Adapter assemblies for aircraft and launchers for deploying aircraft are described herein. An example adapter assembly for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a first adapter to be removeably coupled to a first side of a fuselage of the UAV. The first adapter includes first and second posts to interface with a carriage of a launcher. The adapter assembly also includes second adapter to be removeably coupled to a second side of the fuselage of the UAV. The second adapter includes third and fourth posts to interface with the carriage of the launcher.

Adapter assemblies for aircraft and launchers for deploying aircraft are described herein. An example adapter assembly for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a first adapter to be removeably coupled to a first side of a fuselage of the UAV. The first adapter includes first and second posts to interface with a carriage of a launcher. The adapter assembly also includes second adapter to be removeably coupled to a second side of the fuselage of the UAV. The second adapter includes third and fourth posts to interface with the carriage of the launcher.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) adapted for transit in and deployment from a projectile casing is provided. The UAV includes a wing assembly coupled to the projectile casing and the wing assembly moveable between a closed position and a deployed position. The UAV further includes a propulsion system including at least one rotor disposed on the wing assembly to generate lift, wherein in the closed position, the wing assembly is substantially integral with the projectile casing and in the deployed position, the wing assembly is extended outwards from the projectile casing.

An unmanned aerial vehicle launch tube that has a tube, a sabot disposed in an interior of said tube, said sabot having a first clasp tab, and a clasp detachably coupled to said first clasp tab and contacting an inner circumferential wall of said tube so that said clasp is rotationally constrained by the inner circumferential wall and said first clasp tab.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a rotorcraft-assisted system and method for launching and retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft into and from free flight. The launch and retrieval system includes a modular multicopter, a storage and launch system, an anchor system, a flexible capture member, and an aircraft-landing structure. The multicopter is attachable to the fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launching the fixed-wing aircraft into free, wing-borne flight. The storage and launch system is usable to store the multicopter (when disassembled) and to act as a launch mount for the fixed-wing aircraft by retaining the fixed-wing aircraft in a desired launch orientation. The anchor system is usable with the multicopter, the flexible capture member, and the aircraft-landing structure to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from free, wing-borne flight.

An aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system, an aerial vehicle takeoff and landing apparatus, and an aerial vehicle capable of reducing the influence of the ground effect and capable of taking off and landing smoothly even in a comparatively small and limited space. A pair of rails are arranged side by side with a gap therebetween, and are arranged with a space in an extension direction on at least an under side and one end side. An aerial vehicle has a suspension portion provided at an upper portion thereof so as to be inserted between the rails from the one end side. With the suspension portion is inserted between the rails, the aerial vehicle can be suspended at a predetermined landing position of the rails, and the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position can take off.

A reconfigurable system capable of autonomously exchanging material from unmanned vehicles of various types and sizes. The system comprises an environmental enclosure, a landing area, a universal mechanical system to load and unload material from the unmanned vehicle, and a central processor that manages the aforementioned tasks. The landing area may comprise a one or more visible or non-visible markers/emitters capable of generating composite images to assist in landing the unmanned vehicle upon the reconfigurable, autonomous system.

A vehicle comprising a morphing wing and a body is disclosed. The aircraft is configured to transform from a first configuration into a second configuration for ascent or descent of the aircraft. The drag force and lift force on the aircraft in the second configuration are less than in the first configuration. Transforming from the first to the second configuration comprises: contracting the wing within a geometric plane defined by the wing, and rotating the outer edge of the wing downwards, out of the geometric plane.

Launch and land system for a tethered aircraft (in connection with FIG. 1) The invention provides for a launch and land system (1) for a tethered aircraft (90) comprising a runway (12) for the aircraft and a winch (62) for the tether (92), wherein the runway comprises a funnel-shaped target area (14) with a wide end oriented towards one end of the runway and a narrow end opposite of the wide end, wherein said target area is laterally bordered by restriction devices (80) extending from one end of the target area to the other for preventing the aircraft to roll out of the target area.

A projectile-launched aircraft system includes a projectile launcher including a triggering mechanism, a rotary-wing, hover-capable aircraft including a rotor assembly that includes at least one rotor blade, wherein the rotor blade includes a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration that is circumferentially spaced from the stowed configuration about a pivot axis, wherein, upon actuation of the triggering mechanism, the projectile launcher is configured to launch the aircraft along a flightpath.