An aircraft equipped with a multi-fan propulsion system for controlling flight orientation transitions is provided. In one example aspect, an aircraft includes a fuselage and a pair of wings. The aircraft includes a propulsion system having a first propulsor and a second propulsor each mounted to the fuselage. The first propulsor has a fan positioned primarily above and the second propulsor has a fan positioned primarily below the pair of wings. The aircraft also includes a computing system having one or more processors configured to cause, in response to a demand to change an orientation of the aircraft for a flight orientation transition, the fans of the first and second propulsors to produce different amounts of thrust with respect to one another so that the aircraft performs the flight orientation transition. The thrust differential causes the aircraft to transition between orientations.

An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of vertical takeoff and landing carries a remote sensing platform to a high altitude cruising altitude and flies over a target area, collecting remote sensing imagery before returning to earth. Instead of being piloted remotely, the vehicle employs an autonomous flight control system.

An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of vertical takeoff and landing carries a remote sensing platform to a high altitude cruising altitude and flies over a target area, collecting remote sensing imagery before returning to earth. Instead of being piloted remotely, the vehicle employs an autonomous flight control system.

Walking VTOL vehicles and related systems and methods are disclosed. A representative system can include one or more vertical thrust propulsion systems for providing vertical thrust for the vehicle, one or more horizontal thrust propulsion systems for providing horizontal thrust for the vehicle, and leg elements that are rotatable between a first configuration in which each leg element extends downwardly and a second configuration different from the first configuration. A representative method of operating a vehicle includes using vertical thrust to raise the vehicle upward, rotating a leg element forward, lowering the vehicle, and then rotating the leg element rearward to propel the vehicle forward.

A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV having a UAV main body, two rear landing gears and two front landing gears; the two rear landing gears are fixedly connected to both sides of the rear bottom of the UAV main body, respectively; the two front landing gears are rotatably connected to both sides of the front bottom of the UAV main body, respectively. One end of the front landing gear away from the UAV main body is provided with a locating block. Rotating the front landing gear enables the locating block mounted on the front landing gear to get close to or away from the UAV main body.

An aircraft is described with both VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) capabilities and convention airplane capabilities. A preferred embodiment comprises a fuselage and fixed wing, with one boom on either side of the fuselage. Each boom comprises a tilt rotor on a fore end and a fixed rotor on the aft end. Both rotors can be directed vertically for VTOL capability. During cruise the tilt rotors can be directed forward for thrust and the fixed rotors can be stopped and directed along the boom axis, minimizing drag. The described embodiments have advantages in weight savings and maneuverability compared to other VTOL aircraft.

Towed aerodynamic platforms approach the behavior of flat plate airfoils to achieve high lift-to-drag (L:D) performance when operated at low pitch angles. A lead aircraft may tow multiple platforms to form train units. Low form drag and high L:D enable solar aircraft that are more robust and faster than approaches extending wingspan rather than extending the length of the aerial train. Applications extend beyond solar aircraft and include vehicles towed along an overhead monorail system and aerial drones.

We describe an aircraft design, which is capable of vertical takeoff and landing and also high-speed cruise on a fixed wing. The aircraft comprises a fuselage with a probe-deployment mechanism, which deploys a sample-gathering probe, located at a front end of the fuselage. A main wing is coupled to a middle section of the fuselage, wherein a right motor and right propeller are coupled to a right side of the main wing, and a left motor and left propeller are coupled to a left side of the main wing. The right and left propellers are angled with respect to the fuselage enabling the aircraft to pitch up to a vertical-takeoff mode and pitch down a horizontal-cruising mode. A pitch motor and pitch propeller are located at the rear end of the fuselage, wherein the pitch propeller is angled to provide substantially vertical thrust to control a pitch of the fuselage.

A method includes receiving a digital surface model of an area for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation. The digital surface model represents an environmental surface in the area. The method includes determining, for each grid cell of a plurality of grid cells in the area, a confidence value of an altitude of the environmental surface at the grid cell and determining a terrain clearance value based at least on the confidence value of the altitude of the environmental surface at the grid cell. The method includes determining a route for a UAV through the area such that the altitude of the UAV is above the altitude of the environmental surface at each grid cell of a sequence of grid cells of the route by at least the terrain clearance value determined for the grid cell. The method includes causing the UAV to navigate through the area using the determined route.

An electric VTOL aeronautical apparatus is disclosed that has folding wings each having an inboard wing portion coupled to an outboard portion via a hinge. Folding wings are known to be used during flight, although using a motor to fold and unfold the wings. In the present disclosure, the motor with its concomitant weight and complication is obviated or reduced by making the rotational axis of the hinge such that end of the hinge on the leading edge of the wing is displaced more outboard and lower than the end of the hinge on the trailing edge to allow the wing to fold and unfold passively. When in forward flight, a folded wing has more of the underside of the wing facing the flow, which pushes the wing upward, i.e., unfolding the wing. When the aeronautical apparatus transitions to vertical flight, gravity pulls the wings downward into the folded position.