A sensor for monitoring rotors includes a rotating shaft coupled to a set of rotor blades and a non-rotating tube at least partially disposed within the rotating shaft and coupled to the rotating shaft. The non-rotating tube includes a first end and a second end, a sensor mount disposed within the non-rotating tube proximate to the second end of the non-rotating tube. One or more sensors are attached to the sensor mount, wherein the one or more sensors detect one or more parameters associated with the rotating shaft or the set of rotor blades.

According to an aspect, a clevis assembly includes a shackle having two ends, each end respectively including an aperture, a structure connecting the apertures and housing a bearing, and a shearing device that includes a frangible point and is in operable communication with the bearing, where the shearing device is housed in a hollow portion of the structure.

An aerial vehicle may include adjustable shrouds to selectively provide protection for propellers of the aerial vehicle. The adjustable shrouds may be moved to an extended configuration around a periphery of one or more propellers during generally vertical flight or hovering operations, when delivery a payload, and/or upon detecting objects in proximity. Likewise, the adjustable shrouds may be moved to a retracted configuration that eliminates or minimizes adverse aerodynamic effects during generally horizontal flight operations, when operating at high altitude, and/or upon detecting no objects in proximity. The adjustable shrouds may include various designs, such as fan shrouds, telescoping shrouds, folding shrouds, and deployable arm shrouds.

A system and method for protecting a rotorcraft from entering a vortex ring state, the method including monitoring a vertical speed of a rotorcraft, comparing the vertical speed to a vertical speed safety threshold, and performing vortex ring state (VRS) avoidance in response to the vertical speed exceeding the vertical speed safety threshold. The performing the VRS avoidance includes determining a power margin available from one or more engines of the rotorcraft, limiting the vertical speed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin exceeding a threshold, and increasing a forward airspeed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin not exceeding the threshold.

A system and method for providing supplemental power includes: a motor-generator or a hydraulic pump-motor configured to attach to a transmission of an engine, a controller connected to the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor, and a battery system or a hydraulic accumulator coupled to the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor, respectively. During normal operation of the engine, the engine drives the transmission to rotate rotor blades connected to the transmission, and the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor draws an energy from the transmission and store the energy in the battery system or the hydraulic accumulator, respectively. Upon a manual and/or an automatic control by the controller, the battery system or the hydraulic accumulator discharges the energy to the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor, respectively, and the motor-generator or the hydraulic pump-motor provides the supplemental power to drive the transmission to rotate the rotor blades.

An aircraft is provided and includes an airframe, an extending tail, 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, at least one sensor and at least one inertial measurement unit (IMU) to sense current flight conditions of the aircraft, an interface to execute controls of a main rotor assembly in accordance with control commands and at least one flight control computer (FCC) to issue the control commands. The at least one FCC includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory having logic and executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed, cause the CPU to issue the control commands based on the current flight conditions and a result of an execution of the logic for the current flight conditions.

A safety rotor system for an aircraft including a flight rotor that is rotationally driven by a drive, the system including: a safety rotor that is rotationally driven during rotation of the flight rotor, the safety rotor including one or more safety members traversing a path outward of the flight rotor so that an object approaching the flight rotor through the path contacts one of the safety members before contacting the flight rotor, wherein the safety rotor decelerates when one of the safety members contacts an object; a sensor for detecting rotation of the safety rotor; and a controller configured to: determine, using the sensor, a deceleration of the safety rotor corresponding to one of the safety members contacting an object; and cause the rotation of the flight rotor to cease in response to detecting the deceleration of the safety rotor.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided. The UAV includes a first guard grill, a second guard grill configured to be removably combined with the first guard grill and form an external structure and an inner space of the UAV with the first guard grill, a housing configured to include a central portion located in the center of the inner space and embed a processor and a navigation system, one or more propelling elements configured to be located the inner space and be disposed around the central portion, and a plurality of motor assemblies configured to be located in the inner space and drive the propelling elements while being electrically connected with the processor. When viewed from the outside of the external structure, the propelling elements are partially covered by at least one of the first guard grill or the second guard grill.

Methods and systems are configured to store user data and control access to the user data, wherein the data is stored remotely from the user (such as external to a user's computing device) and the user's data is maintained anonymously. Content is stored in association with a user identifier and access by third parties is controlled by linked third party identifiers.

A rotor assembly includes a motor, a propeller, and a connection assembly. The motor includes a stator and a rotator rotatable with respect to the stator. The connection assembly includes a locking member provided between the propeller and the rotator. The locking member is configured to rotate with respect to the rotator and the propeller to lock the propeller to the motor.