An unmanned Wing In Ground Effect vessel (UWIG) for transporting the cargo with internal cargo hold contained in a seaworthy fuselage. The UWIG is autonomous or semi-autonomous. A pair of wings are attached to the fuselage. An on-board controller controls lift sufficient lift to travel in ground effect. The controller also controls UWIG surface maneuvering, taxiing and flying. The UWIG may be autonomous or semi-autonomous.

A wing includes: a main structural member; a leading-edge member formed of material with a coefficient of linear thermal expansion different from that of material of the main structural member; an eccentric bushing that has a circular through-hole and is shaped in a cylindrical shape; and a coupling member. The leading-edge member has a first hole prolonged in a specific direction. The main structural member has a second hole. The center axis of the eccentric bushing and the center axis of the through-hole are parallel to and offset from each other. The eccentric bushing is inserted to the first hole. The first coupling member is inserted to the through-hole and the second hole to couple the main structural member and the leading-edge member.

An aircraft that includes a canard having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a forward swept and fixed wing having a trailing edge, and a plurality of tilt rotor submodules. The plurality of tilt rotor submodules includes a first tilt rotor submodule where the leading edge of the canard contacts the first tilt rotor submodule at position that is within a range of 40% to 60%, inclusive, of the length of the first tilt rotor submodule where 0% corresponds to a forward tip of the first tilt rotor submodule and 100% corresponds to an aft tip of the first tilt rotor submodule. The trailing edge of the canard contacts the first tilt rotor submodule at position that is within a range of 55% to 80%, inclusive, of the length of the first tilt rotor submodule. The plurality of tilt rotor submodules also includes a second tilt rotor submodule that is coupled to the trailing edge of the forward swept and fixed wing.

An aircraft designed to provide sustained G forces, with a relatively high steady angle of attack maneuverability using less thrust by balancing thrust and drag to sustain a high turn rate with dual low thrust engines using novel wing and fuselage designs. The aircraft includes a wing oriented laterally relative to the fuselage, at least one horizontal tail surface extending laterally from the fuselage and positioned rearward of the fixed wing, and at least one vertical tail surface extending upward from the fuselage. The first and second engines are mounted to the fuselage at locations positioned vertically below the fixed wing.

An aircraft designed to provide sustained G forces, with a relatively high steady angle of attack maneuverability using less thrust by balancing thrust and drag to sustain a high turn rate with dual low thrust engines using novel wing and fuselage designs. The aircraft includes a wing oriented laterally relative to the fuselage, at least one horizontal tail surface extending laterally from the fuselage and positioned rearward of the fixed wing, and at least one vertical tail surface extending upward from the fuselage. The first and second engines are mounted to the fuselage at locations positioned vertically below the fixed wing.

A vertical landing and take-off aircraft VTOL transitions from a vertical takeoff state to a cruise state where the vertical takeoff state uses propellers to generate lift and the cruise state uses wings to generate lift. The aircraft has an M-wing configuration with propellers located on the wingtip nacelles, wing booms, and tail boom. The wing boom and/or the tail boom can include boom control effectors. Hinged control surfaces on the wings, tail boom, and tail tilt during takeoff and landing to yaw the vehicle. The boom control effectors, cruise propellers, stacked propellers, and control surfaces can have different positions during different modes of operation in order to control aircraft movement and mitigate noise generated by the aircraft.

A vertical landing and take-off aircraft VTOL transitions from a vertical takeoff state to a cruise state where the vertical takeoff state uses propellers to generate lift and the cruise state uses wings to generate lift. The aircraft has an M-wing configuration with propellers located on the wingtip nacelles, wing booms, and tail boom. The wing boom and/or the tail boom can include boom control effectors. Hinged control surfaces on the wings, tail boom, and tail tilt during takeoff and landing to yaw the vehicle. The boom control effectors, cruise propellers, stacked propellers, and control surfaces can have different positions during different modes of operation in order to control aircraft movement and mitigate noise generated by the aircraft.

An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a forward flight orientation. The aircraft has a blended wing body and includes first and second engines, a binary lift fan system, first and second forced air bypass systems and first and second exhaust systems. The engines have turboshaft and turbofan modes. The lift fan system includes ducted fans in a tandem longitudinal orientation. In the VTOL orientation of the aircraft, the engines are in the turboshaft mode coupled to the lift fan system such that the engines provide rotational energy to the ducted fans generating the thrust-borne lift. In the forward flight orientation of the aircraft, the engines are in the turbofan mode coupled to the forced air bypass systems such that the bypass air combines with the engine exhaust in the exhaust systems to provide forward thrust generating the wing-borne lift.

An aircraft defines a vertical direction and includes a fuselage and a propulsion system comprising a power source and a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans driven by the power source. A wing extends from the fuselage. The plurality of vertical thrust electric fans are arranged along a length of the wing along a lengthwise direction of the wing. The wing comprises a diffusion assembly along the lengthwise direction of the wing and includes a first diffusion member positioned downstream of at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans. The first diffusion member defines a curved shape relative to a longitudinal direction of the aircraft. The longitudinal direction is generally perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the wing.

An aircraft defines a vertical direction and includes a fuselage and a propulsion system comprising a power source and a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans driven by the power source. A wing extends from the fuselage. The plurality of vertical thrust electric fans are arranged along a length of the wing along a lengthwise direction of the wing. The wing comprises a diffusion assembly along the lengthwise direction of the wing and includes a first diffusion member positioned downstream of at least one of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans. The first diffusion member defines a curved shape relative to a longitudinal direction of the aircraft. The longitudinal direction is generally perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the wing.