A folding multi-rotor VTOL aircraft is described that stows the rotor propulsion system in the region above the fuselage and fit within the length and width of the fuselage footprint. The folding members supporting the rotor propulsion units then fit within the regions between the stowed rotor diameters. The members are of sufficient length that when unfolded to operational configuration the slipstream of the rotors do not impinge on the fuselage. Overall aircraft height includes the fuselage, the stowed rotors, and a powered landing gear that provides ground mobility and short take-off and emergency landing capabilities. The overall height is minimized by a compact rotor system and low or adjustable landing gear ground clearance. The rotor propulsion units may incorporate ducts that are specially designed to produce improved lift.

A propulsion system for an aircraft including at least two main gas turbine engines and a plurality of dedicated boundary layer ingestion fans. The propulsion system is arranged such that a combined thrust produced by the boundary layer ingestion fans is less than 20 percent of a total thrust of the main engines and the boundary layer ingestion fans. The boundary layer ingestion fans are controllable and selectively turned off at lower speeds.

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is provided. The aircraft includes a wing, nacelles supportively disposed at opposite ends of the wing, proprotors respectively attached to each of the nacelles with each of the proprotors being rotatable to generate lift in vertical flight and thrust in horizontal flight and a delta-wing shaped fuselage disposed along the wing between the nacelles.

The invention discloses a lift source for an aircraft comprising a fuselage and wings, wherein first channels are formed in the wings, a plurality of first inlets are formed in upper surfaces of the wings, a plurality of first pressure ports are formed in lower surfaces of the wings and are communicated with the first inlets via the first channels; and spoiler devices are arranged in the first channels and under the effect of the spoiler devices, form high-speed fluid layers on the upper surfaces of the wings, thereby generating a pressure difference from the lower surfaces of the wings which counteracts an external fluid pressure on the upper surfaces of the wings in the opposite direction, so a lift is generated by reduction of fluid resistance when fluid flows through the upper and lower surfaces of the wings, thereby developing a high-speed aircraft with a larger lift and thrust.

An aircraft includes an airframe having an extending tail and a longitudinal axis extending from a nose of the airframe defining a length of the airframe. A counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly is located at the airframe and includes an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. The upper rotor assembly and the lower rotor assembly rotate about an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation intersects the longitudinal axis forward of a midpoint of the longitudinal axis.

There is disclosed a blended wing body aircraft including a center body having a lower side and an upper side opposed to the lower side. The center body has a central chord extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the center body. The lower side has a lowest point located between a first location forward of a pivot point about which the aircraft rotates during take-off and a second location aft of the pivot point. The first location is at a first distance corresponding to about 10% of a length of the central chord forward of the pivot point.

A compact aircraft control surface track mechanism is disclosed. A disclosed example aerodynamic body includes a support structure, a control surface movable relative to the support structure, the control surface including at least two rollers spaced apart along at least a spanwise direction of the aerodynamic body, and at least two tracks associated with the support structure, wherein a first track is to guide a first roller along a first movement pathway, and wherein a second track is to guide a second roller along a second movement pathway shaped differently than the first movement pathway.

An aerial vehicle including a main body having a leading edge. An inlet is recessed aft from the leading edge. Forward protrusions extend from the main body on opposite sides of the inlet. An outlet nozzle is proximate to an aft end. The inlet is in fluid communication with the outlet nozzle. Wings extend from the main body.

In some examples, a track comprises a plurality of members coupled to one another. The plurality of members comprises a first member, a second member, and a third member. The first member is operable to couple the track to an aircraft. The second member forms a first rail. The third member forms a second rail. In addition, the third member comprises at least a portion of an outer mold line of the aircraft. Moreover, the third member is operable to support a step load. The first rail and the second rail are operable to guide movement of an aircraft component along the track.

An aircraft provided with a wing and a winch device. The winch device is provided with a hoist device that includes a storage drum and a motor member for winding a suspension member around the storage drum and for unwinding said suspension member off the storage drum. The hoist device is surrounded at least in part by a fairing of the winning, said hoist device being arranged in an inside volume of the wing at least in a position referred to as the streamlined position.