis that is parallel to the direction of flight). The technique further involves, in response to detecting that the VTOL propeller has rotated to the predefined position, providing a load from the VTOL motor that inhibits further rotation of the VTOL propeller. Accordingly, while the aerial vehicle is in fixed wing horizontal flight, the controller is able to align the VTOL propeller in the direction of horizontal flight to minimize drag from the VTOL propeller.