This instant invention provides an airplane design mainly to eject rearward the high-speed exhaust gas from the engine of the airplane to flow through the upper surface of the wing, such that the forward propulsion forcing can be obtained via rearward ejecting the high-speed exhaust gas to push the air rearward, and also larger uplift forcing induced by a larger velocity difference vertically across the wing can be obtained to ascend the airplane at the same time. This velocity difference is generated because the air over the wing is accelerated by the ejected high-speed exhaust gas, but the air below the wing stays the same velocity, such that a bigger velocity difference is directly produced vertically across the wing, and thus more uplift forcing can be provided to ascend the airplane.

The present invention provides a stackable drone and a drone swarm comprising at least two stackable drones. Each drone comprising: a fuselage comprising a first end and a second end; a mating structure arranged in the fuselage and configured to have an opening at the first end of the fuselage, the mating structure forming a mating recess on a first side of the fuselage, the mating recess having an opening at the first side of the fuselage for receiving a mating projection from a further stacking unmanned aerial vehicle. The stackable drones do not require a large area of ground for take-off and landing, require only a small space for storage and transportation. When landing, based on the conical or pyramidal structure, the drone may slide down by gravitational force into the mating recess of another drone thereunder without needs of high precision positioning or alignment system.

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.

An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft includes an airframe having first and second wings with first and second pylons extending therebetween. The first and second wings each having first and second outboard nacelle stations. A two-dimensional distributed thrust array is attached to the airframe. The thrust array including a plurality of outboard propulsion assemblies coupled to the first and second outboard nacelle stations of the first and second wings. A flight control system is coupled to the airframe and is operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. A cargo hook module is coupled to the airframe. The cargo hook module is operable for external load operations.

A flexible strengthening joint for a pressurized vessel includes an outer skin having a localized abrupt change in shape. The outer skin includes a first skin section and a second skin section, the localized abrupt change in shape being located at a junction between the first skin section and the second skin section. A reinforcing bulkhead is located in the interior of the pressurized vessel. The reinforcing bulkhead includes a first bulkhead section that is directly attached to the first section of the outer skin and a second bulkhead section that unattached directly to the first section. A kick frame is located in the interior, the kick frame spanning at least the second bulkhead section. At least one intercostal is secured to the second bulkhead section. The at least one intercostal is also secured to the kick frame.

To make an aircraft assembly installation modulable, the latter includes a floor, assembly stations distributed on the floor, and structures for accessing the aircraft during their assembly, each structure being mobile on the ground. The access structures include at least one access structure at an orbital junction between two fuselage sections, at least one access structure at the two junctions between a fuselage section and each of the two aircraft wings, and at least one access structure at the junctions between a rear fuselage section and tail units. In addition, the installation is designed to be able to adopt several distinct configurations, each having a different distribution of the access structures between the assembly stations.

A modular wing in ground effect vehicle has a fuselage which receives interchangeable cockpit and component modules and may accept a variety of snap-on wing styles and control surfaces for various flying conditions and pilot skill levels. When depleted or due for repairs, modules containing stored energy components or machinery subject to wear or periodic maintenance may be exchanged for fresh units so that a vehicle requiring such an exchange may be returned to service quickly and conveniently.

This instant invention provides an airplane design mainly to eject rearward the high-speed exhaust gas from the engine of the airplane to flow through the upper surface of the wing, such that the forward propulsion forcing can be obtained via rearward ejecting the high-speed exhaust gas to push the air rearward, and also larger uplift forcing induced by a larger velocity difference vertically across the wing can be obtained to ascend the airplane at the same time. This velocity difference is generated because the air over the wing is accelerated by the ejected high-speed exhaust gas, but the air below the wing stays the same velocity, such that a bigger velocity difference is directly produced vertically across the wing, and thus more uplift forcing can be provided to ascend the airplane.

An aerodynamic body includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface includes a first portion of a first axisymmetric body. The lower surface is mated with the upper surface. The lower surface includes a waverider shape. The waverider shape is derived from the shockwave generated by a second axisymmetric body.

An aircraft for the transport of cargo and/or passengers, comprising a fuselage extending in longitudinal direction and having an upper deck, in particular main deck, and a lower deck separated from each other by a floor, wherein the fuselage comprises a barrel section with a cross-sectional profile for accommodating cargo and/or passengers, wherein the cross-sectional profile is essentially formed by several, in particular four, circular arc sections, which have radii (R1, R2, R3) with centers (M1, M2, M3′, M3″) differing from one another, so that the cross-sectional profile is designed in such a way that cargo items with different size dimensions, in particular cargo containers with different height and width dimensions, can be accommodated in the upper deck and the lower deck.