A battery powered helicopter uses one or more torque arms as the power source directly driving the main rotor blades, causing them to rotate. The helicopter does not require a combustion engine, a clutch, a reducer, a tail driver, a tail boom, a tail rotor, or a fuel supply system. The output shaft of the high-energy motor is coaxial with the main rotor shaft. The centrifugal force of one or more motor(s) is negligible or minimized. The torque arm assembly includes a plurality of torque arms. Each of the torque arms of the plurality of torque arms includes a propeller and a driving system. The torque arm propellers are hinged so that they can move between a first closed position and a second open position to institute an autorotation safety system.

A battery powered helicopter uses one or more torque arms as the power source directly driving the main rotor blades, causing them to rotate. The helicopter does not require a combustion engine, a clutch, a reducer, a tail driver, a tail boom, a tail rotor, or a fuel supply system. The output shaft of the high-energy motor is coaxial with the main rotor shaft. The centrifugal force of one or more motor(s) is negligible or minimized. The torque arm assembly includes a plurality of torque arms. Each of the torque arms of the plurality of torque arms includes a propeller and a driving system. The torque arm propellers are hinged so that they can move between a first closed position and a second open position to institute an autorotation safety system.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus including a first central base attached to a second central base, connected by a bridge, with a space defined between the two central bases. The first central base and the second central base are each attached to a plurality of wheels extending into the space between the two central bases, with the plurality of wheels configured to translate the apparatus along a rotorcraft blade. The first central base and/or the second central base include a recess configured to receive a connection arm attached to a non-destructive scanning device. The apparatus is able to be used for ultrasonic, radiographic, eddy current, thermographic, acoustic, or visual non-destructive testing.

An emergency collective actuator includes an actuator motor to produce an actuation force and an actuator linkage that directly engages a friction control lever that is pivotally supported on the collective stick of a helicopter to apply the actuation force directly to the friction control lever such that the actuation force initially disengages the friction control and then reduces the adjustable pitch toward a minimum collective pitch position. The actuator can include a clutch that slips to allow the pilot to overcome the actuation force and that slips responsive to an engagement of the friction control by the pilot, but otherwise the clutch co-rotates with the motor shaft to bias the adjustable pitch toward a minimum collective pitch position.

An aircraft is provided including an airframe, an extending tail, and a counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly including an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. A translational thrust system positioned at the extending tail, the translational thrust system providing translational thrust to the airframe. A cockpit in the airframe, the cockpit including two seats and a single collective control input positioned between the two seats.

A system for measuring the distance of an obstacle, in which an optical flow is measured radially while rotating along a circle in a plane intersecting the obstacle; and the distance of the obstacle is determined according to the amplitude of the optical flow, the radius of the circle, and the speed of rotation.

A vertical landing vehicle including an airframe forming a hull and having at least one wing coupled to the airframe, at least one proximity sensor coupled to the airframe, and a flight control system including a control processor and an operator interface, wherein the at least one proximity sensor is coupled to the control processor, wherein the control processor, based on signals from the at least one proximity sensor, is configured to generate, for presentation through the operator interface, situational awareness indications corresponding to portions of the hull sensed by the at least one proximity sensor and obstacles sensed by the at least one proximity sensor, and wherein the situational awareness indications comprise a terrain map overlay including positional relationships between the hull and the obstacles.

A failure detection system (FDS) for a gearbox has a power source disposed within the gearbox, a camera element disposed within the gearbox, a processor disposed within the gearbox.

A method of operating a rotorcraft includes receiving multiple first height data signals from multiple first height sensors on the rotorcraft, wherein the first height sensors measure height using a first technique, receiving multiple second height data signals from multiple second height sensors on the rotorcraft, wherein the second height sensors measure height using a second technique that is different than the first technique, determining a first height signal from the multiple first height data signals based on a selection scheme, determining a second height signal from the multiple second height data signals, selecting the first height signal or the second height signal to determine a selected height signal, and generating a flight control signal and controlling operation of the rotorcraft according to the flight control signal, the flight control signal based on the selected height signal.

A flying device includes a propulsion unit, a restrictor and a releaser. The propulsion unit flies the flying device in air. The restrictor restricts the propulsion unit in an open state from rotating more than a predetermined angle during flight of the flying device, the propulsion unit in the open state being rotated from a closed state by the predetermined angle. The releaser releases a restriction by the restrictor.