Disclosed is a configuration to control automatic return of an aerial vehicle. The configuration stores a return location in a storage device of the aerial vehicle. The return location may correspond to a location where the aerial vehicle is to return. One or more sensors of the aerial vehicle are monitored during flight for detection of a predefined condition. When a predetermined condition is met a return path program may be loaded for execution to provide a return flight path for the aerial vehicle to automatically navigate to the return location.

Vehicles such as unmanned air vehicles that are capable of movement from an open, flight configuration to an enclosed configuration in which all major flight components can be protected by an outer shell are disclosed. In the enclosed configuration, the vehicles can take on standard geometric shapes such as a rectangular prism, sphere, cylinder, or another shape, so as to not be recognizable as an unmanned air vehicle. Embodiments of vehicles can also include interchangeable and/or wireless motor arms, motor arms which are electrically connected to the remainder of the vehicle only when in an open configuration, remote controllers removably attached to the remainder of the vehicle, and clip or other attachment mechanisms for attachment to objects such as backpacks.

A method for providing an air display comprising a multiplicity of unmanned aircraft comprising: automatic loading of mission data of a plurality of unmanned aircraft into the data store of an unmanned aircraft via the ground station by means of the first data connection, querying and storing identifiers, GPS data, and the system status from a plurality of the multiplicity of unmanned aircraft by the control unit by means of the first or second data connection, calculating the flight paths for the plurality of unmanned aircraft based on the GPS data and the first target positions of the respective unmanned aircraft by means of the control unit in real time, assigning flight path numbers to a plurality of the unmanned aircraft by the control unit by means of the first or second data connection, and independent and synchronized performance of the entire mission by the unmanned aircraft after the launch.

An unmanned aircraft system having a flying wing orientation includes an airframe having leading and trailing edges, a two-dimensional thrust array coupled to the leading edge, a power system and a flight control system operable to independently control the speed of each propulsion assembly of the two-dimensional thrust array. In the flying wing orientation, the two-dimensional distributed thrust array provides airspeed control responsive to collectively changing the speed of each propulsion assembly, pitch authority responsive to differentially changing the speed of the propulsion assemblies above the airframe relative to the propulsion assemblies below the airframe, roll authority responsive to differentially changing the speed of the propulsion assemblies rotating clockwise relative to the propulsion assemblies rotating counterclockwise and yaw authority responsive to differentially changing the speed of the propulsion assemblies on a port side of the airframe relative to the propulsion assemblies on a starboard side of the airframe.

A takeoff and landing assist apparatus for a flight vehicle with rotor blades causes the flight vehicle to take off from or be landed on a target point. The takeoff and landing assist apparatus includes a plurality of guide rods in parallel to each other, the plurality of guide rods being provided to one of the flight vehicle and the target point; and a plurality of guide rings into which the plurality of guide rods are insertable, the plurality of guide rings being provided to the other of the flight vehicle and the target point. A center-to-center distance between the plurality of guide rods and a center-to-center distance between the plurality of guide rings are set to be same.

An unmanned aircraft system includes a flying wing airframe having leading and trailing edges with respective sweep angles. A thrust array is coupled to the airframe and includes first and second motor mounts each rotatably coupled to the leading edge. Each motor mount has first and second propulsion assemblies coupled to respective first and second distal ends thereof. A power system is operably associated with the thrust array and is operable to provide power to each propulsion assembly. A flight control system is operably associated with the thrust array and is operable to independently control the speed of each propulsion assembly. In a flight configuration of the system, each motor mount is substantially perpendicular with the leading edge such that the thrust array forms a two-dimensional thrust array. In a compact storage configuration of the system, each motor mount is substantially parallel with the leading edge.

An arm connection structure for connecting an arm to a body provided in the present invention includes: a connection shaft, a shaft sleeve that can be sleeved on the connection shaft in a manner of rotating relative to the connection shaft, and an elastic member sleeved on the connection shaft. The shaft sleeve is provided with a curved guide slot extending along a peripheral direction of the shaft sleeve, and the connection shaft is provided with a guide block that matches the curved guide slot and that can slide in the curved guide slot. The curved guide slot has a first lock position for locking the arm in an unfolded state, and a second lock position for locking the arm in a folded state. The present invention can make the arm not easily shake in a flight process of an unmanned aerial vehicle, making flight more stable.

A propulsion system assembly includes a propeller and a motor configured to drive the propeller to rotate. The propeller includes one of a first body and a second body. The motor comprises the other one of the first body and the second body. The propulsion system assembly also includes a locking mechanism configured to detachably connecting the first body and the second body. The locking mechanism includes a locking member and a position limiting lock catch. The locking member is configured to lock the first body and the second body. The locking member includes locking parts located at at least two sides of the locking member. When the locking parts of the locking member rotate to a locking position, the position limiting lock catch is mounted to a side of the locking parts, to restrain the locking member from rotating relative to the first body.

The invention specifies key small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) features which include the tactical mounting of the sUAS to a firearm for rapid access in tactical situations. The invention claims both the fixturing of a sUAS to a firearm and technologies and methodologies to allow for deployment of the sUAS utilizing a single hand of the operator.

A rotorcraft-assisted system for launching and retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft into and from free flight. The launch and retrieval system is usable with a rotorcraft to launch a fixed-wing aircraft into free, wing-borne flight and to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from free, wing-borne flight.