Systems, methods, lift fans, and aircraft involving active flow control of a ducted fan or fan-in-wing configuration are described.

An aircraft is provided. The aircraft includes a ducted wing portion and a fan chamber. The fan chamber is attached to a bottom of the ducted wing portion. A fan assembly is provided in the fan chamber and is operative to blow air through the ducted wing portion. The ducted wing portion is configured to direct air blown by the fan assembly down to provide lift for the aircraft.

Disclosed is a take-off and landing station (1) for a flying vehicle (2) for transporting people and/or loads, which flying vehicle takes off and lands vertically and comprises a flight module (3), having a plurality of drive units (17) arranged on a supporting framework structure (16) of the flight module (3), and a transportation module (4), which can be coupled to the flight module (3). The take-off and landing station (1) comprises a holding apparatus (21) having a plurality of gripper elements and support elements (11) for supporting, fixing and/or orienting the supporting framework structure (16) during take-off and landing of the flying vehicle (2) or the flight module (3).

Disclosed is a take-off and landing station (1) for a flying vehicle (2) for transporting people and/or loads, which flying vehicle takes off and lands vertically and comprises a flight module (3), having a plurality of drive units (17) arranged on a supporting framework structure (16) of the flight module (3), and a transportation module (4), which can be coupled to the flight module (3). The take-off and landing station (1) comprises a holding apparatus (21) having a plurality of gripper elements and support elements (11) for supporting, fixing and/or orienting the supporting framework structure (16) during take-off and landing of the flying vehicle (2) or the flight module (3).

A removable passive airflow oscillation device can be disposed within a pressurized wing structure utilized as a plenum. The passive airflow oscillation device can be a removable insert disposed into exterior vehicle surfaces with pressurization of a sealed chamber to provide the airflow. The device can include a cavity configured to receive the airflow from an ingress opening, direct the airflow therethrough to generate a predetermined oscillating airflow, and expel the oscillatory airflow from the egress opening. The removable passive airflow oscillation devices can provide quick and simple replacement and maintenance of damaged or clogged devices. The aft chamber of the flap seal can be sealed and pressurized to serve as a plenum providing the airflow to the actuators. The device can receive airflow, such as compressor air, and expel an oscillating airflow. Because each device is self-contained the number of devices and location thereof can vary by application.

The fluid-dynamic structure comprises a fluid-dynamic exterior having a flow-augmented surface and a passive drag reduction system comprising a flow-repositioning duct having an inlet and an outlet that extend through the fluid-dynamic exterior. Under operative conditions, the passive drag reduction system is configured to direct a captured fluid stream into the inlet, through the flow-repositioning duct, and out of the outlet as a buffering fluid stream that flows along the flow-augmented surface. The inlet and the outlet are conformed and/or positioned such that, under the operative conditions, a total pressure at the inlet is greater than a total pressure at the outlet. The methods comprise flowing a bulk fluid stream across the fluid-dynamic exterior, establishing a pressure differential between the inlet and the outlet, and directing the captured fluid stream into the inlet and out of the outlet to flow along the flow-augmented surface as the buffering fluid stream.

A semi-active system for providing a required fluid flow, the system comprising an outlet configured to protrude into the main flow direction of an external fluid flow external to the semi-active system, an exhaust channel provided, in relation to the main flow direction of the external fluid flow, beneath the outlet, the exhaust channel being configured to inject an exhaust fluid flow into the external fluid flow, a device configured to produce a jet fluid flow and a pipe provided within the exhaust channel, the pipe being configured to fluid-communicatively couple to the device, and entrain, by the produced jet fluid flow, the exhaust fluid flow.

In order to suppress aeroelastic instabilities on a transonically operating aircraft comprising a pair of wing halves at which a transonic flow forms spatially limited supersonic flow regions that each, in a main flow direction of the flow, end in a compression shock, a boundary layer of the flow is temporarily thickened-up in at least one supersonic flow region at at least one of the two wing halves, when approaching a flight envelope of the aircraft with increasing flight Mach number of the aircraft. The boundary layer of the flow is thickened-up to such an extent that the compression shock at the end of the respective supersonic flow region at the present flight Mach number of the aircraft induces a separation of the boundary layer of the flow from the wing half.

Air acceleration at slot of aircraft wing. In one embodiment, a wing includes an air duct configured to transport air in a spanwise direction along a leading edge of the wing from an air supply source of the aircraft. The wing further includes a discharge duct configured to transport the air in an aft direction from the air duct to an aft end of the wing, and one or more nozzles disposed on the aft end of the wing and configured to accelerate air into a slot between the wing and a flap of the aircraft to increase lift and reduce drag for the wing.

An aircraft wing with a system for optimizing boundary layer control. The aircraft wing includes an enclosing structure, an inner cavity defined within the aircraft wing, and at least one bellows assembly disposed in the inner cavity. The bellows assembly is spaced apart from the inner surfaces of the enclosing structure so as to define a void between the bellows assembly and the inner surfaces. Boundary control inlets are defined in the enclosing structure and a wake-immersed propulsion exhaust duct disposed proximate the trailing edge of the wing.