The airborne vehicle recovery method and apparatus enables radiosonde users to reliably recover launched radiosondes and provides new and unique opportunities for research and data acquisition with balloon launched radiosondes. Airborne vehicles such as radiosondes are disposed in a flight body adapted for propulsionless, gliding navigation for returning to one of several designated landing sites for recovery. Onboard electronics including a navigation computer, flight computer, and lightweight battery are employed for selecting a landing site, computing a heading and direction, and actuating flaps for pursuing a propulsionless, gliding path to the landing site. Gliding is directed only by right and left flaps responsive to respective actuators, such that the inclusion of only the actuators, navigation and flight electronics, and without active propulsion, enables sufficient gliding range from the lightweight construction and arrangement to reach one of several landing sites for effecting substantial recovery rates of the radiosondes.

An airplane, which includes an airframe and a full-segregated thrust hybrid propulsion system mounted on the airframe. The propulsion system includes: one or more sustainer thrust producers; a plurality of electrically powered thrust producers disposed in predetermined positions as a means for providing additional thrust to the airplane, and to supplement airflow over the wings, flaps, and roll control devices of said airplane; whereby increasing the lift of the wing surfaces and providing enhanced control in the roll axis. The trust producers operate independently from one another, with no aerodynamic, electrical or mechanical inter-connection. Safety is enhanced by the ability of either the sustainer thrust producer(s), or the electrically powered augmentation thrust producers to sustain flight to a suitable landing area, should the other system fail.

An airplane, which includes an airframe and a full-segregated thrust hybrid propulsion system mounted on the airframe. The propulsion system includes: one or more sustainer thrust producers; a plurality of electrically powered thrust producers disposed in predetermined positions as a means for providing additional thrust to the airplane, and to supplement airflow over the wings, flaps, and roll control devices of said airplane; whereby increasing the lift of the wing surfaces and providing enhanced control in the roll axis. The trust producers operate independently from one another, with no aerodynamic, electrical or mechanical inter-connection. Safety is enhanced by the ability of either the sustainer thrust producer(s), or the electrically powered augmentation thrust producers to sustain flight to a suitable landing area, should the other system fail.

The present invention provides a foldable wing which comprises a wing supporting skeleton, a sliding rail, a skin supporting rib, a skin and a wing movement unit. The wing supporting skeleton comprises a horizontal beam, a longitudinal beam, a wing front edge beam, a wing trailing edge beam, a fixture connector and a sliding block, The wing supporting skeleton is a triangular girder for maintaining planar and sectional shapes of the foldable wing, supporting the skin supporting rib and the skin, and sustaining an aerodynamic load from the skin and a load of a fuselage. After the triangular girder is subjected to a force of the wing movement unit, a shape and an area of the triangular girder are changed so as to achieve folding and unfolding of the foldable wing. A rotocraft and a glider using the foldable wing are also provided.

A disposable unmanned aerial glider (UAG) with pre-determined UAG flight capabilities. The UAG comprises a flight module comprising at least one aerodynamic arrangement; and a fuselage module comprising a container configured for storing therein a payload and having structural integrity. The container is pressurized so as to maintain structural integrity thereof at least during flight, so that the UAG flight capabilities are provided only when the container is pressurized.

A disposable unmanned aerial glider (UAG) with pre-determined UAG flight capabilities. The UAG comprises a flight module comprising at least one aerodynamic arrangement; and a fuselage module comprising a container configured for storing therein a payload and having structural integrity. The container is pressurized so as to maintain structural integrity thereof at least during flight, so that the UAG flight capabilities are provided only when the container is pressurized.

A system and method for intelligently and dynamically deploying a plurality of mobile robotic machines capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically to propagate wireless network connectivity comprising, at least, a mechanical framework, sensors, actuators, communications capability, an energy source, a propulsion means, a control mechanism, and a payload. The payload may comprise electronic or mechanical communication equipment to propagate services such as wireless networking services, in for example, a first responder or emergency environment, or electronic and mechanical jamming services in a military or anti-terrorism environment.

One example includes a dual-aircraft system. The system includes a glider aircraft configured to perform at least one mission objective in a gliding-flight mode during a mission objective stage. The system also includes an unmanned singlecopter configured to couple to the glider aircraft via a mechanical linkage to provide propulsion for the glider aircraft during a takeoff and delivery stage. The unmanned singlecopter can be further configured to decouple from the glider aircraft during a detach stage in response to achieving at least one of a predetermined altitude and a predetermined geographic location to provide the gliding-flight mode associated with the glider aircraft, such that the glider aircraft subsequently enters the mission objective stage.

One example includes a dual-aircraft system. The system includes a glider aircraft configured to perform at least one mission objective in a gliding-flight mode during a mission objective stage. The system also includes an unmanned singlecopter configured to couple to the glider aircraft via a mechanical linkage to provide propulsion for the glider aircraft during a takeoff and delivery stage. The unmanned singlecopter can be further configured to decouple from the glider aircraft during a detach stage in response to achieving at least one of a predetermined altitude and a predetermined geographic location to provide the gliding-flight mode associated with the glider aircraft, such that the glider aircraft subsequently enters the mission objective stage.

A system for electric power production from wind includes a glider having an airfoil, an on-board steering unit, a flight controller for controlling the steering unit, and a connection unit for a tether. The system further includes a ground station including a reel for the tether, a rotating electrical machine connected to the reel, and a ground station controller for controlling the reel and the rotating electrical machine. A master controller operates the system in at least first and second operation modes. In the first operation mode electric power is produced with the rotating electrical machine from rotation of the reel caused by reeling out the tether using a lift force generated upon exposure of the airfoil of the airborne glider to wind. In the second operation mode, the reel is driven by the rotating electrical machine, thereby reeling in the tether onto the reel.