In an embodiment, a ducted fan assembly includes a housing that further includes a rotor. The ducted fan assembly also includes a plurality of stators that extend outward from the housing. The ducted fan assembly also includes a control vane pivotally attached to at least one of the plurality of stators. The ducted fan assembly also includes a rim that extends around at least a portion of a perimeter of the ducted fan assembly and is supported by the plurality of stators and the control vane, where the rim defines an opening surrounding at least a portion of the housing.

The present invention relates to the propulsion system and aircraft with vertical take-off and landing—VTOL that uses aerodynamic phenomena of thrust amplification, including at zero speed, to reduce the thrust/weight ratio. According to the invention, an individual aircraft 1, with vertical take-off and landing, uses a fuselage 2 in the form of a frame 3 that merges two propulsion system, 4 and 5 one in the front and the other in the rear, of the bi-planar type, located at the ends of the fuselage 2. The propulsion system 4 uses two wings 6 and 7, which are superimposed, parallel and distanced by a certain distance D. The rear wing 7 is fixed perpendicularly to the frame 3 in its median area, so that an angle α between 25° and 80° is formed with the horizontal plane in static position. The front wing 6 and the rear wing 7 are secured at their ends by two jet limiters 8. Similarly the rear propulsion system 5 uses two wings 8 and 10. On each rear wing 7 and 10 are installed a number of electric motors 11, preferably located at equal distances from each other. Each electric motor 11 actuates a tractor propeller 12.

Embodiments described herein relate to a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, specifically an electric or hybrid electric aircraft having a plurality of ducted fans. The aircraft includes a plurality of axially oriented fans, laterally oriented fans, forward air intakes, side exit ports, rear exhaust ports, plenum air chamber and annular inlet. The aircraft achieves flight by capturing air in the intakes and diverting the air through the axially oriented fans or the laterally oriented fans through the channels selectively.

Various examples are provided related to flight duration enhancement for rotorcraft and multicopters. In one example, a rotorcraft or multicopter includes one or more rotors, and one or more nozzles positioned in relationship to at least one corresponding rotor. The one or more nozzles can modulate, reshape, redirect, or adjust downwash produced by the corresponding rotor. The one or more nozzles can dynamically modulate, reshape, redirect, or adjust the downwash below the rotorcraft or multicopter. The one or more nozzles can be morphed or reshaped to dynamically modulate, reshape, redirect, or adjust the downwash using, e.g., a stochastic optimization framework and/or a motif-based auto-controller.

Methods for performing maintenance operations using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The methods are enabled by equipping a UAV with a maintenance tool capable of performing a desired maintenance operation (e.g., nondestructive inspection) on a limited-access surface of a large structure or object (e.g., a wind turbine blade). The UAV uses re-orientation of lifting means (e.g., vertical rotors) to move the maintenance tool continuously or intermittently across the surface of the structure while maintaining contact with the surface of the structure undergoing maintenance.

Methods for performing maintenance operations using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The methods are enabled by equipping a UAV with a maintenance tool capable of performing a desired maintenance operation (e.g., nondestructive inspection) on a limited-access surface of a large structure or object (e.g., a wind turbine blade). The UAV uses re-orientation of lifting means (e.g., vertical rotors) to move the maintenance tool continuously or intermittently across the surface of the structure while maintaining contact with the surface of the structure undergoing maintenance.

Systems and methods relate to a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platform that can include a stator and a rotor magnetically levitated by the stator. The rotor and stator can be annular, such that the rotor rotates about a rotational axis. The stator can include magnets that provide guidance, levitation, and drive forces to drive the rotor, as well as to control operation of rotor blades of the rotor that can be independently rotated to specific pitch angles to control at least one of lift, pitch, roll, or yaw of the VTOL platform. Various controllers can be used to enable independent and redundant control of components of the VTOL platform.

Systems and methods relate to a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platform that can include a stator and a rotor magnetically levitated by the stator. The rotor and stator can be annular, such that the rotor rotates about a rotational axis. The stator can include magnets that provide guidance, levitation, and drive forces to drive the rotor, as well as to control operation of rotor blades of the rotor that can be independently rotated to specific pitch angles to control at least one of lift, pitch, roll, or yaw of the VTOL platform. Various controllers can be used to enable independent and redundant control of components of the VTOL platform.

An aeronautical vehicle that rights itself from an inverted state to an upright state has a self-righting frame assembly has a protrusion extending upwardly from a central vertical axis. The protrusion provides an initial instability to begin a self-righting process when the aeronautical vehicle is inverted on a surface. A propulsion system, such as rotor driven by a motor can be mounted in a central void of the self-righting frame assembly and oriented to provide a lifting force. A power supply is mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame assembly and operationally connected to the at least one rotor for rotatably powering the rotor. An electronics assembly is also mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame for receiving remote control commands and is communicatively interconnected to the power supply for remotely controlling the aeronautical vehicle to take off, to fly, and to land on a surface.

An aeronautical vehicle that rights itself from an inverted state to an upright state has a self-righting frame assembly has a protrusion extending upwardly from a central vertical axis. The protrusion provides an initial instability to begin a self-righting process when the aeronautical vehicle is inverted on a surface. A propulsion system, such as rotor driven by a motor can be mounted in a central void of the self-righting frame assembly and oriented to provide a lifting force. A power supply is mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame assembly and operationally connected to the at least one rotor for rotatably powering the rotor. An electronics assembly is also mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame for receiving remote control commands and is communicatively interconnected to the power supply for remotely controlling the aeronautical vehicle to take off, to fly, and to land on a surface.