The invention relates to an aircraft for takeoff and landing on water or on land. The aircraft comprises a fuselage and a spring-mounted landing gear. Landing gear wheels are mountable on the landing gear for takeoff and landing on land. Furthermore, the aircraft comprises a floating device coupleable to the landing gear of the aircraft via a connecting device. The floating device is configured such that the hydrostatic lifting force of the floating device is greater than the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft.

The invention provides a float plane having a fuselage, a wing, and two floats mounted to the fuselage. In one group of embodiments, the float plane is a firefighting float plane that includes a water tank and a water scooping assembly. In another group of embodiments, the float plane includes a spreader bar suspension assembly. In certain embodiments, the float plane is a firefighting float plane that includes a water tank, a water scooping assembly, and a spreader bar suspension assembly.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is movable between a retracted, or up, position and an extended, or down, position. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels may protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The landing gear actuator and transmission may operate all gear in concert. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement in the event of an inadvertent gear-up landing on terrain.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is movable between a retracted, or up, position and an extended, or down, position. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels may protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The landing gear actuator and transmission may operate all gear in concert. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement in the event of an inadvertent gear-up landing on terrain.

A float has a front-to-back length, a width, and a height where the front-to-back length of the float is strictly greater than the height of the float which in turn is strictly greater than the width of the float. At least a bottom portion of the float is watertight. The float includes an access panel to access the inside of the float. A battery is inside the float and is accessible via the access panel.

A manual wing-fold mechanism provides a means by which to reconfigure the wing of an aircraft between a flight configuration and one that can be easily stowed and transported. The folding mechanism includes an extension tube that enables the outboard portion of the wing to be extended away from the inboard section of the wing, rotated about the lateral axis of the aircraft and then pivoted rearward so that the wing is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft along side the fuselage. The wing-fold mechanism is independent of the structural components of the wing used to convey aerodynamic loads during flight and provides a means for the user to bring the outboard wing section into a near alignment position while the wing-fold mechanism thereafter assists to refine the alignment into its final flight configuration.

A manual wing-fold mechanism provides a means by which to reconfigure the wing of an aircraft between a flight configuration and one that can be easily stowed and transported. The folding mechanism includes an extension tube that enables the outboard portion of the wing to be extended away from the inboard section of the wing, rotated about the lateral axis of the aircraft and then pivoted rearward so that the wing is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft along side the fuselage. The wing-fold mechanism is independent of the structural components of the wing used to convey aerodynamic loads during flight and provides a means for the user to bring the outboard wing section into a near alignment position while the wing-fold mechanism thereafter assists to refine the alignment into its final flight configuration.

A navigable craft that includes a fuselage with a tiltable section positioned behind a non-tiltable section opposite to a nose. A set of wing assemblies connected to the non-tiltable section of the fuselage. Each wing assembly includes an airfoil connected to the non-tiltable section of the fuselage at a first cross-sectional end of the airfoil and a non-tiltable propulsion generator connected to a second cross-sectional end of the airfoil opposite to the first cross-sectional end of the airfoil. The propulsion generator extends parallel and adjacent to the non-tiltable section of the fuselage, and one or more stabilizers connected to at least one of the non-tiltable propulsion generator, the airfoil, and the fuselage. The landing assembly is connected to the propulsion generator or the airfoil. The landing assembly is aligned aerodynamically with the second cross-sectional end and extends in a direction adjacent to the tiltable section of the fuselage.

A multi-axis amphibious copter for flying and cruising at high speeds. The multi-axis amphibious copter includes six propulsion points i.e., four propellors oriented vertically, a coaxial rotor oriented vertically, and a mini turbine thruster on the rear of the aircraft body and configured to propel the multi-axis amphibious copter forward. The multi-axis amphibious copter can land and take off vertically from congested places and can fly at cruising speeds.

A robust amphibious air vehicle incorporates a fuselage with buoyant stabilizers and wings extending from the fuselage. At least one lift fan is mounted in the fuselage. Movable propulsion units carried by the wings are rotatable through a range of angles adapted for vertical and horizontal flight operations.