A vehicle includes a main body and a gas generator producing a gas stream. At least one fore conduit and tail conduit are fluidly coupled to the generator. First and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the at least one fore conduit. At least one tail ejector is fluidly coupled to the at least one tail conduit. The fore ejectors respectively include an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one fore conduit flows. The at least one tail ejector includes an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one tail conduit flows. First and second primary airfoil elements have leading edges respectively located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors. At least one secondary airfoil element has a leading edge located directly downstream of the outlet structure of the at least one tail ejector.

Hybrid turbine engines, aircraft including the same, and associated methods. A hybrid turbine engine includes a gas turbine engine mechanically and/or electrically coupled to a rotary electric engine. The rotary electric engine includes a nacelle, a fan with fan blades, a stator operatively coupled to the nacelle, and a rotor with a plurality of rotor magnets coupled to the fan blades. The stator includes a plurality of field coils. In examples, the stator is configured to rotate each field coil relative to the nacelle. In examples, an aircraft includes a hybrid turbine engine such that the gas turbine engine is substantially enclosed within the nacelle or is supported by a fuselage of the aircraft. In examples, a method of operating an aircraft with a hybrid turbine engine includes generating a gas turbine thrust with the gas turbine engine and generating an electric engine thrust with the rotary electric engine.

In an implementation, a rotor blade (alternatively referred to herein as blade) for a helicopter or other aircraft may include an outer layer. The outer layer may define a cavity. The outer layer may at least partially correspond to an airfoil, e.g., a wing. One or more inserts may be included within the cavity and be encompassed thereby. The first insert may have a density of at least 0.6 pounds per cubic inch.

A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is provided. The aircraft comprises a fuselage which has a nose end, a tail end, and a plurality of seats disposed in the interior. A pair of rear wings extend outwardly from opposing sides of the fuselage between a cockpit and the tail end, and a pair of front wings extend outwardly from opposing sides of the fuselage between the cockpit and the nose end. Each of the pair of rear wings and front wings includes an adjustably mounted turbine which comprises a statically mounted fan pod, a duct rotatably connected to the fan pod, and an adjustable nozzle rotatably connected to the duct. The nozzle can be adjusted to a variety of configurations ranging between a vertical position and a horizontal position via the duct. The adjustably mounted turbine enables the aircraft to adjust thrust through vectors ranging between horizontal and vertical.

A unshrouded vane assembly for an unducted propulsion system includes a plurality of vanes which have non-uniform characteristics configured to generate a desired vane exit swirl angle.

A vehicle includes a main body and a gas generator producing a gas stream. At least one fore conduit and tail conduit are fluidly coupled to the generator. First and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the at least one fore conduit. At least one tail ejector is fluidly coupled to the at least one tail conduit. The fore ejectors respectively include an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one fore conduit flows. The at least one tail ejector includes an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one tail conduit flows. First and second primary airfoil elements have leading edges respectively located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors. At least one secondary airfoil element has a leading edge located directly downstream of the outlet structure of the at least one tail ejector.

A system and method of an airflow control system for a vehicle is described herein. The airflow control system (100) includes an airflow housing (120) defining an airflow passageway (125) extending between a bypass opening (122) and an intake outlet (124). The airflow housing also defines a duct opening (126) positioned between the bypass opening (122) and the intake outlet (124). The intake outlet (124) may be in fluid communication with an engine intake (12) of the vehicle such that air passes from the bypass opening (122) and/or the duct opening (126) to the engine intake (12). The airflow control system (100) also includes a movable duct (160) movably connected to the airflow housing (120) to selectively allow or prevent air passage through the duct opening (126) and into the engine intake (12), and further includes a bypass door (140) movably connected to the airflow housing (120) to selectively allow or prevent air passage through the bypass opening (122) and into the engine intake (12).

A propulsion system includes a source of compressed fluid, at least one thruster in fluid communication with the source, at least one turbine in fluid communication with the source and coupled to a propeller, and an apparatus for selectively providing the compressed fluid to one or both of the at least one thruster and the at least one turbine.

A system including a turbine engine configured to generate rotor power and produce an engine air flow. The system is configured to provide rotor power to one of more shaft-driven lift fans to generate a first thrust on an aircraft body and provide a gas flow to one or more gas-driven lift fans to generate a second thrust on the aircraft body. The gas flow may be at least a portion of the engine air flow produced by the turbine engine. The turbine engine may be configured to exhaust another portion of the engine air flow through a jet nozzle to generate an engine thrust. In examples, the system includes at least a second turbine engine. The one of more shaft-driven lift fans and/or one of more gas-driven lift fans be powered by the turbine engine, the second turbine engine, or both the turbine engine and the second turbine engine.

A propulsion system coupled to a vehicle. The system includes an ejector having an outlet structure out of which propulsive fluid flows at a predetermined adjustable velocity. A control surface having a leading edge is located directly downstream of the outlet structure such that propulsive fluid from the ejector flows over the control surface.