An unmanned aerial vehicle for vertical take-off and landing is disclosed. Cylinders installed along its perimeter are rotatable. The body has inlets leading to the gas intake and supply area, where centrifugal impellers are installed at the top and bottom to create a forced gas flow. At the outlet from the gas intake and supply area, and along the perimeter, independent flow channels extend into a tunnel, which narrows at the outlet. The forced air created by rotation of the impellers passes through cells of the flow channels, which allows one continuous flow to split into several smaller ones and evenly distributes the air supply along the cylinders' length. The flows pass through the tunnel and reaches the cylinders. The forced air that flows to the rotating cylinders produces the Magnus effect on each cylinder. The torque of the upper impeller is compensated by the torque of the lower impeller.

An unmanned aerial vehicle for vertical take-off and landing is disclosed. Cylinders installed along its perimeter are rotatable. The body has inlets leading to the gas intake and supply area, where centrifugal impellers are installed at the top and bottom to create a forced gas flow. At the outlet from the gas intake and supply area, and along the perimeter, independent flow channels extend into a tunnel, which narrows at the outlet. The forced air created by rotation of the impellers passes through cells of the flow channels, which allows one continuous flow to split into several smaller ones and evenly distributes the air supply along the cylinders' length. The flows pass through the tunnel and reaches the cylinders. The forced air that flows to the rotating cylinders produces the Magnus effect on each cylinder. The torque of the upper impeller is compensated by the torque of the lower impeller.

An ionic propulsion system for an aircraft having an airfoil includes a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor and the second conductor being disposed at least partially within the airfoil when not in use. The propulsion system includes an actuator for extending the first conductor and the second conductor from an end of the airfoil such that the first conductor and the second conductor are in the airstream of the aircraft, the first conductor being upstream of the second conductor in the airstream. The propulsion system includes a power supply for supplying current to the first conductor and the second conductor to ionize the air particles in the vicinity of the first conductor and the end of the airfoil to create a flow of the ionized particles from the first conductor toward the second conductor.

An ionic propulsion system for an aircraft having an airfoil includes a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor and the second conductor being disposed at least partially within the airfoil when not in use. The propulsion system includes an actuator for extending the first conductor and the second conductor from an end of the airfoil such that the first conductor and the second conductor are in the airstream of the aircraft, the first conductor being upstream of the second conductor in the airstream. The propulsion system includes a power supply for supplying current to the first conductor and the second conductor to ionize the air particles in the vicinity of the first conductor and the end of the airfoil to create a flow of the ionized particles from the first conductor toward the second conductor.

A system takes advantage of the Magnus effect to increase the efficiency of a moving structure by increasing the forces generated by a fluid moving relative to the structure, e.g., to improve lift, drag, etc. The system includes a structure having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. An object coupled to the structure, e.g., a cylinder, is exposed to a fluid such as air. The object is journaled for rotation relative to the structure so as to disrupt the fluid around the object. A drive source causes the object to rotate relative to the structure so as to cause a select one of an upward lift, or a downward drag.

A system takes advantage of the Magnus effect to increase the efficiency of a moving structure by increasing the forces generated by a fluid moving relative to the structure, e.g., to improve lift, drag, etc. The system includes a structure having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. An object coupled to the structure, e.g., a cylinder, is exposed to a fluid such as air. The object is journaled for rotation relative to the structure so as to disrupt the fluid around the object. A drive source causes the object to rotate relative to the structure so as to cause a select one of an upward lift, or a downward drag.