An aircraft is provided including a fuselage that extends along a longitudinal direction between a forward end and an aft end. A boundary layer ingestion fan is mounted to the fuselage at the aft end and is configured for ingesting boundary layer airflow off the surface of the fuselage. The fuselage defines a profile proximate the boundary layer ingestion fan that is optimized for ingesting a maximum amount of boundary layer air and improving propulsive efficiency of the aircraft. More specifically, the fuselage defines a cross sectional profile upstream of the boundary layer ingestion fan that has more cross sectional area in a top half relative to a bottom half as defined relative to a centerline of the boundary layer ingestion fan.

A wide body aircraft is discussed having a fuselage with a first structural element, a second structural element, a wide-body fuselage section, and a plurality of tension members. Each of the first structural element and the second structural element may be arranged to traverse a longitudinal length of the wide-body fuselage section. The wide-body fuselage section may comprise a set of side-by-side fuselage subassemblies, where the set of side-by-side fuselage subassemblies can be coupled to one another via the first structural element and the second structural element. The plurality of tension members can be arranged to manage tension between the first structural element and the second structural element. The plurality of tension members can be configured to remain flexible under a compression load, while managing tension therebetween.

A sealed bottom in the frame of a cockpit with centered pilot is disclosed for increasing the bulk inside the radome and making it possible to improve the optimization of the volumes. The sealed bottom includes a semi-cylindrical central part having four edges that are parallel in pairs, two curved edges, and two straight edges and a planar peripheral part extending at least partially around the central part. The peripheral part (22) is located in the plane of the straight edges of the central part and linked thereto. This configuration will allow to free up space to increase the number of passengers or reduce the size of the aircraft.

A nose section of an aircraft comprising a centered flight deck, making it possible to offer a direct forward field of view towards the outside of the aircraft, the forward visibility of the pilot towards the outside taking priority, and an indirect lateral field of view afforded by image displays displaying images representing the lateral environment of the centered pilot and obtained from an image capturing device.

An aircraft emergency landing stability system includes an aircraft a fuselage and landing gear, and a landing stability apparatus coupled to the fuselage, wherein the landing stability structure mitigates a nose-down pitching moment of the aircraft created in response to contact with a landing surface during an emergency landing.

A launch system is provided, including a composite vehicle and a carrier vehicle. The composite vehicle includes a payload vehicle, a booster vehicle and a first coupling system. The payload vehicle is configured for powered spaceflight at least in a space medium, and includes a rocket driven propulsion system. The booster vehicle is configured for powered supersonic/hypersonic aerodynamic flight, includes a ramjet propulsion system, and is configured for transporting the composite vehicle between a first altitude and a second altitude under propulsive power provided by the ramjet propulsion system. The first coupling system is configured for selectively coupling and decoupling the payload vehicle with respect to the booster vehicle. The carrier vehicle is configured at least for powered subsonic/transonic/supersonic aerodynamic flight, and for transporting the composite vehicle to at least the first altitude from a ground location. The launch system also includes a second coupling system for selectively coupling and decoupling the composite vehicle with respect to the carrier aircraft.

The present invention includes a distributed propulsion system for a craft that comprises a frame, a plurality of hydraulic or electric motors disposed within or attached to the frame in a distributed configuration; a propeller operably connected to each of the hydraulic or electric motors, a source of hydraulic or electric power disposed within or attached to the frame and coupled to each of the disposed within or attached to the frame, wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power provides sufficient energy density for the craft to attain and maintain operations of the craft, a controller coupled to each of the hydraulic or electric motors, and one or more processors communicably coupled to each controller that control an operation and speed of the plurality of hydraulic or electric motors.

An aircraft comprises a fuselage, first and second wing segments each having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a plurality of spokes coupling the fuselage to the first and second wing segments, one or more motors disposed within or attached to the plurality of spokes, and three or more propellers proximate to a leading edge of the plurality of spokes, distributed along the plurality of spokes, and operably connected to the motors to provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight and provide thrust whenever the aircraft is in forward flight. When the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, the fuselage is approximately vertical. When the aircraft is in forward flight, the fuselage is approximately in the direction of the forward flight and extends forward beyond the leading edges of the first wing segment and the second wing segment.

The invention relates to an aircraft having a supporting structure (12) and a shell (10) that can be filled with a gas and which is tensioned by the supporting structure (12). According to the invention, said supporting structure (12) comprises a plurality of rod or tube-shaped sections (24-30) which define a circular, oval or polygonal main clamping plane for the shell (10).

An aircraft operable between a deployed position and a stowed position is disclosed. The aircraft includes a fuselage, a pair of wing segments, and a translation and rotation mechanism for attaching the wing segments to the fuselage. The mechanism includes an upper assembly having an outer shaft and an inner shaft. A first wing segment is attached to the outer shaft and a second wing segment is attached to the inner shaft. The outer shaft translates downward with respect to the inner shaft. Thereafter, the outer and inner shafts rotate in opposite directions in order to rotate the wing segments on top of one another, parallel to a long axis of the fuselage, and into the stowed position. The operation of the outer and inner shafts is reversed in order to return the wing segments to the deployed position.