One aspect of the present invention is a puncture healing polymer blend comprising a self-healing first polymer material having sufficient melt elasticity to snap back and close a hole formed by a projectile passing through the material at a velocity sufficient to produce a local melt state in the first polymer material. The puncture healing polymer blend further includes a non-self-healing second material that is blended with the first polymer material. The blend of self-healing first polymer material and second material is capable of self-healing, and may have improved material properties relative to known self-healing polymers.

Systems according to the present disclosure provide one or more surfaces that function as power radiating surfaces for which at least a portion of the radiating surface includes or is composed of “fractal cells” placed sufficiently closed close together to one another so that a surface wave causes near replication of current present in one fractal cell in an adjacent fractal cell. The fractal cells may lie on a flat or curved sheet or layer and be composed in layers for wide bandwidth or multibandwidth transmission. The area of a surface and its number of fractals determines the gain relative to a single fractal cell. The boundary edges of the surface may be terminated resistively so as to not degrade the cell performance at the edges. The fractal plasmonic surfaces can be utilized to facilitate electrical conduction with lower ohmic resistance than would otherwise be possible in the absence of the fractal plasmonic surface(s) at the same temperature.

Systems according to the present disclosure provide one or more surfaces that function as power radiating surfaces for which at least a portion of the radiating surface includes or is composed of “fractal cells” placed sufficiently closed close together to one another so that a surface wave causes near replication of current present in one fractal cell in an adjacent fractal cell. The fractal cells may lie on a flat or curved sheet or layer and be composed in layers for wide bandwidth or multibandwidth transmission. The area of a surface and its number of fractals determines the gain relative to a single fractal cell. The boundary edges of the surface may be terminated resistively so as to not degrade the cell performance at the edges. The fractal plasmonic surfaces can be utilized to facilitate electrical conduction with lower ohmic resistance than would otherwise be possible in the absence of the fractal plasmonic surface(s) at the same temperature.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a blocking door that is pivotally disposed on a fixed nacelle of a tiltrotor aircraft for pivoting between a stowed position when a proprotor pylon is in the substantially horizontal position and a protective blocking position in front of the proprotor pylon when the proprotor pylon is positioned in the non-horizontal position. In other aspects, there is provided a blocking door and a method of reducing infrared and/or radar signatures of rotorcraft with a rotatable proprotor.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a blocking door that is pivotally disposed on a fixed nacelle of a tiltrotor aircraft for pivoting between a stowed position when a proprotor pylon is in the substantially horizontal position and a protective blocking position in front of the proprotor pylon when the proprotor pylon is positioned in the non-horizontal position. In other aspects, there is provided a blocking door and a method of reducing infrared and/or radar signatures of rotorcraft with a rotatable proprotor.

A compact, inflatable medical backboard device is disclosed herein. The backboard device comprises an inflatable backboard, a protective cover, one or more straps for handling the backboard, a protective layer, a housing, and a wheel assembly for easily transporting the device, and that also serves as a pump for purposes of inflating the backboard if a source of compressed gas is not readily available. The medical backboard device can also be used as a shield to protect a user from small arms fire and other unwanted projectiles, and is easily adaptable to its surroundings.

A vehicle assembly includes a camouflaging cover configured to be placed over an exterior surface of a vehicle to conceal at least a portion of the vehicle, and a camouflaging lighting assembly integrated with the camouflaging cover and positioned over a light of the vehicle. The vehicle lighting assembly includes at least one light emitting device, a circuit board operatively connected to the at least one light emitting device, a housing having a first material composition, and at least one lens having a second material composition, such lens being more transparent than the housing. The first and second material compositions each includes a thermally conductive additive. The vehicle lighting method includes the steps of concealing at least a portion of a vehicle with the camouflaging cover, and positioning a camouflaging lighting device over a light of the vehicle.

A vehicle assembly includes a camouflaging cover configured to be placed over an exterior surface of a vehicle to conceal at least a portion of the vehicle, and a camouflaging lighting assembly integrated with the camouflaging cover and positioned over a light of the vehicle. The vehicle lighting assembly includes at least one light emitting device, a circuit board operatively connected to the at least one light emitting device, a housing having a first material composition, and at least one lens having a second material composition, such lens being more transparent than the housing. The first and second material compositions each includes a thermally conductive additive. The vehicle lighting method includes the steps of concealing at least a portion of a vehicle with the camouflaging cover, and positioning a camouflaging lighting device over a light of the vehicle.

A fabric (30) includes a first flexible fabric layer (32), having fabric emissivity properties in a visible radiation range that are selected so as to mimic ambient emissivity properties of a deployment environment of the fabric, and at least one second flexible fabric layer (34), which is joined to the first flexible fabric layer, and which is configured to scatter long-wave radiation that is incident on the fabric. The first and second flexible fabric layers are perforated by a non-uniform pattern of perforations (44) extending over at least a part of the fabric.

A fabric (30) includes a first flexible fabric layer (32), having fabric emissivity properties in a visible radiation range that are selected so as to mimic ambient emissivity properties of a deployment environment of the fabric, and at least one second flexible fabric layer (34), which is joined to the first flexible fabric layer, and which is configured to scatter long-wave radiation that is incident on the fabric. The first and second flexible fabric layers are perforated by a non-uniform pattern of perforations (44) extending over at least a part of the fabric.