A system for flight control configured for use in an electric aircraft includes a sensor configured to capture an input datum. The system includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and configured to detect an aircraft angle and an aircraft angle rate. The system includes a flight controller including an outer loop controller configured to receive the input datum from the sensor, receive the aircraft angle from the IMU, and generate a rate setpoint as a function of the input datum. The system includes an inner loop controller configured to receive the aircraft angle rate, receive the rate setpoint from the outer loop controller, and generate a moment datum as a function of the rate setpoint. The system includes a mixer configured to receive the moment datum, map vehicle level control torques, received from the inner loop controller, to actuator output and generate a motor command datum as a function of the torque allocation.

In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating an aircraft includes operating the aircraft in a first mode including determining an attitude based on a pilot stick signal, where a translational speed or an attitude of the aircraft is proportional to an amplitude of the pilot stick signal in the first mode; transitioning from the first mode to a second mode when a velocity of the aircraft exceeds a first velocity threshold; and operating the aircraft in the second mode where the output of the rate controller is proportional to the amplitude of the pilot stick signal.

A method for hovering an aircraft having at least one wing and at least one rotary wing and at least one propeller, the aircraft comprising an autopilot system. The method comprises keeping the aircraft hovering, with the autopilot system, in the setpoint position, keeping the aircraft hovering in this way comprising controlling, with the autopilot system, a pitch of blades of the at least one propeller irrespective of the setpoint pitch angle and controlling, with the autopilot system, a pitch of blades of the at least one rotary wing as a function at least of the setpoint pitch angle.

A control system for an aircraft, the system including a pilot input device configured to receive a pilot input, a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors positioned on a corresponding landing gear of the aircraft and configured to sense a parameter on the corresponding landing gear, and a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors, the controller configured to calculate an output command based on the pilot input and the sensed parameters of the landing gear, the output command including instructions for controlling a rotor of the aircraft.

To provide an aircraft that can efficiently improve speed performance and fuel efficiency, the aircraft is an aircraft capable of forward flight and hovering, and includes a lift generating part, a frame for holding the lift generating part, and a loadable object provided on the frame and to be mounted. The front projection area of the frame and the mounting part during forward flight is smaller than the front projection area of the frame and the mounting part during hovering.

A multicopter comprises: a support; rotors supported by the support; an internal combustion engine supported by the support; a generator supported by the support and driven by the internal combustion engine to generate power; electric motors supported by the support, supplied with electric power from the generators, and configured to drive the rotors; and a circuitry that control a flight of an aircraft by individually adjusting a rotational speed of each of the rotors. The multicopter also comprises a plurality of the internal combustion engines or a plurality of the generators.

A system for initiating a command of an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft includes a flight controller configured to receive a topographical datum, identify an air position as a function of a sensor and the topographical datum, wherein identifying further comprises obtaining a sensor datum as a function of the sensor, and identifying the air position as a function of the sensor datum and the topographical datum using a similarity function, determine a command as a function of the air position, and initiate the command.

An autopilot recoupling system for a rotorcraft having an automatic flight control system with multiple layers of flight augmentation. The autopilot recoupling system includes an autopilot recoupling input operable to generate an autopilot recoupling signal. An autopilot recoupling signal processor is communicably coupled to the autopilot recoupling input. The autopilot recoupling signal processor is configured to receive the autopilot recoupling signal from the autopilot recoupling input and responsive thereto, determine a state of the automatic flight control system, activate a trim systems layer of the automatic flight control system if the trim systems layer is not active, engage an attitude retention systems layer of the automatic flight control system if the attitude retention systems layer is disengage and recouple an autopilot systems layer of the automatic flight control system.

A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of six degree-of-freedom motion where lift, pitch, and roll are provided by multirotors oriented vertically, lateral translation is provided by a cyclorotor oriented vertically, and yaw is provided by a combination of the cyclorotor and the multirotors. The invention includes a frame, which supports the multirotors and cyclorotors. The frame also supports a payload and battery which are positioned at the extreme ends of the frame. The aircraft is capable of hovering precisely to position a payload close to or touching a target surface in the air.

Walking VTOL vehicles and related systems and methods are disclosed. A representative system can include one or more vertical thrust propulsion systems for providing vertical thrust for the vehicle, one or more horizontal thrust propulsion systems for providing horizontal thrust for the vehicle, and leg elements that are rotatable between a first configuration in which each leg element extends downwardly and a second configuration different from the first configuration. A representative method of operating a vehicle includes using vertical thrust to raise the vehicle upward, rotating a leg element forward, lowering the vehicle, and then rotating the leg element rearward to propel the vehicle forward.