B64C27/008

Method of balancing a main rotor hub
10538315 · 2020-01-21 · ·

A rotor system is provided including a rotor hub configured to rotate about an axis and a plurality of rotor blade assemblies mounted to the rotor hub and configured to rotate within a plane about the axis. A vibration reducing system is operably coupled to the rotor hub. The vibration reducing system is arranged at a position offset from a center of rotation of the rotor hub.

Virtual reality system with drone integration
10535195 · 2020-01-14 · ·

A virtual reality system includes a drone including a rotor, a display, an audio speaker, a body harness having adjustable straps, and one or more processors in operative communication with the display, the audio speaker, and the drone. The drone may be fixed to the body harness. The one or more processors may be configured to issue audio-visual content to the display and audio speaker and control the rotor based on the issued audio-visual content.

Rotorcraft footprint
10527123 · 2020-01-07 · ·

An aircraft includes an airframe having an extending tail and a longitudinal axis extending from a nose of the airframe defining a length of the airframe. A counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly is located at the airframe and includes an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. The upper rotor assembly and the lower rotor assembly rotate about an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation intersects the longitudinal axis forward of a midpoint of the longitudinal axis.

Multi-objective control system with control allocation
10526077 · 2020-01-07 · ·

A flight system for an aircraft and method for controlling a clearance between a first rotor disk and a second rotor disk of an aircraft is disclosed. The flight system includes a sensor for measuring an angle of deviation of at least one of a first rotor disk and a second rotor disk of the aircraft to indicate a clearance between the first rotor disk and the second rotor disk as well as sensors for measuring a flight condition of the aircraft. A control allocation module uses the measured angle of deviation and the flight condition of the aircraft to determine an allocation of control settings to axis-controlling devices of the aircraft to attain a selected pitch of the aircraft, wherein the allocation is based at least on the measured angle of deviation and the flight state of the aircraft.

Tracker and vibration analysis system having UV sensitivity
10526078 · 2020-01-07 · ·

Tracker systems are disclosed, the system mountable on a device having one or more rotary component, comprising: an optical tracker having circuitry that causes the optical tracker to receive and filter optical signals including UV, visible, and infrared wavelengths so as to be more sensitive to UV wavelengths than the visible and infrared wavelengths. The optical tracker having circuitry transmitting data indicative of a distance; and one or more computer processor that utilizes the optical tracker determined distance to determine track error of the one or more rotary component of the device, and transmits data indicative of the track error.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROXIMITY CONTROL BETWEEN ROTATING AND NON-ROTATING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS

The aircraft includes a rotor. The rotor includes a plurality of rotor blades. The aircraft further includes a non-rotating aircraft component. A proximity sensor is disposed with at least one of the non-rotating aircraft component and the rotor blades. A flight control computer is electrically coupled to the proximity sensor.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROXIMITY CONTROL BETWEEN ROTATING AND NON-ROTATING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS

The aircraft includes a rotor. The rotor includes a plurality of rotor blades. The aircraft further includes a non-rotating aircraft component. A proximity sensor is disposed with at least one of the non-rotating aircraft component and the rotor blades. A flight control computer is electrically coupled to the proximity sensor.

Insert for a blade of a rotary-wing aircraft

In an implementation, a rotor blade (alternatively referred to herein as blade) for a helicopter or other aircraft may include an outer layer. The outer layer may define a cavity. The outer layer may at least partially correspond to an airfoil, e.g., a wing. One or more inserts may be included within the cavity and be encompassed thereby. The first insert may have a density of at least 0.6 pounds per cubic inch.

BLADE MOMENT ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM
20190344882 · 2019-11-14 ·

An aircraft rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade rotatable about an axis of rotation and a weighted assembly mounted to the aircraft rotor blade. The weighted assembly includes an actuator which moves a mass to adjust a moment of the rotor blade assembly when the rotor blade is rotated about the axis of rotation.

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AN EMERGENCY DEVICE

The invention relates to a method for controlling an emergency device of a helicopter, said helicopter comprising a rotor suitable for being rotated, said emergency device being suitable for supplying additional emergency propulsion power to the helicopter, in said method comprising a step (10) of measuring the rotation speed of the helicopter rotor, a step (12) of calculating the drift of the measured rotation speed, a step (20) of continuously verifying conditions such that the speed of rotation of the rotor is higher than a predetermined value, referred to as arming speed, and the drift of the rotation speed is lower than a predetermined value, referred to as arming drift, and a step (22) of activating the emergency device if the verified conditions are validated.