An in-flight impact protection system for aircraft. An aircraft having a panel, with a sensor disposed on the aircraft and adapted to transmit a signal and receive a reflection of the signal. A controller coupled to the sensor and adapted to receive the reflection from the sensor to determine whether an object is near the aircraft's panel. An inflation device, which includes a tube member, is coupled to the controller and positioned inside the aircraft, proximate the panel. After determining that the object is near the panel, the controller can activate the inflation device so that the tube member inflates, thereby buttressing at least a portion of the panel. The panel can be a windshield, fuselage member, or other suitable component.

An in-flight impact protection system for aircraft. An aircraft having a panel, with a sensor disposed on the aircraft and adapted to transmit a signal and receive a reflection of the signal. A controller coupled to the sensor and adapted to receive the reflection from the sensor to determine whether an object is near the aircraft's panel. An inflation device, which includes a tube member, is coupled to the controller and positioned inside the aircraft, proximate the panel. After determining that the object is near the panel, the controller can activate the inflation device so that the tube member inflates, thereby buttressing at least a portion of the panel. The panel can be a windshield, fuselage member, or other suitable component.

A vehicle is provided including a structure including a skin defining an outside surface exposed to ambient cooling flow and an inside surface. The structure includes a first structural member extending from the inside surface of the skin and a second structural member extending from the inside surface of the skin; and a thermal management system including a heat exchanger assembly positioned adjacent to, and in thermal communication with, the inside surface of the skin, the heat exchanger assembly positioned at least partially between the first and second structural members of the structure.

A vehicle is provided including a structure including a skin defining an outside surface exposed to ambient cooling flow and an inside surface. The structure includes a first structural member extending from the inside surface of the skin and a second structural member extending from the inside surface of the skin; and a thermal management system including a heat exchanger assembly positioned adjacent to, and in thermal communication with, the inside surface of the skin, the heat exchanger assembly positioned at least partially between the first and second structural members of the structure.

Systems and methods include providing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with a cargo pod having a selectively inflatable bladder system that firmly secures a payload disposed within the cargo pod when the bladder system is pressurized. The bladder system also controls the location, position, and/or orientation of the payload in order to adjust, control, and/or maintain the center of gravity of the aircraft during flight. The aircraft includes an impact protection system that further pressurizes the bladder system to protect the payload and/or that disperses a flame-retardant fluid into the cargo pod to protect electrical components of the aircraft. The aircraft is fully autonomous and self-directed via a preprogrammed location-based guidance system to allow for accurate delivery of the payload to its intended destination. The bladder system is depressurized in response to a landing event to allow for e f the payload from the cargo pod.

Systems and methods include providing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with a cargo pod having a selectively inflatable bladder system that firmly secures a payload disposed within the cargo pod when the bladder system is pressurized. The bladder system also controls the location, position, and/or orientation of the payload in order to adjust, control, and/or maintain the center of gravity of the aircraft during flight. The aircraft includes an impact protection system that further pressurizes the bladder system to protect the payload and/or that disperses a flame-retardant fluid into the cargo pod to protect electrical components of the aircraft. The aircraft is fully autonomous and self-directed via a preprogrammed location-based guidance system to allow for accurate delivery of the payload to its intended destination. The bladder system is depressurized in response to a landing event to allow for e f the payload from the cargo pod.

In one embodiment, a drone is provided with several inflatable tubes that each connect a propeller component to a body of the drone. In order to increase the handling of the drone, a patch is placed on the top surface of each inflatable tube that includes some number of shape memory alloy wires. The shape memory alloy wires shrink and become rigid when an electric current is applied to them. The optimal locations on each tube to place the patches, and the shape of the patches, is determined using a topology optimization. Later, the wires in the patches can be selectively activated or deactivated by an operating entity to provide an additional means to control the drone. Additionally, the drone is equipped with several landing arms which may include a shape memory alloy torsion coil spring to help the arm deployment during landing.

Systems and methods include providing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with a cargo pod having a selectively inflatable bladder system that firmly secures a payload disposed within the cargo pod when the bladder system is pressurized. The bladder system also controls the location, position, and/or orientation of the payload in order to adjust, control, and/or maintain the center of gravity of the aircraft during flight. The aircraft includes an impact protection system that further pressurizes the bladder system to protect the payload and/or that disperses a flame-retardant fluid into the cargo pod to protect electrical components of the aircraft. The aircraft is fully autonomous and self-directed via a preprogrammed location-based guidance system to allow for accurate delivery of the payload to its intended destination. The bladder system is depressurized in response to a landing event to allow for e f the payload from the cargo pod.

An aircraft with an umbrella structure is provided, which includes a main body, a base and a plurality of umbrella arms. The base is disposed on the main body. One end of each umbrella arm is installed on the base, and each umbrella arm includes an arm body, where the both sides of the arm body are provided with a first fixation element and a second fixation element respectively, and an umbrella cloth connected to the second fixation element is disposed inside the arm body. The umbrella arms are able to spread out to form a radiating arrangement, and the second fixation element of each umbrella arm is fixed on the first fixation element of the adjacent umbrella arm at one side thereof to pull out the umbrella cloth disposed therein, such that the umbrella arms can form the umbrella structure.

An aircraft with an umbrella structure is provided, which includes a main body, a base and a plurality of umbrella arms. The base is disposed on the main body. One end of each umbrella arm is installed on the base, and each umbrella arm includes an arm body, where the both sides of the arm body are provided with a first fixation element and a second fixation element respectively, and an umbrella cloth connected to the second fixation element is disposed inside the arm body. The umbrella arms are able to spread out to form a radiating arrangement, and the second fixation element of each umbrella arm is fixed on the first fixation element of the adjacent umbrella arm at one side thereof to pull out the umbrella cloth disposed therein, such that the umbrella arms can form the umbrella structure.