In an example, a computing apparatus includes a hardware platform, having a processor and a memory, and instructions encoded within the memory to instruct the processor to receive a peak power demand for a landing maneuver of a VTOL aircraft powered at least partly by a battery, receive flight profile data for a flight profile of the VTOL aircraft, and configuration data for the VTOL aircraft, estimate power consumption of the flight profile in context of the configuration, and estimate a peak power capacity available for the landing maneuver, and provide an error notice if the peak power capacity does not meet the peak power demand.

Methods, systems, and assemblies for operating an aircraft having a turboprop engine are described. The method comprises obtaining a measured torque of the turboprop engine from a mechanical torque piston measurement system and displaying the measured torque in a cockpit of the aircraft. During operation of the turboprop engine, a torque measurement saturation condition of the torque piston measurement system is monitored to detect when the torque piston measurement system is outside of an operating range. A synthesized torque of the turboprop engine is determined based on one or more actual engine operating parameters of the turboprop engine. In response to detecting that the torque piston measurement system is outside of the operating range, the synthesized torque is displayed in the cockpit of the aircraft.

An unmanned aerial vehicle according to certain embodiments generally includes a chassis, a power supply mounted to the chassis, a control system operable to receive power from the power supply, at least one rotor operable to generate lift under control of the control system, and a winch mounted to the chassis. The winch includes a reel and a motor. The reel has a line wound thereon, the line having a free end. The reel includes a circumferential channel in which a wound portion of the line is wound onto the reel. The circumferential channel includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a passage connecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The motor is operable to rotate the reel under control of the control system to thereby cause the line to wind onto and off of the reel, thereby causing the free end of the line to raise and lower.

This disclosure relates to apparatuses, systems, and methods for handling faults on vehicles. One or more processors in a vehicle may receive, from a control unit in response to a detection of a fault in the vehicle, an indication of a degradation in a performance constraint of the vehicle. The processors may determine, responsive to the degradation in the performance constraint, that the vehicle is unable to execute a set of commands to control a movement of the vehicle along a trajectory. The processors may generate, in accordance with the degradation in the performance constraint, a modified set of commands that the vehicle is able to execute to control the movement of the vehicle along at least a portion of one or more trajectories. The processors may provide the modified set of commands to the control unit of the vehicle to control the movement of the vehicle.

A monitoring system 300 for an aircraft 100 including a controller 301 to determine, based on one or more conditions, one or more expected operating characteristics of a steering system of the aircraft. The one or more conditions include one or more aircraft conditions indicative of an internal condition of the aircraft and/or one or more external conditions indicative of an external influence on the aircraft. The controller compares the one or more expected operating characteristics with the one or more actual operating characteristics. The controller is configured to determine, based on the compare, whether to issue a signal indicating a condition of the aircraft. An avionics system 3000 comprising the monitoring system, an aircraft comprising the monitoring system or the avionics system, and a method 600 of monitoring an aircraft.

A host aircraft includes a flight data system, the latter including a mobile device, central data server, and transceiver. The mobile device has a processor, memory programmed with a method embodied as computer-readable instructions, and a radio frequency (RF) communications circuit, GPS receiver, and sensor suite. The sensor suite collects raw flight data. Execution of the instructions by the processor causes the mobile device to process the raw flight data into synthesized data, and filter out human-induced motion of the mobile device from the synthesized data using a filtering model, and thereby generate time-stamped filtered flight data. The central data server is in wireless communication with the RF communications circuit, and receives the time-stamped filtered flight data therefrom. The transceiver, which is communicatively coupled to the central data server, disseminates the time-stamped filtered flight data to a user located remotely from the host aircraft.

A system for determining a health status of a positive temperature coefficient resistor (PTCR) heater assembly includes a PTCR heater assembly and a health monitoring system. An input voltage is provided to the PTCR heater assembly to provide heating. The health monitoring system includes a first sensor configured to sense the input voltage at the PTCR heater assembly and a second sensor configured to sense a current through the PTCR heater assembly. The health monitoring system is configured to determine a baseline characteristic and an observed characteristic each relating to an inrush peak of the PTCR heater assembly and based on the input voltage and the current. The health monitoring system compares the observed characteristic to the baseline characteristic to assess a health status of the PTCR heater assembly and outputs the health status for PTCR heater assembly diagnostics and/or prognostics.

The present invention relates to an electronic test device for at least one avionic function to be tested, intended to be embedded in an aircraft, the aircraft comprising at least one avionic equipment item, the test device being intended to be connected to the at least one avionic equipment item and comprising: an acquisition module, configured to acquire flight data from the at least one avionic equipment item, and a computing module, configured to compute simulated output data, from acquired flight data and via an implementation of the avionic function to be tested, the avionic function to be tested being able, from the flight data, to deliver the output data.

Techniques are described for monitoring the degradation of electrochemical cells. A battery monitoring system monitors, for each of one or more cells of a plurality of cells in a battery, an amount of mechanical deformation using one or more measuring devices. The battery monitoring system determines a number of cells of the plurality of one or more monitored cells for which the monitored amount of mechanical deformation exceeds a deformation threshold. The battery monitoring system determines whether the determined number of cells exceeds a threshold number of cells with an amount of mechanical deformation exceeding the deformation threshold. Responsive to determining the determined number of cells exceeds the threshold number of cells, the battery monitoring system sends a notification that the battery is degraded beyond an acceptable limit.

Abstract of the Disclosure: In an aspect systems and methods for monitoring health of an electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle include at least a flight component, a first sensor, a computing device, and a pilot display. The first sensor is configured to sense a first characteristic associated with the at least a flight component and transmit the first characteristic. The computing device is communicative with the first sensor, and is configured to: receive the first characteristic, analyze the first characteristic, and determine a condition of the at least a flight component as a function of the first characteristic. The pilot display is communicative with the first sensor and the computing device and is configured to: receive the first characteristic and the condition of the at least a flight component and display the first characteristic and the condition of the at least a flight component.