Technologies are described herein for a drag recovery scheme using a boundary layer bypass duct system. In some examples, boundary layer air is routed around the intake of one or more of the engines and reintroduced aft of the engine fan in the nozzle duct in a mixer-ejector scheme. Mixer-ejectors mix the boundary layer flow to increase mass flow.

Technologies are described herein for a drag recovery scheme using a boundary layer bypass duct system. In some examples, boundary layer air is routed around the intake of one or more of the engines and reintroduced aft of the engine fan in the nozzle duct in a mixer-ejector scheme. Mixer-ejectors mix the boundary layer flow to increase mass flow.

A fan for providing thrust including at least one blade, a hub adapted to carry the at least one blade, a hub motor adapted to rotate the hub 360 degrees about a first axis extending perpendicular to the at least one blade, a first mount adapted to carry the hub, and a first mount motor adapted to rotate the hub 360 degrees about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and extending through the first mount first and second side securing points. The first mount may include a first mount first side securing point adapted to pivotally carry the hub, and a first mount second side securing point adapted to pivotally carry the hub.

A fan for providing thrust including at least one blade, a hub adapted to carry the at least one blade, a hub motor adapted to rotate the hub 360 degrees about a first axis extending perpendicular to the at least one blade, a first mount adapted to carry the hub, and a first mount motor adapted to rotate the hub 360 degrees about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and extending through the first mount first and second side securing points. The first mount may include a first mount first side securing point adapted to pivotally carry the hub, and a first mount second side securing point adapted to pivotally carry the hub.

A ground effect craft having a ground effect wing, a plurality of sponsons, and a control system is disclosed. The ground effect wing may include a fore ground effect wing and an aft ground effect wing. The ground effect wing may generate a stabilizing moment on at least one sponson to stabilize the ground effect craft. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to the body. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to each other. The dynamic coupling may permit the sponsons to move relatively independent of the body and each other, thereby stabilizing the ground effect craft. The ground effect craft may include a stabilizing wing.

An aircraft landing gear is disclosed having a landing gear leg attachable at a first end to an aircraft, and an axle beam, both the landing gear leg and the axle beam being rotatably mounted. The axle beam is rotatable between a first position, in which a first end of the axle beam is a first (shorter) distance from the first end of the landing gear leg, and a second position, in which said first end of the axle beam is a second (longer) distance from the first end of the landing gear leg. A biasing member is configured to be able to bias the axle beam towards the second position. An aircraft, a blended wing body aircraft, and a method of operating an aircraft are also disclosed.

An aircraft structure which extends along a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis and a vertical axis, wherein the aircraft structure includes an upper shell and a lower shell that together surround an interior compartment designed for accommodating an aircraft cabin, and a pillar arrangement with at least one support pillar which extends through the interior compartment and connects the upper shell to the lower shell and supports same in relation to each other. An aircraft structure can be provided which is particularly efficient, in particular has a low weight and requires little space and outlay on assembly is achieved in that the interior of the support pillar has at least one flow duct for the conduction of air-conditioned air.

An aerial vehicle includes a wing body. The aerial vehicle includes a plurality of rotors coupled to the wing body. Each one of the rotors includes a plurality of rotor blades. The aerial vehicle includes a drive assembly configured to rotate the rotors. The aerial vehicle includes a controller configured to selectively control thrust produced by each one of the rotors. Selective control of the thrust produced by each one of the rotors induces a pitch motion of the aerial vehicle to transition the aerial vehicle between a horizontal flight state and a vertical flight state. In the horizontal flight state, the wing body is approximately horizontal and a collective thrust from the rotors is directed forward. In the vertical flight state, the wing body is approximately vertical and the collective thrust from the plurality rotors is directed upward.

An aerial vehicle including a first wing structure and a second wing structure which intersects the first wing structure perpendicularly at a position offset from a midpoint of a transverse axis of the first wing structure in a direction towards a first wingtip of the first wing structure. The aerial vehicle may further include a first set of at least two propellers with respective propeller rotational axes disposed side-by-side along a portion of the first wing structure extending between the midpoint of the transverse axis of the first wing structure and a second wingtip of the first wing structure. The aerial vehicle may further include a second set of at least two propellers with respective propeller rotational axes disposed side-by-side along a first portion of the second wing structure extending from a first surface of the first wing structure. The aerial vehicle may further include a third set of at least two propellers with respective propeller rotational axes disposed side-by-side along a second portion of the second wing structure extending from a second surface of the first wing structure.

An aerial vehicle including a first wing structure and a second wing structure which intersects the first wing structure perpendicularly at a position offset from a midpoint of a transverse axis of the first wing structure in a direction towards a first wingtip of the first wing structure. The aerial vehicle may further include a first set of at least two propellers with respective propeller rotational axes disposed side-by-side along a portion of the first wing structure extending between the midpoint of the transverse axis of the first wing structure and a second wingtip of the first wing structure. The aerial vehicle may further include a second set of at least two propellers with respective propeller rotational axes disposed side-by-side along a first portion of the second wing structure extending from a first surface of the first wing structure. The aerial vehicle may further include a third set of at least two propellers with respective propeller rotational axes disposed side-by-side along a second portion of the second wing structure extending from a second surface of the first wing structure.