A vehicle, includes a main body. A fluid generator is coupled to the main body and produces a fluid stream. At least one fore conduit and at least one tail conduit are fluidly coupled to the generator. First and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the fore conduit, coupled to the main body and respectively coupled to a starboard side and port side of the vehicle. The fore ejectors respectively comprise an outlet structure out of which fluid flows. At least one tail ejector is fluidly coupled to the tail conduit. The tail ejector comprises an outlet structure out of which fluid flows. A primary airfoil element is coupled to the tail portion. A surface of the primary airfoil element is located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors such that the fluid from the first and second fore ejectors flows over the such surface.

A rotor assembly for an aircraft operable to generate a variable thrust output at a constant rotational speed. The rotor assembly includes a mast rotatable at the constant speed about a mast axis. A rotor hub is coupled to and rotatable with the mast. The rotor hub includes a plurality of spindle grips extending generally radially outwardly. Each of the spindle grips is coupled to one of a plurality of rotor blades and is operable to rotate therewith about a pitch change axis. A collective pitch control mechanism is coupled to and rotatable with the rotor hub. The collective pitch control mechanism is operably associated with each spindle grip such that actuation of the collective pitch control mechanism rotates each spindle grip about the respective pitch change axis to collectively control the pitch of the rotor blades, thereby generating the variable thrust output.

A system and a method for improving a stall margin of an aircraft during a climb phase of flight are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises using data indicative of a phase of flight of the aircraft and data indicative of an angle-of-attack, and automatically commanding a deployment of leading edge slats movably attached to wings of the aircraft when the following conditions are true: the aircraft is in a climb phase of flight; and the angle-of-attack equals or exceeds a predefined deployment angle-of-attack threshold value.

A flow body for a vehicle having a flow surface, as well as a skin system attached to the flow surface is proposed. The skin system has a top layer and a foam arrangement positioned between the flow surface and the top layer, wherein the top layer includes an elastic, surface-like material, wherein the foam arrangement includes a first layer of an elastic, compressible open cell foam, wherein the foam arrangement is bonded to the top layer. The skin system has a static shape in an unloaded state, in which the shape defines an outer surface geometry that directly follows the geometry of the respective flow surface, and the skin system has a deflected shape when the flow body is subjected to turbulent air flow. The deflected shape at least temporarily compresses the foam arrangement.

A method for controlling a control surface multirod actuator arrangement and the arrangement including: a first and a second multirod actuator configured to move or clamp around a first set of piston rods; a third multirod actuator configured to move or clamp around a second set of piston rods; a control unit configured to control motion of the first set of piston rods in a first motion mode and to control motion of the second set of piston rods in a second motion mode. Steps are moving at least one piston rod of first set of piston rods and/or clamping in parked position at least one piston rod of the second set of piston rods.

Fluid systems are described herein. An example embodiment of a fluid system has a first body portion, a second body portion, a plurality of supports, a plurality of fluid pressurizers, and a plurality of ducts. The first body portion and the second body portion cooperatively define an injection opening, a suction opening, and a channel that extends from the injection opening to the suction opening. The fluid pressurizer is disposed within the channel cooperatively defined by the first body portion and the second body portion. Each duct of the plurality of ducts is disposed within the channel cooperatively defined by the first body portion and the second body portion.

Thermally configurable structural elements (e.g., aircraft components such as an aircraft winglet spar) capable of assuming at least first and second structural configurations are provided whereby the structural element includes an integral actuation mechanism may be formed of sintered shape memory alloy (SMA) particles and sintered non-SMA particles formed by an additive layer manufacturing (ALM) process, such as 3D printing. The ALM process thereby provides by at least one thermally configurable region, and at least one non-thermally configurable region which is unitarily contiguous with the at least one thermally configurable region. The at least one thermally configurable region is capable of assuming at least first and second positional orientations in response to the presence or absence of a thermal input to thereby cause the structural element to assume the at least first and second structural configurations, respectively.

A method for producing an object with riblets on and/or in the surface, around which object a fluid flows during use. A frictional resistance acting on a surface region along a flow direction during a flow around the object in the fluid is calculated and added up to a cumulative frictional resistance over a length of the surface region in the flow direction, after which the riblets are provided on and/or in a partial region of the surface in which an increase in the cumulative frictional resistance is at least 0.9, in particular greater than 1.0 to 0.9. Moreover, a method is provided for modifying a surface of an object around which a fluid flows during use, such as a foil. A structure having riblets is created on and/or in the surface, which structure reduces flow resistance of the object. Furthermore, a fluid flows around an object during use.

A wing tip device having a first wing tip device element for attaching at a first wing tip device element root to a tip of an aircraft wing, and a second wing tip device element extending from a second wing tip device element root to a second wing tip device element tip, the second wing tip device element root outboard, when viewed in the wing planform direction, of the first wing tip device element root; the first wing tip device element having a first wing tip device element leading edge and a first wing tip device element trailing edge, and the second wing tip device element having a second wing tip device element leading edge and a second wing tip device element trailing edge; and a fairing between the first and second wing tip device element which extends aft from the second wing tip device element trailing edge.

A Coanda system for controlling directions of an aircraft. The system includes a fluid passage defined in part by a casing wall having an inner surface facing the fluid passage. The fluid passage is configured to pass fluid from a first end inlet to a second end outlet. A fluid control element including a Coanda surface is disposed at the second end outlet. The fluid control element is moveable within the second end outlet to direct the fluid exiting the fluid passage between an upper gap and a lower gap, around the Coanda surface. A contour element is disposed on the inner surface of the casing wall upstream of the fluid control element, and further assists in directing the fluid to the open gap.