An electrically or hybrid powered multirotor aircraft with complete redundancy on all of its functions of lift, of propulsion, and of control, the aircraft having optimized energy consumption and comprising: a longitudinal structure having two longitudinal beams; a fuselage fastened to the longitudinal structure; two fixed wings serving essentially to provide the aircraft with lift in cruising flight and arranged at respective ends of the longitudinal structure and in a common first plane; at least six rotors serving essentially to provide the aircraft with lift during stages of takeoff and landing, the rotors being arranged in a common second plane distinct from the first plane and parallel to the first plane in such a manner as not to be situated vertically above or below a fixed wing; and two propulsion propellers. An electrical or hybrid power plant serves to drive the rotors and the propulsion propellers in rotation.

An aerial vehicle includes an airframe; vertical propulsion units, and a controller. The vertical propulsion units are mounted to the airframe and include propellers oriented to provide vertical propulsion to the aerial vehicle. The vertical propulsion units are physically organized in quadrants on the airframe with each of the quadrants including two or more of the vertical propulsion units. The controller is coupled to the vertical propulsion units to control operation of the vertical propulsion units. At least two of the vertical propulsion units in each of the quadrants are adapted to counter-rotate from each other during flight of the aerial vehicle.

An aerial vehicle includes an airframe; vertical propulsion units, and a controller. The vertical propulsion units are mounted to the airframe and include propellers oriented to provide vertical propulsion to the aerial vehicle. The vertical propulsion units are physically organized in quadrants on the airframe with each of the quadrants including two or more of the vertical propulsion units. The controller is coupled to the vertical propulsion units to control operation of the vertical propulsion units. At least two of the vertical propulsion units in each of the quadrants are adapted to counter-rotate from each other during flight of the aerial vehicle.

An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight mode and a forward flight mode includes tiltable rotors located at forward boom ends, tiltable ducted fans located at wings aft of the forward boom ends, and aft rotors located on aft boom portions.

An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight mode and a forward flight mode includes tiltable rotors located at forward boom ends, tiltable ducted fans located at wings aft of the forward boom ends, and aft rotors located on aft boom portions.

A technique for operating an aerial vehicle involves enabling a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) propeller of the aerial vehicle to rotate freely. The VTOL propeller is coupled with a VTOL motor (e.g., a 3-phase brushless DC motor). The technique further involves detecting when the VTOL propeller rotates to a predefined position relative to a direction of flight for the aerial vehicle (e.g., when blades of the VTOL propeller extend along an axis that is parallel to the direction of flight). The technique further involves, in response to detecting that the VTOL propeller has rotated to the predefined position, providing a load from the VTOL motor that inhibits further rotation of the VTOL propeller. Accordingly, while the aerial vehicle is in fixed wing horizontal flight, the controller is able to align the VTOL propeller in the direction of horizontal flight to minimize drag from the VTOL propeller.

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for assembling a drone. A drone assembly system can include a vehicle, a boom configured with a mounting hole located at a top surface of the boom, a wing having a first side, the first side of the wing having a sleeve, and a first hanger having a tube, handle, and tip, configured to be inserted into the sleeve of the first side of the wing and mounted to the mounting hole of the boom in a first position. A hanger is also described and can include a tube, a handle having a cap member and a tubular member operably connected to a first side of the tube with the tubular member, and a tip having a threaded member and locking member operably connected to a second side of the tube with the locking member of the tip.

The present disclosure relates to a reconfigurable battery system and method of operating the same. The reconfigurable battery system comprising a plurality of switchable battery modules, a battery supervisory circuit, and a battery pack controller, where the plurality of switchable battery modules electrically arranged in series to define a battery string defining an output voltage. The battery pack controller operably coupled to the battery supervisory circuit to selectively switch, for each of the plurality of switchable battery modules, the battery switch between the first position and the second position based at least in part on the one or more parameters of the battery and in accordance with a predetermined switching routine.

An aircraft includes a fuselage module and at least two vertical lift rotor modules supporting at least four rotor assemblies. Each rotor assembly is supported by a rotor boom having at least one boom free end and a boom mounting portion. Each rotor assembly has at least one vertical lift rotor mounted on the boom free end. Each boom mounting portion is removably couplable to the fuselage module. The vertical lift rotor modules are configured such that when coupled to the fuselage module, a pair of the rotor assemblies are located on each of laterally opposite sides of the fuselage module, and the rotor assemblies of each pair are respectively located forward of and aft of a wing center portion. A pair of wings are configured to be removably couplable to the wing center portion. The aircraft includes a forward thrust module removably couplable to the fuselage body.

Lock apparatus and related methods for use with drones are disclosed. A disclosed drone assembly includes a wing, a keel-beam, an adapter positioned on an end of the keel-beam, and a lock configured to receive the adapter. The lock includes a first lock portion coupled to the wing and a second lock portion rotatable relative to the first lock portion between a first position and a second position. The lock is configured to (a) couple the keel-beam to the wing when the second lock portion is in the second position and (b) decouple the keel-beam from the wing when the second lock portion is in the first position.