A system for landing a mobile platform, such as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (“UAV”) and methods for making and using the same. The system can land the UAV by applying a magnetic levitation force upon the UAV and adjusting the applied magnetic levitation force. The system can initiate a landing process to a designated docking station and can guide the UAV to an adjacency of the designated docking station. Once the UAV has entered the adjacency, the magnetic levitation forces can take control of the landing process. During the landing process, certain magnetic sensitive devices installed on the UAV and/or on the designated docking station can be protected by turning them off or by shielding them. The system overcomes disadvantages of currently-available landing systems by restricting a size and weight of the landing arrangements, as well as, avoiding potential damage to the UAV and the designated docking station.

A system for landing a mobile platform, such as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (“UAV”) and methods for making and using the same. The system can land the UAV by applying a magnetic levitation force upon the UAV and adjusting the applied magnetic levitation force. The system can initiate a landing process to a designated docking station and can guide the UAV to an adjacency of the designated docking station. Once the UAV has entered the adjacency, the magnetic levitation forces can take control of the landing process. During the landing process, certain magnetic sensitive devices installed on the UAV and/or on the designated docking station can be protected by turning them off or by shielding them. The system overcomes disadvantages of currently-available landing systems by restricting a size and weight of the landing arrangements, as well as, avoiding potential damage to the UAV and the designated docking station.

Materials and structures for absorbing energy. The materials and structures are well suited for arresting aircraft and other vehicles, although their purposes need not be so limited. Also detailed are packaging and other solutions for maintaining system integrity, especially (but not exclusively) when foam glass or other aggregate is employed and stabilizing the location of the aggregate is desired.

The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a multicopter-assisted launch and retrieval system generally including: (1) a multi-rotor modular multicopter attachable to (and detachable from) a fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; (2) a storage and launch system usable to store the modular multicopter and to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; and (3) an anchor system usable (along with the multicopter and a flexible capture member) to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from wing-borne flight.

A deck landing system for aircrafts, in particular rotating wing aircrafts, apt to implement a hook between the aircraft and the deck of a ship or of a floating platform, the deck being equipped with a target grid plate, it does not require the use of hydraulic systems and it comprises: a telescopic actuator (1) with a harpoon (3) having, at its own distal end, hooking grippers (7); and a control unit (9) which actuates said telescopic actuator (1), wherein the telescopic actuator (1) comprises a linear electromechanical actuator (8) having: a main battery (13) fed through a unit (12) for converting and conditioning the energy and connected to said telescopic actuator (1); and a device (10) for recovering and releasing the kinetic energy generated by the waves with the aircraft locked on said deck, is of the type acting with super-capacitors, which feeds said main battery (13).

One variation of a tram system includes: a chassis; a latch configured to selectively engage a latch receiver mounted to an aircraft; an alignment feature adjacent the latch and configured to engage an alignment receiver mounted to the aircraft and to communicate acceleration and braking forces from the chassis into the aircraft; an optical sensor facing upwardly from the chassis; a drivetrain configured to accelerate and decelerate the chassis along a runway; and a controller configured to detect an optical fiducial arranged on the aircraft in optical images recorded by the optical sensor adjust a speed of the drivetrain to longitudinally align the alignment feature with the alignment receiver based on positions of the optical fiducial detected in the optical images, trigger the latch to engage the latch receiver once the aircraft has descended onto the chassis, and trigger the drivetrain to actively decelerate the chassis during a landing routine.

A method of capturing an aerial vehicle comprises rotating a first blade of the aerial vehicle, the first blade coupled to a hub of the aerial vehicle and having a contour configured to facilitate entanglement of a payload line of a winch system around the aerial vehicle. The method further comprises contacting, by a leading edge of the first blade, the payload line of the winch system and pulling the payload line towards the hub of the aerial vehicle, wherein the payload line is pulled towards the hub as the first blade continues to rotate and wherein continued rotation of the first blade causes the payload line to be tangled around the hub of the aerial vehicle.

A liner motor based on radical magnetic tubes includes: a dynamicer (mover, QDZ) and a stator (STA), the structure of the stator (STA) is: a stator magnetic tube (SCG) is nested into the inner wall of a pure iron tube (DTG), the stator magnetic tube (SCG) provides a radial magnetic field, a stator tube (DZGD) is formed within the stator magnetic tube (SCG), the dynamicer can travel in the stator tube; the dynamicer iron core is a tube of a radial magnetic field and installed on a tubular coil skeleton, on which winding the dynamicer coil to form the dynamicer main body; the sliders (HDZ) are installed on both ends of the dynamicer main body load.

Described herein is an elevated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) station. The elevated UAV station includes an elevated platform and a conveyance device configured to raise a payload to the elevated platform. The elevated unmanned UAV station may further include a launch device configured to cause a takeoff of a UAV from the elevated platform. The elevated UAV station may further include a recovery device configured to cause a controlled landing of the UAV at the elevated platform. The elevated UAV station may be associated with a payload housing structure to establish a system for payload storage and launch.

An apparatus for launch and recovery of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a method for launching a UAV, a method for recovering a UAV and a kit of parts for launch and recovery of a UAV. The apparatus comprises a boom having a center member for receiving the UAV, and first and second arm members extending outwardly and upwardly from the center member, wherein the boom is configured to be lifted to a predetermined height into the air from a reference point; and wherein the boom is movable in the air to an operating position forward of the reference point.