An aircraft includes a body defining an interior compartment configured to hold at least one of a passenger and a payload, a battery system, a plurality of arms coupled to and extending from the body, and a plurality of propulsion devices configured to provide thrust to fly the aircraft. Each of the plurality of propulsion devices is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of arms. The plurality of propulsion devices are powered by the battery system. Each of the plurality of propulsion devices is selectively pivotable about at least one axis. The plurality of propulsion devices include at least one of (i) counter rotating ducted fans and (ii) ionizing electrode engines.

The present disclosure relates to a vertical takeoff and landing, VTOL, vehicle having a landing aid and associated methods. The landing aid includes at least one processor is configured to: receive image data from an image capture device, receive altitude data from the altimeter, retrieve template landing pad image data for a target landing pad from the database, scale the template landing pad image data based on the altitude data, compare the scaled template landing pad image data and the image data received from the image capture device to locate the target landing pad therein, thereby providing target landing pad localization data, and control a function of the VTOL vehicle based on the target landing pad localization data.

An aircraft includes a fuselage and an engine housed in the fuselage. A ram-air engine inlet is formed on an exterior of the fuselage. The ram-air engine inlet is defined, at least in part, by a cowling door. The cowling door is moveable between a closed position and an open position. An intake duct fluidly couples the ram-air engine inlet to the engine. A filter is disposed across the intake duct. A bypass duct is formed in the ram-air engine inlet aft of the intake duct. The bypass duct is operable to be selectively opened and closed.

An aerodynamic lifting system for a VTOL aircraft is provided that includes a lifting structure defining a leading edge portion, a trailing edge portion, an upper surface extending between the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion, and a lower surface extending between the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion. A plurality of leading edge and trailing edge movable flaps, along with leading edge openings and trailing edge openings are employed to direct a flow of air, including along an upper surface of the lifting structure. During transition from a VTOL stage to forward flight, when a first leading edge movable flap is in a closed position, a net forward thrust is provided by the flow of air at the leading edge portion.

An aerial vehicle adapted for vertical takeoff and landing using a set of wing mounted thrust producing elements for takeoff and landing. An aerial vehicle which is adapted to vertical takeoff with the rotors in a rotated, take-off attitude then transitions to a horizontal flight path, with the rotors rotated to a typical horizontal configuration. The aerial vehicle uses different configurations of its wing mounted rotors and propellers to reduce drag in all flight modes. The aerial vehicle uses deployment mechanisms to deploy rotor assemblies up and away from their stowed configuration locations.

An aircraft is provided and includes a mission vehicle configured to follow vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) operations and to execute forward flight, hover/loiter and landing operations and a launch vehicle configured to drive the mission vehicle through at least vertical take-off (VTO) operations. The launch vehicle is umbilically coupled to the mission vehicle during the VTO operations and releasable from the mission vehicle thereafter.

An air mobility may include a wing portion extending from a fuselage of the air mobility; a folded portion provided at an edge portion of the wing portion, configured to extend from the wing portion to form a part of the wing portion during unfolding of the folded portion, and configured to move to overlap with the wing portion during folding of the folded portion, so that an area of air resistance in a vertical direction of the wing portion is reduced; an actuator connected to the folded portion and configured to provide power to the folded portion, so that the folded portion is unfolded or folded to the wing portion; and a controller connected to the actuator and configured to control the actuator, so that the folded portion is folded during vertical takeoff or landing of the fuselage, and configured to control the actuator to unfold the folded portion during cruising of the fuselage.

The invention relates to an aircraft with a longitudinal central axis, comprising: a fuselage structure (2) which is designed to accommodate persons and/or payload; a wing structure (3) which has at least two wing halves (3.1) which are attached to the fuselage structure (2) and which have a fuselage-side main region (H) and a tip region (S); at least one forward propulsion unit (4) which is designed to generate a forward force, acting in the direction of the central axis, on the aircraft; at least four lifting propulsion units (5) which are designed to generate a lift force, acting in the direction of the central axis, on the aircraft.

A power supply circuit of an aircraft includes: a first power transmission path and a second power transmission path each configured to supply electric power from power generation units to one or more drive modules; and a third power transmission path configured to supply electric power from a charging device to the first power transmission path. When one or more batteries are charged with the electric power supplied from the charging device, the electric power is supplied from the charging device to the batteries via the first power transmission path, and the electric power is supplied from the charging device to the batteries via the second power transmission path.

An electrical propulsor motor may include a stator having a hollow cylinder with an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface, rotor incorporated in a hub of a propulsor and mounted to the stator, including a first cylindrical surface facing the inner cylindrical surface, where the inner cylindrical surface and first cylindrical surface form a first air gap, a second cylindrical surface facing the outer cylindrical surface, wherein the outer cylindrical surface and the second cylindrical surface form a second air gap, and a plurality of axial impeller vanes mounted to at least one of the first cylindrical surface and the second cylindrical surface and within at least one of the first air gap and the second air gap and positioned to force air through the at least one of the first air gap and the second air gap when the rotor rotates about the axis of rotation.