An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a fuselage assembly, a further portion that attaches with the fuselage assembly, and a propulsion assembly coupled with the further portion. The propulsion assembly is constructed and arranged to provide propulsion for the UAV. The fuselage assembly includes a fuselage body constructed and arranged to operate as a forward portion of the UAV, lateral stringers coupled with the fuselage body and extending laterally along the fuselage body, and a set of interchangeable covers to cover at least a portion of a payload bay opening defined by the fuselage body. Utilizing such a fuselage assembly offers a highly configurable mounting architecture to accommodate a wide variety of payloads.

The invention relates to an opening system (10) for an auxiliary door (20) of an airplane in a fuselage (30), the door and the fuselage having skins in the extension of one another. In one exemplary embodiment, the system (10) includes a framing lintel (11) integrated into the fuselage, an upper beam (2S) of the door structure arranged opposite the lintel (11), and a set of three lever links (4A, 4B, 4C). Each link is connected, on the one hand, to the lintel (11) by a lever articulation (5a, 6a) fixed relative to the fuselage (30) and, on the other hand, to the upper beam (2S) by a lever articulation (5b, 6b) mobile with the door (20), the articulations (5a, 5b; 6a, 6b) being connected respectively to the lintel (11) and to the upper beam (2S) by fittings (41, 43; 42, 44). The set of links includes two types of link mounted alternately, in which the mobile articulation (5b, 6b) remains positioned respectively close to the fuselage skin (30) and further from this skin (30), the articulations (5a, 5b; 6a, 6b) of two adjacent levers (4A, 4B; 4B, 4C) forming an evolving quadrilateral.

Systems, methods, and vehicles for loading and unloading cargo from a long-distance transport vehicle, such as an aircraft, are described. The systems and methods include operating a plurality of vehicles to unload large cargo from the aircraft and transporting the large cargo to an installation site. In some instances, the vehicles hold the payload the entire time, including while loading aircraft, during flight, unloading the aircraft, and moving the payload to the installation site. Alternatively, the vehicles can drive on the plane to load the payload to a designated area, and equivalent vehicles can drive on the plane after the payload has been flown to unload the payload and moving the payload to the installation site. Various vehicles and systems, and components thereof, along with methods of operating the same, are also provided.

A load carrier for an aircraft cargo hold includes a bottom element with a support surface, the load carrier being movable over a floor surface in a floor plane while the support surface faces the floor surface, the bottom element having a base surface. The support surface has rolling elements rotatable about a rotation axis oriented where a parallel to the axis runs parallel to the floor plane, and the rolling elements being retained on the bottom element where the rotation axis of each of the rolling elements can be rotated about a vertical axis running perpendicularly to the floor plane. A load carrier can include a bottom element, the support surface of which has outlet openings, through which air can exit from the support surface to form an air cushion under the support surface. A load carrier can include a bottom element the support surface of which has slider elements.

The disclosure provides a method of controlling the yaw of a fixed-wing UAV, with two propulsion propellers arranged parallel to each other and providing thrust for the UAV; A plurality of motors configured to drive the two propulsion propellers, wherein the thrust ratio provided by the two propulsion propellers is changed to generate asymmetric thrust which controls the active yaw of the UAV. The fixed-wing UAV provided by the disclosure improves the reliability of the thrust system and active yaw.

A cargo aircraft is disclosed, and may include a fuselage defining a longitudinally-extending cargo compartment and including: an elongate cylindrical portion, longitudinally-opposed forward and rearward ends, and laterally-opposed first and second sides, and a forward portion engaged with the forward end of the cylindrical portion, the fuselage defining a continuous cargo opening to the cargo compartment along the first side, the cargo opening having a first portion extending along the cylindrical portion to a rearward edge and a second portion extending along the forward portion to a forward edge, wherein an increased distance of the forward edge from the forward end of the cylindrical portion allows an elongate cargo item to be obliquely inserted lengthwise through the cargo opening from the forward edge at a decreased acute loading angle between the elongate cargo item and the lateral centerline.

A cargo aircraft is disclosed, and may include a fuselage defining a longitudinally-extending cargo compartment and including: an elongate cylindrical portion, longitudinally-opposed forward and rearward ends, and laterally-opposed first and second sides, and a forward portion engaged with the forward end of the cylindrical portion, the fuselage defining a continuous cargo opening to the cargo compartment along the first side, the cargo opening having a first portion extending along the cylindrical portion to a rearward edge and a second portion extending along the forward portion to a forward edge, wherein an increased distance of the forward edge from the forward end of the cylindrical portion allows an elongate cargo item to be obliquely inserted lengthwise through the cargo opening from the forward edge at a decreased acute loading angle between the elongate cargo item and the lateral centerline.

An expandable cargo storage for a transportation means, comprising a first storage wall and a second storage wall opposite of the first storage wall, and a plurality of foldable walls arranged between the first and the second storage wall, each of the plurality of foldable walls being foldable between a first position in which the respective foldable wall is arranged essentially in parallel with the second storage wall, and a second position in which the foldable wall is arranged essentially perpendicularly to the second storage wall, wherein, when each of the foldable walls is arranged in its first position, the cargo storage is in a first operational state enclosing a first volume, and when each of the foldable walls is in its second position, the cargo storage is in a second operational state enclosing a second volume which is larger than the first volume.

An external load mass rope for attachment to a cargo hook device of a rotorcraft that comprises at least one first cargo hook and at least one second cargo hook, the external load mass rope comprising at least one first rope leg and at least one second rope leg, wherein the at least one first rope leg is adapted for attachment to the at least one first cargo hook and the at least one second rope leg is adapted for attachment to the at least one second cargo hook, characterized in that at least one of the first and second rope legs comprises an associated length adjustment unit that is adapted to shorten or lengthen the at least one of the first and second rope legs in operation on the basis of associated operating parameters.

An external load mass rope for attachment to a cargo hook device of a rotorcraft that comprises at least one first cargo hook and at least one second cargo hook, the external load mass rope comprising at least one first rope leg and at least one second rope leg, wherein the at least one first rope leg is adapted for attachment to the at least one first cargo hook and the at least one second rope leg is adapted for attachment to the at least one second cargo hook, characterized in that at least one of the first and second rope legs comprises an associated length adjustment unit that is adapted to shorten or lengthen the at least one of the first and second rope legs in operation on the basis of associated operating parameters.