Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for enhanced responsiveness in responding to an emergency situation using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Drones are fully autonomous in that they are operated without human intervention from a pilot, an operator, or other personnel. The disclosed drone utilizes movable access doors to provide the capability of vertically takeoff and landing. The drone also includes an emergency recovery system including a mechanism to deploy a parachute in an event of a failure of the on-board autopilot. Also disclosed herein is a drone port that provides an IR-based docking mechanism for precision landing of the drone, with a very low margin of error. Additionally, the drone port includes pads that provide automatic charge to the drone's batteries by contact-based charging via the drone's landing gear legs.

Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for enhanced responsiveness in responding to an emergency situation using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Drones are fully autonomous in that they are operated without human intervention from a pilot, an operator, or other personnel. The disclosed drone utilizes movable access doors to provide the capability of vertically takeoff and landing. The drone also includes an emergency recovery system including a mechanism to deploy a parachute in an event of a failure of the on-board autopilot. Also disclosed herein is a drone port that provides an IR-based docking mechanism for precision landing of the drone, with a very low margin of error. Additionally, the drone port includes pads that provide automatic charge to the drone's batteries by contact-based charging via the drone's landing gear legs.

A landing assembly and method of landing an aircraft. The landing assembly includes a landing gear, a charging circuit, a sampling circuit and a processor. The charging circuit applies a charge to the landing gear and the sampling circuit measures a discharge rate of the electrical charge from the landing gear. The processor determines a contact between the landing gear and a surface from the discharge rate.

An aircraft includes a wing and a rotor pod mounted to the wing. The rotor pod includes a body having a forward end and an aft end. A propeller is mounted to the body of the rotor pod at the forward end. A control surface is mounted to the body of the rotor pod between the forward and aft ends and extends outwardly from the body. The control surface is displaceable relative to the body between a first control configuration and a second control configuration to control an attitude of the aircraft. The control surface in the first control configuration is closer to the propeller than the control surface in the second control configuration.

Systems, methods, and aircraft for managing center of gravity (CG) while transporting large cargo are described. Management of CG is achieved in many ways. In some instances, the aircraft itself is designed to assist in managing CG by providing fuel tanks that minimize the impact of fuel on the net CG of the aircraft. The fuel tanks utilize only a small amount of available volume in the wings for fuel. Disclosures related to properly managing CG while loading wind turbines onto cargo aircraft are also provided. The CG management techniques provided for herein allow for the transportation of wind turbine blades via aircraft, running counter to the typical rail or truck transportation of the same. One such management technique includes accounting for how a rotation of the blades when loading impacts the CG of the blades, and thus taking this into account when placing the blades in the aircraft.

A docking system for drones and a method for operating the same include: a seat part configured to land a drone thereon; a wire provided on the seat part and configured to allow the landing drone to be hung on the wire so that the drone may land on the seat part; and tension adjusters configured to adjust tension of the wire so as to allow the drone to land at a target position of the seat part when the drone is hung on the wire.

A docking system for drones and a method for operating the same include: a seat part configured to land a drone thereon; a wire provided on the seat part and configured to allow the landing drone to be hung on the wire so that the drone may land on the seat part; and tension adjusters configured to adjust tension of the wire so as to allow the drone to land at a target position of the seat part when the drone is hung on the wire.

Various implementations directed to composite skid member with varying cross-sections are provided. In one implementation, an aircraft landing gear assembly may include two composite skid members configured to contact the ground, where each composite skid member includes a first cross-section and a second cross-section, and where the first cross-section is different than the second cross-section. The aircraft landing gear assembly may also include two cross members configured to couple to a fuselage of an aircraft and configured to interconnect the two composite skid members.

Various implementations directed to composite skid member with varying cross-sections are provided. In one implementation, an aircraft landing gear assembly may include two composite skid members configured to contact the ground, where each composite skid member includes a first cross-section and a second cross-section, and where the first cross-section is different than the second cross-section. The aircraft landing gear assembly may also include two cross members configured to couple to a fuselage of an aircraft and configured to interconnect the two composite skid members.

Systems and methods for loading a cargo aircraft are described. The system includes at least one rail disposed in an interior cargo bay of a cargo aircraft that extends at an angle relative to an interior bottom contact surface of a forward portion of the interior cargo bay, through a kinked portion and an aft portion of the interior cargo bay. Payload-receiving fixtures are described that can be used in conjunction with the rail system, allowing for large cargo, such as wind turbine blades, to be transported by aircraft. Methods of loading a cargo aircraft can include advancing the large payload into the interior cargo bay of the aircraft such that at least one of the payload-receiving fixtures rises relative to a plane defined by the interior bottom contact surface of the forward portion of the interior cargo bay. Various systems, methods, components, and related tooling are also provided.