Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft can provide opportunities to incorporate aerial transportation into transportation networks for cities and metropolitan areas. However, VTOL aircraft may be noisy. To accommodate this, the aircraft may utilize onboard sensors, offboard sensing, network, and predictive temporal data for noise signature mitigation. By building a composite understanding of real data offboard the aircraft, the aircraft can make adjustments to the way it is flying and verify this against a predicted noise signature (via computational methods) to reduce environmental impact. This might be realized via a change in translative speed, propeller speed, or choices in propulsor usage (e.g., a quiet propulsor vs. a high thrust, noisier propulsor). These noise mitigation actions may also be decided at the network level rather than the vehicle level to balance concerns across a city and relieve computing constraints on the aircraft.

A multirotor aircraft 10 that is adapted for vertical take-off and landing, comprising a fuselage, a thrust producing units assembly that is provided for producing thrust in operation, and a forward-swept wing that comprises a portside half wing and a starboard side half wing. Each one of the portside and starboard side half wings comprises an inboard section that is connected to the fuselage and an outboard section that forms a wing tip. The inboard sections of the portside and starboard side half wings form a central wing region. The portside and starboard side half wings are respectively connected in the region of their wing tips to an associated outboard wing pod that supports at least two non-tiltably mounted thrust producing units of the thrust producing units assembly.

A method and a device for assisting the piloting of a propeller rotorcraft having a rotary wing and at least one propeller. The piloting assistance device comprises a computer configured to display the following on a display: (i) a first scale representing a power consumed by the at least one propeller and carrying a minimum power mark and a maximum power mark, (ii) a second scale graduated in forward speed of the propeller rotorcraft, (iii) an index comprising a power section representing a current power consumed by the at least one propeller, the index comprising a speed section indicating a current forward speed on the second scale.

A method of facilitating the piloting of a hybrid rotorcraft that comprises a lift rotor and at least one propulsion rotor together with at least one engine operating in compliance with at least one rating. For at least one rating, onboard calculator determines a first power margin of the power plant that is available for the lift rotor and at least one second power margin that is available for said at least one propulsion rotor. A single indicator displays a line together with a first index pointing to said line to illustrate a current operating point of the lift rotor, and a second index pointing to said line to illustrate a current operating point of said at least one propulsion rotor. For each monitored rating, a first symbol is spaced apart from the first index by a first distance illustrating the first power margin. A second symbol is spaced apart from the second index by a second distance illustrating the second power margin.

A high-speed vertical take-off and landing aircraft has a lifting structure, a first rotor with a first and second blade, a second rotor with a first and second blade, an auxiliary propulsion unit for providing forward thrust, and a control system for controlling the pitch of each of the rotor blades. The aircraft has a first, rotor-only, flight mode for hovering and low speed maneuvering. It also has a second flight mode where the rotors are held in at fixed azimuth angles and forward thrust is provided by the auxiliary propulsion unit. Three axis control is provided during the second flight mode by adjusting the attack angles of the fixed rotor blades. Between these two flight modes, there is an intermediate flight mode covering a fully controlled transition between the first two flight modes.

A flight control handle suitable for being operated by a pilot, the flight control handle including a stick-forming grip carrying an end box that is provided with a hollow shell provided with a top face, at least one control projecting towards an external environment of the top face. The flight control handle has a controllable member suitable for being actuated by a person, the end box including at least one electronic wall incorporating an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit including at least one sensor that co-operates with the controllable member.

A flight control handle suitable for being operated by a pilot, the flight control handle including a stick-forming grip carrying an end box that is provided with a hollow shell provided with a top face, at least one control projecting towards an external environment of the top face. The flight control handle has a controllable member suitable for being actuated by a person, the end box including at least one electronic wall incorporating an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit including at least one sensor that co-operates with the controllable member.

An aircraft is described comprising a transmission unit with a first module and a lubrication system; the first module comprises a casing and a movable member; the lubrication system comprises a header, a nozzle fed with the lubricating fluid and designed to feed the lubricating fluid inside the casing of the first module, a collection tank for the lubricating fluid injected by the nozzle, and recirculation means designed to cause the recirculation of the lubricating fluid from the collection tank to the feed header; the first module comprises a valve available in a first configuration, in which it enables the outflow of said lubricating fluid from said module to the recirculation means when the pressure of the lubricating fluid inside the header is greater than a threshold value; and in a second configuration, in which it fluidically isolates the module from the recirculation means when the pressure of the lubricating fluid inside the header is less than the threshold value.

An aircraft is described comprising a transmission unit with a first module and a lubrication system; the first module comprises a casing and a movable member; the lubrication system comprises a header, a nozzle fed with the lubricating fluid and designed to feed the lubricating fluid inside the casing of the first module, a collection tank for the lubricating fluid injected by the nozzle, and recirculation means designed to cause the recirculation of the lubricating fluid from the collection tank to the feed header; the first module comprises a valve available in a first configuration, in which it enables the outflow of said lubricating fluid from said module to the recirculation means when the pressure of the lubricating fluid inside the header is greater than a threshold value; and in a second configuration, in which it fluidically isolates the module from the recirculation means when the pressure of the lubricating fluid inside the header is less than the threshold value.

The present invention relates to an armed unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), an armed UAV control system, and methods of use thereof. In one form, the armed UAV includes: an elongate body, a pair opposed side rotor arm assemblies extending from the sides of the body, a tail rotor arm assembly extending from a rear end of the body, a weapons system including at least one firearm associated with the body, and a flight and targeting controller operatively associated with the side rotor arm assemblies and the tail rotor arm assembly. The controller configured to: determine at least a pitch angle and yaw angle required to strike a target with the weapons system, based on target information received; and selectively control operation of each rotor arm assembly for aiming the weapons system, based on at least the pitch angle and the yaw angle determined.