An aircraft that enables an efficient and safe transition from hovering to level-flight. The aircraft according to the present invention includes a lift generating part, a thrust generating part capable of flying and hovering, a connecting part that displaceably connects the lift generating part and the thrust generating part so that the lift generating part can maintain a positive angle of attack with respect to the flying direction at least at the time of ascending. The lift generating part is a wing part having a main surface, and at least at the time of hovering, a propulsion direction by the thrust generating part is along a direction obliquely intersecting the vertical direction. At least at the time of hovering, the propulsion direction and the main surface form an obtuse angle. At least at the time of hovering, the propulsion direction is along the vertical direction.

Disclosed is a tail-sitter aircraft. The aircraft comprises a fuselage for carrying a payload, a first lift body and a second lift body offset from the first lift body normal to a plane of the first lift body, and one or more first rotors and one or more second rotors. The first rotor(s) are mounted to the first lift body and the second rotor(s) are mounted to the second lift body. The aircraft also includes a controller that, in some cases, is configured to change a speed of one or more of said propulsion units relative to a speed of one or more other ones of said propulsion units, to adjust an orientation of the aircraft around one or more primary axes. The primary axes are the pitch, roll and yaw axes. In some cases, a position of the payload relative to the lift bodies is adjustable.

An aircraft has multiple independent yaw authority mechanisms. The aircraft includes an airframe having first and second wings with at least first and second pylons extending therebetween and with a plurality of tail members extending therefrom each having an active control surface. A two-dimensional distributed thrust array is coupled to the airframe that includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies each having a rotor assembly and each operable for thrust vectoring. A flight control system is operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. A first yaw authority mechanism includes differential speed control of rotor assemblies rotating clockwise compared to rotor assemblies rotating counterclockwise. A second yaw authority mechanism includes differential longitudinal control surface maneuvers of control surfaces of two symmetrically disposed tail members. A third yaw authority mechanism includes differential thrust vectoring of propulsion assemblies.

Various aerospace vehicle systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a fuel efficient, low emissions aerospace vehicle includes a fuselage having a fineness ration of equal to or greater than 8. The fuselage is comprised of at least 50% composite materials. The aerospace vehicle also includes a first wing, a second wing, and a third wing coupled to the fuselage, each wing having an aspect ratio of equal to or greater than 35. The wings each have a span within 10% of one another and an aspect ratio within 10% of one another. Each wing is comprised of at least 50% composite materials. The aerospace vehicle also includes at least one stabilizing unit coupled to the fuselage. The stabilizing unit includes first and second stabilizer surfaces configured in a V-tail configuration. The aerospace vehicle further includes at least one propulsion system.

Various aerospace vehicle systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a fuel efficient, low emissions aerospace vehicle includes a fuselage having a fineness ration of equal to or greater than 8. The fuselage is comprised of at least 50% composite materials. The aerospace vehicle also includes a first wing, a second wing, and a third wing coupled to the fuselage, each wing having an aspect ratio of equal to or greater than 35. The wings each have a span within 10% of one another and an aspect ratio within 10% of one another. Each wing is comprised of at least 50% composite materials. The aerospace vehicle also includes at least one stabilizing unit coupled to the fuselage. The stabilizing unit includes first and second stabilizer surfaces configured in a V-tail configuration. The aerospace vehicle further includes at least one propulsion system.

Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, especially electric VTOL (e-VTOL) aircraft include a fuselage (which may include a pair of ground-engaging skids) defining a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, forward and aft pairs of port and starboard aerodynamic wings extending laterally outwardly from the fuselage and forward and aft pairs of port and starboard rotor pods each being in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. In specific embodiments, each of the forward and aft pairs of port and starboard rotor pods comprises a forward and aft pair of rotor assemblies.

An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft has an airframe including first and second wings with first and second pylons coupled therebetween. A distributed thrust array is coupled to the airframe including a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first wing and a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second wing. A UAV carrier assembly is coupled between the first and second pylons. The UAV carrier assembly has a plurality of UAV stations each configured to selectively transport and release a UAV. A flight control system is configured to control each of the propulsion assemblies and launch each of the UAVs during flight.

An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft has an airframe including first and second wings with first and second pylons coupled therebetween. A distributed thrust array is coupled to the airframe including a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first wing and a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second wing. A UAV carrier assembly is coupled between the first and second pylons. The UAV carrier assembly has a plurality of UAV stations each configured to selectively transport and release a UAV. A flight control system is configured to control each of the propulsion assemblies and launch each of the UAVs during flight.

The aircraft comprises a fuselage defining a fuselage main axis. The fuselage comprises a docking system for fixing removable nacelles. The aircraft has wings equipped with tilting actuators for rotating wings about rotation axes parallel to the fuselage main axis and at least six propellers mechanically connected to the fuselage. The aircraft also has at least one cryo-hydrogen tank and at least one fuel cell for supplying power to the propellers, and

A capacitor for supplying power to the propellers, charged by at least one fuel cell. This capacitor stores electrical energy greater than the energy needed by all the propellers for ten seconds of hovering flight. Each propeller is equipped with a tilting actuator for rotating the propeller about a rotation axis making an angle of less than 45 degrees with a plane perpendicular to the fuselage main axis. The fuselage having a forward and a rear portion defining a forward to rear order of the propellers, in cruise flight, the two forward propellers are activated to provide vertical thrust, the intermediate propellers between the forward and rearmost propellers are not activated and the two rearmost propellers are activated to provide horizontal thrust.

The aircraft comprises a fuselage defining a fuselage main axis. The fuselage comprises a docking system for fixing removable nacelles. The aircraft has wings equipped with tilting actuators for rotating wings about rotation axes parallel to the fuselage main axis and at least six propellers mechanically connected to the fuselage. The aircraft also has at least one cryo-hydrogen tank and at least one fuel cell for supplying power to the propellers, and

A capacitor for supplying power to the propellers, charged by at least one fuel cell. This capacitor stores electrical energy greater than the energy needed by all the propellers for ten seconds of hovering flight. Each propeller is equipped with a tilting actuator for rotating the propeller about a rotation axis making an angle of less than 45 degrees with a plane perpendicular to the fuselage main axis. The fuselage having a forward and a rear portion defining a forward to rear order of the propellers, in cruise flight, the two forward propellers are activated to provide vertical thrust, the intermediate propellers between the forward and rearmost propellers are not activated and the two rearmost propellers are activated to provide horizontal thrust.