A flow deflector for an aerial vehicle system has a flow deflector body, a clip arranged in an interior of the flow deflector body, and a spring within the clip. The flow deflector body includes a first portion at a forward end shaped to engage a surface of an aerial vehicle body and a second portion at an aft end shaped to engage a surface of a booster engine. The flow deflector body can include a plurality of body segments arranged to form the flow deflector body. The clip may be configured to fit around and engage a portion of an aft flange of the aerial vehicle body. The spring can be preloaded and arranged to press on the aft flange when the clip engages the portion of the aft flange.

A computer implemented method of acquiring and processing autonomous aerial vehicle data comprising obtaining past flight data from an autonomous aerial vehicle; storing the data in a database; conducting netto-variometer calculations to obtain equations to normalize the data; using a filtering technique to normalize the data; storing the equations obtained from the netto-variometer calculations into the database; and using the stored equations and live flight data to generate an optimized sink polar estimate for the UAG, wherein the optimized sink polar estimate is to be used in computing netto-variometer during flight.

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.

Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically detecting better lift and using the lift to stay aloft longer, provide recommendation to the aerial vehicle's pilot or fully controlling the flight of the aerial vehicle. The disclosed techniques pertain to aerial vehicles such as airplanes or model airplanes, gliders or model gliders, sailplanes or model sailplanes, hang-gliders, paragliders, speedflying, parafoils etc. The invention uses sensors located on the aerial vehicle to gauge air lift (updraft, thermal, ridge lift etc.) to extend the time the aerial vehicle may be kept aloft. The data flowing from the sensors is fed into a computer, that may provide recommendations to the pilot or to the autopilot (Computer) of the best path to take, to find better lift and to stay aloft.

A heavy payload, autonomous UAV able to deliver supply by way of airdrop with more precision and at a lower cost. The UAV is equipped with two movable wing systems that rotate from a stowed position to a deployed position upon jettison of the UAV from a mothership. The UAV can be controlled remotely or it can operate autonomously and the movable wings can include ailerons to effectuate flight control of the UAV. The UAV can be reusable or can be an expendable UAV.

A heavy payload, autonomous UAV able to deliver supply by way of airdrop with more precision and at a lower cost. The UAV is equipped with two movable wing systems that rotate from a stowed position to a deployed position upon jettison of the UAV from a mothership. The UAV can be controlled remotely or it can operate autonomously and the movable wings can include ailerons to effectuate flight control of the UAV. The UAV can be reusable or can be an expendable UAV.

A disposable airdropped glider. The glider body is constructed from precut panels cut from (MDO) or (HDO) plywood and assembled with pocket-screw joinery or piano hinges. A skid board forms a landing surface and a cargo deck roll-off surface. The glider has pivoting wings and struts. The glider has a triple-tail, a flat nose and honeycomb paperboard panels between the nose and the cargo. Wings are pivoted from a position overlying the fuselage to a flying position by gas springs in wing spars which are compressed by a chain attached to the fuselage through a rotating bracket such that the gas springs are compressed when the wings are folded. The airfoils are plastic extrusions with openings that hold the wing spars and co-formed jury spars which attach the upper and lower surface of the wing. A parachute uses a part of the tail structure to form a deployment drogue.

A disposable airdropped glider. The glider body is constructed from precut panels cut from (MDO) or (HDO) plywood and assembled with pocket-screw joinery or piano hinges. A skid board forms a landing surface and a cargo deck roll-off surface. The glider has pivoting wings and struts. The glider has a triple-tail, a flat nose and honeycomb paperboard panels between the nose and the cargo. Wings are pivoted from a position overlying the fuselage to a flying position by gas springs in wing spars which are compressed by a chain attached to the fuselage through a rotating bracket such that the gas springs are compressed when the wings are folded. The airfoils are plastic extrusions with openings that hold the wing spars and co-formed jury spars which attach the upper and lower surface of the wing. A parachute uses a part of the tail structure to form a deployment drogue.

A completely transparent spherical body is surrounded externally by a plurality of leaf plates arranged in equal spacing along a main outer ring rack of the spherical body. Two rubber tires are included to wrap the spherical body. A rider inside the spherical body pedals to rotate the spherical body forward. A vehicle having the spherical body can be autonomously operated to move on land or water, and in the air. In addition, to operate this vehicle, no specific road or environmental requirement is needed, and no other obstacle, even a traffic accident can stop its movement.