A method of forming a thermal protection system for high speed aircraft is described. The method includes mechanically working an uncured ablator material into a first surface of a felt layer such that the ablator material penetrates a distance into a thickness of the felt layer thereby forming an region that has a mixture of felt and ablator material, adding additional uncured ablator material to the worked ablator material, and curing the combined ablator material.

A method of forming a thermal protection system for high speed aircraft is described. The method includes mechanically working an uncured ablator material into a first surface of a felt layer such that the ablator material penetrates a distance into a thickness of the felt layer thereby forming an region that has a mixture of felt and ablator material, adding additional uncured ablator material to the worked ablator material, and curing the combined ablator material.

An aero-contoured coating system is provided. The system has an aerodynamically functional coating having at least one or more color layers, one or more first clearcoat layers over the color layer(s) to obtain a pre-aero-contoured coating, the one or more first clearcoat layers configured for abrasion and aero-contouring to obtain an aero-contoured surface, and one or more additional clearcoat layers over the aero-contoured surface. The system further has a structure having a prepared and primed substrate surface with a primer layer. The system further has an aero-contouring device to abrade a plurality of flow surfaces on a pre-aero-contoured coated surface and to mechanically aero-contour a plurality of coating edges to reduce one or more coating edge peaks and coating edge angles of abutting coating edges between the one or more color layers. The system further has one or more masking elements for masking the one or more color layers.

An aero-contoured coating system is provided. The system has an aerodynamically functional coating having at least one or more color layers, one or more first clearcoat layers over the color layer(s) to obtain a pre-aero-contoured coating, the one or more first clearcoat layers configured for abrasion and aero-contouring to obtain an aero-contoured surface, and one or more additional clearcoat layers over the aero-contoured surface. The system further has a structure having a prepared and primed substrate surface with a primer layer. The system further has an aero-contouring device to abrade a plurality of flow surfaces on a pre-aero-contoured coated surface and to mechanically aero-contour a plurality of coating edges to reduce one or more coating edge peaks and coating edge angles of abutting coating edges between the one or more color layers. The system further has one or more masking elements for masking the one or more color layers.

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a body and a heat source disposed in the body. The heat source includes at least one of an electronic controller system and a motor. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a plurality of rotor blades. At least a portion of the body is constructed of crystalline carbon fibers.

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a body and a heat source disposed in the body. The heat source includes at least one of an electronic controller system and a motor. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a plurality of rotor blades. At least a portion of the body is constructed of crystalline carbon fibers.

There is provided a leading edge system for an aerospace vehicle. The leading edge system has at least one structural member. The leading edge system further has a plurality of removable modules removably attached to the at least one structural member. Each removable module has a hollow box substructure and at least one flange portion disposed along a first end of the hollow box substructure. The leading edge system further has a plurality of first attachment elements configured for attaching the at least one flange portion of the removable module to a first end portion of the at least one structural member. The leading edge system further has a plurality of second attachment elements configured for attaching a second end of the hollow box substructure opposite the flange portion, to a second end portion of the at least one structural member opposite the first end portion.

There is provided a leading edge system for an aerospace vehicle. The leading edge system has at least one structural member. The leading edge system further has a plurality of removable modules removably attached to the at least one structural member. Each removable module has a hollow box substructure and at least one flange portion disposed along a first end of the hollow box substructure. The leading edge system further has a plurality of first attachment elements configured for attaching the at least one flange portion of the removable module to a first end portion of the at least one structural member. The leading edge system further has a plurality of second attachment elements configured for attaching a second end of the hollow box substructure opposite the flange portion, to a second end portion of the at least one structural member opposite the first end portion.

A method of designing a hypersonic vehicle includes selecting a shock shape; tracing a leading edge along the shock shape; selecting a base plane defining endpoints of the leading edge and rearwardly displaced from a front of the leading edge; and tracing stream surfaces back from the leading edge along the shock to the base plane in order to define an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper and lower surfaces and base plane enclose a volume representing internal volume of the hypersonic vehicle. The lower stream surface is controllably morphable.

A multilayer construction for aerodynamic riblets includes a first layer composed of a material with protuberances, the first layer material exhibiting a first characteristic having long-term durability and a second layer composed of a material, exhibiting a second characteristic with capability for adherence to a surface.