This disclosure describes at least embodiments of an aircraft monitoring system for an electric or hybrid airplane. The aircraft monitoring system can be constructed to enable the electric or hybrid aircraft to pass certification requirements relating to a safety risk analysis. The aircraft monitoring system can have different subsystems for monitoring and alerting of failures of a component, such as a battery pack, a motor controller, and/or a motors. The failures that pose a greater safety risk may be monitored and indicated by one or more subsystems without use of programmable components.

An aircraft system monitors health of passive safety brakes on a plurality of auxiliary lift wing devices of an aircraft wing. The wing includes an actuator driveline, and a plurality of actuators are secured to the driveline for extending and retracting the auxiliary lift wing devices. Each actuator incorporates a passive safety brake, and a flight computer enables the actuators to synchronously extend and retract the auxiliary lift wing devices. Torque sensors are fixed to the actuator driveline, each torque sensor being positioned adjacent an actuator for sensing static torque values at that actuator location. When an aerodynamic load acting on any one extended auxiliary lift wing device creates a higher static torque value at one actuator location relative to others, the aircraft system generates a warning signal and/or message to indicate occurrence of a potential safety brake failure within the one actuator.

An aircraft system monitors health of passive safety brakes on a plurality of auxiliary lift wing devices of an aircraft wing. The wing includes an actuator driveline, and a plurality of actuators are secured to the driveline for extending and retracting the auxiliary lift wing devices. Each actuator incorporates a passive safety brake, and a flight computer enables the actuators to synchronously extend and retract the auxiliary lift wing devices. Torque sensors are fixed to the actuator driveline, each torque sensor being positioned adjacent an actuator for sensing static torque values at that actuator location. When an aerodynamic load acting on any one extended auxiliary lift wing device creates a higher static torque value at one actuator location relative to others, the aircraft system generates a warning signal and/or message to indicate occurrence of a potential safety brake failure within the one actuator.

A data recording and transmission method and system for use in balancing a propeller of an aircraft. The method comprises operating the propeller in-flight, receiving, during operation of the propeller in-flight, vibration data associated with the propeller, retrieving, from a non-volatile memory on-board the aircraft, configuration data associated with the propeller, and transmitting the vibration data and the configuration data to a data processing device configured to determine a balancing solution for the propeller based one the vibration data and the configuration data.

A data recording and transmission method and system for use in balancing a propeller of an aircraft. The method comprises operating the propeller in-flight, receiving, during operation of the propeller in-flight, vibration data associated with the propeller, retrieving, from a non-volatile memory on-board the aircraft, configuration data associated with the propeller, and transmitting the vibration data and the configuration data to a data processing device configured to determine a balancing solution for the propeller based one the vibration data and the configuration data.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for an unmanned aerial system inspection system. One of the methods is performed by a UAV and includes obtaining, from a user device, flight operation information describing an inspection of a vertical structure to be performed, the flight operation information including locations of one or more safe locations for vertical inspection. A location of the UAV is determined to correspond to a first safe location for vertical inspection. A first inspection of the structure is performed is performed at the first safe location, the first inspection including activating cameras. A second safe location is traveled to, and a second inspection of the structure is performed. Information associated with the inspection is provided to the user device.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for an unmanned aerial system inspection system. One of the methods is performed by a UAV and includes obtaining, from a user device, flight operation information describing an inspection of a vertical structure to be performed, the flight operation information including locations of one or more safe locations for vertical inspection. A location of the UAV is determined to correspond to a first safe location for vertical inspection. A first inspection of the structure is performed is performed at the first safe location, the first inspection including activating cameras. A second safe location is traveled to, and a second inspection of the structure is performed. Information associated with the inspection is provided to the user device.

Embodiments described herein utilize Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) scan data obtained during a process performed on a surface of a structure to update a location of an NDI scanner on the surface. A subsurface feature within the structure is detected based on the NDI scan data, which are correlated with pre-defined position data for the subsurface feature. A measured location of the NDI scanner on the surface is corrected based on the pre-defined position data for the subsurface feature.

Embodiments described herein utilize Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) scan data obtained during a process performed on a surface of a structure to update a location of an NDI scanner on the surface. A subsurface feature within the structure is detected based on the NDI scan data, which are correlated with pre-defined position data for the subsurface feature. A measured location of the NDI scanner on the surface is corrected based on the pre-defined position data for the subsurface feature.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for an unmanned aerial system inspection system. One of the methods is performed by a UAV and includes obtaining, from a user device, flight operation information describing an inspection of a vertical structure to be performed, the flight operation information including locations of one or more safe locations for vertical inspection. A location of the UAV is determined to correspond to a first safe location for vertical inspection. A first inspection of the structure is performed is performed at the first safe location, the first inspection including activating cameras. A second safe location is traveled to, and a second inspection of the structure is performed. Information associated with the inspection is provided to the user device.