A propulsion system for omnidirectional maneuverability and efficient forward flight of an airship. The propulsion system includes only fixed, unidirectional engines (17, 19, 20). Thrust vectors of the fixed engines (19, 20) are oriented in a way that their speeds can be chosen such that all forces acting on the airship (i.e., engine thrusts, gravity, buoyancy, wind and potentially others) together result in the desired motion. The engines may be four ducted fans (17) at the bow of the aircraft and four ducted fans (19) at the stern of the aircraft. The thrust vectors of the engines can be decomposed into three vectors of equal length that are each parallel to one of the three axes of a Cartesian coordinate system. Efficient forward flight is achieved by an additional engine (20) at the stern of the airship.

An aircraft is provided, including: at least one sensor for measuring a wind; actuators (motors, control surfaces, etc.); a data base embedded aboard the aircraft, the data base associating various values of wind measurement with various set points for the attention of the actuators. The aircraft furthermore includes a system of analysis and control, arranged so as, or programmed so as: to receive values of wind measurement originating from the at least one sensor; searching, inside the data base, for a correspondence of the wind measurement values originating from the at least one sensor, and determining (as a function of this search) the directives to be dispatched to the actuators, and dispatching these determined directives to the actuators.

An airborne platform vehicle comprising an aircraft with a platform affixed to the top side providing for a multipurpose airborne platform is disclosed. The airborne platform vehicle comprising a platform affixed to the top side of an aircraft or airship providing accessibility to the platform from either inside or outside the aircraft. The aircraft itself being able to float or fly by virtue of the lighter than air gas inside the body of the aircraft or with assisted lift from wings, being propelled by a ducted fan, propeller drive system, or otherwise and having a power source from which to power the drive system. The airborne platform vehicle being capable of movement and remaining upright through the use of ballast, propellers, ducted fans, vector thrusters, wings, fins, and/or rudders. The airborne platform vehicle itself being able to take-off and land as well as stay afloat for long durations in a stationary or non-stationary position.

An airborne platform vehicle comprising an aircraft with a platform affixed to the top side providing for a multipurpose airborne platform is disclosed. The airborne platform vehicle comprising a platform affixed to the top side of an aircraft or airship providing accessibility to the platform from either inside or outside the aircraft. The aircraft itself being able to float or fly by virtue of the lighter than air gas inside the body of the aircraft or with assisted lift from wings, being propelled by a ducted fan, propeller drive system, or otherwise and having a power source from which to power the drive system. The airborne platform vehicle being capable of movement and remaining upright through the use of ballast, propellers, ducted fans, vector thrusters, wings, fins, and/or rudders. The airborne platform vehicle itself being able to take-off and land as well as stay afloat for long durations in a stationary or non-stationary position.

A lighter than air craft having an airframe that has at least one tank in the airframe for holding compressed or liquid hydrogen or helium and at least one compartment in the airframe holding an inflatable bladder. The inflatable bladder can be inflated with hydrogen or helium gas from the first tank. There is a vent in the compartment allowing air to exit the compartment when the bladder is inflated and allowing air to enter the compartment when the bladder is deflated. Inflating and deflating the bladder partially controls buoyancy of the craft. Inflating bladders in compartments fore and aft controls pitch and trim.

A lighter than air craft having an airframe that has at least one tank in the airframe for holding compressed or liquid hydrogen or helium and at least one compartment in the airframe holding an inflatable bladder. The inflatable bladder can be inflated with hydrogen or helium gas from the first tank. There is a vent in the compartment allowing air to exit the compartment when the bladder is inflated and allowing air to enter the compartment when the bladder is deflated. Inflating and deflating the bladder partially controls buoyancy of the craft. Inflating bladders in compartments fore and aft controls pitch and trim.

A vacuum lighter than air vehicle (VLTAV) includes a rigid frame of rods connected together to form a hexakis icosahedron. A membrane skin covers the rigid frame and defines therewith a vessel configured to hold an internal vacuum that allows the vessel to float in the air. The plurality of rods and membrane skin have weights and dimensions that result in a neutral and/or positive buoyancy for the vessel while preventing geometric instability.

An aerial vehicle (1) in which forward motion is developed by changing the position of the buoyancy centre and the position of the centre of gravity of the aerial vehicle (1). The aerial vehicle (1) has an envelope (12) which is a body of revolution about a central axis (X-X). The envelope (12) comprises a film and contains a lighter than air gas and wings (13, 14) one each extending laterally either side of the envelope (12).

One embodiment of a propulsion system for omnidirectional maneuverability and efficient forward flight of an airship comprising only fixed, unidirectional engines (17, 19, 20). The thrust vectors of the fixed engines (19, 20) are oriented in a way that their speeds can be chosen such that all forces acting on the airship (i.e., engine thrusts, gravity, buoyancy, wind and potentially others) are together resulting in the desired motion. In one embodiment these are four ducted fans (17) at the bow and four ducted fans (19) at the stern of the aircraft. Their thrust vectors can be decomposed into three vectors of equal length that are each parallel to one of the three axis of a cartesian coordinate system like defined in FIG. 8. In one embodiment efficient forward flight is achieved by an additional engine (20) at the stern of the airship.

One embodiment of a propulsion system for omnidirectional maneuverability and efficient forward flight of an airship comprising only fixed, unidirectional engines (17, 19, 20). The thrust vectors of the fixed engines (19, 20) are oriented in a way that their speeds can be chosen such that all forces acting on the airship (i.e., engine thrusts, gravity, buoyancy, wind and potentially others) are together resulting in the desired motion. In one embodiment these are four ducted fans (17) at the bow and four ducted fans (19) at the stern of the aircraft. Their thrust vectors can be decomposed into three vectors of equal length that are each parallel to one of the three axis of a cartesian coordinate system like defined in FIG. 8. In one embodiment efficient forward flight is achieved by an additional engine (20) at the stern of the airship.