An airframe design may include a bonded frame or assembly, and one or more components that may be removably attached to the bonded frame. The bonded frame may include struts, central bulkheads, a tail section, a plurality of wing sections, and motor mounts that are adhered together using adhesive. The one or more attachable components may include a forward fuselage, motors, propellers, motor pod fairings, stabilizer fins, and landing gear that are attached using fasteners. The bonded frame may reduce the number of parts of the airframe design and may also reduce complexity, cost, and weight, while also increasing stiffness and strength. Further, the various attachable components may facilitate fabrication, assembly, and maintenance of an aerial vehicle having the airframe design.

A pressure bulkhead system comprises a pressure bulkhead adapted to be connected to a fuselage of a vehicle to separate a pressurized cabin space of the vehicle from an unpressurized cabin space of the vehicle, and a peripheral pressure frame to sealingly connect the pressure bulkhead to the vehicle fuselage. The peripheral pressure frame comprises an attachment section sealingly attached to an outer rim portion of a first surface of the pressure bulkhead. The first surface, when the pressure bulkhead system is installed in the vehicle, faces the unpressurized cabin space of the vehicle. A flange section is adapted to be sealingly attached to an inner surface of the vehicle fuselage and extends in a direction facing away from the first surface of the pressure bulkhead. A flexible section interconnects the attachment section and the flange section and is flexible to accommodate cabin pressure acting on the pressure bulkhead.

The aircraft can include: an airframe, a tilt mechanism, a payload housing, and can optionally include an impact attenuator, a set of ground support members (e.g., struts), a set of power sources, and a set of control elements. The airframe can include: a set of rotors and a set of support members. By utilizing a larger rotor blade area (and/or larger rotor disc area) and adjusting the blade pitch and RPM, the rotors can augment the lift generated by the aerodynamic profile of the aircraft in the forward flight mode in addition to providing forward thrust. Variants generating lift with the rotors can reduce or eliminate additional control surfaces (e.g., wing flaps, ailerons, ruddervators, elevators, rudder, etc.) on the aircraft since the thrust and motor torque is controllable (thereby indirectly controlling lift) at each rotor, thereby enabling pitch, yaw, and/or roll control during forward flight.

An aircraft fuselage assembling jig includes: a base provided with a plurality of frame indexes for positioning both ends of a plurality of aircraft fuselage frames; a plurality of header plates, each of which protrudes from the base so as to extend along an aircraft fuselage panel, the header plates being arranged parallel to each other in an axial direction of the aircraft fuselage panel; and a plurality of electric cylinders radially provided on each of the plurality of header plates, the electric cylinders moving respective receiving members in a radial direction of the aircraft fuselage panel, the receiving members contacting a skin included in the aircraft fuselage panel.

A fixed-wing cargo aircraft having a kinked fuselage is disclosed. The fuselage contains a continuous interior cargo bay, and includes a forward portion, an aft portion, and a kinked portion forming a junction in the fuselage between the forward and aft portions. The kinked portion contains a transition region of the cargo bay and defines a bend between a forward centerline and an aft centerline. The kinked portion is formed with a forward transverse frame section, a separate aft transverse frame section, and a plurality of longitudinal frame elements extending between the forward and aft frame sections, the forward frame being coupled to an aft end of the forward portion and the aft frame section being coupled to a forward end of the aft portion such that the aft frame section is angled with respect to the forward frame section about a lateral axis of the cargo aircraft.

An unmanned aerial vehicle according to certain embodiments generally includes a chassis, a power supply mounted to the chassis, a control system operable to receive power from the power supply, at least one rotor operable to generate lift under control of the control system, and a winch mounted to the chassis. The winch includes a reel and a motor. The reel has a line wound thereon, the line having a free end. The reel includes a circumferential channel in which a wound portion of the line is wound onto the reel. The circumferential channel includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a passage connecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The motor is operable to rotate the reel under control of the control system to thereby cause the line to wind onto and off of the reel, thereby causing the free end of the line to raise and lower.

A tandem rigid rotor system has a first rigid rotor system and a second rigid rotor system connected by a fuselage. The fuselage has at least one framing member connected between the first rigid rotor system and the second rigid rotor system, such that the framing member is torsionally flexible for controlling yaw of the tandem rigid rotor system. In certain embodiments, multiple framing members are connected between the first rigid rotor system and the second rigid rotor system in parallel. In certain embodiments, the torsional flexibility allows up to 20 degrees of movement away from the lateral axis. In certain embodiments, framing members are vertically and laterally rigid.

A system with attachment clips designed to fix an attachment element of an aircraft fuselage frame onto a fuselage skin and/or to stiffeners fitted onto this fuselage skin is provided. The system includes tooling elements arranged alternately with the clips such that they connect to each other, in order to reduce the fabrication time and cost of an aircraft fuselage.

Systems and methods are provided for securing aircraft sidewall. One embodiment comprises a hanger for supporting sections of sidewall for an aircraft. The hanger includes an elongated vertical member that attaches to a frame of the aircraft, and sets of keyholes that are each arranged in a vertical pattern along the member and that are each configured to support a corresponding section of sidewall of the aircraft. Each keyhole includes a receptacle dimensioned to receive a fitting from a section of sidewall, and a slot dimensioned to slidably accept the fitting via the receptacle to secure the fitting in place. The slot size of keyholes in each set varies from one end of the vertical pattern to another end of the vertical pattern.

A joint device rotatably connecting a functional component to a fixing structure includes a bearing shell having a first guide body with a curved first guide face, and a second guide body with a second guide face. The bearing shell connects to either the functional component or the fixing structure. An inner body having a connection portion and a guide portion is arranged between the first and second guide faces. The connection portion connects to the other of the functional component or the fixing structure. The guide portion is movably guided on the first and second guide faces about a first rotational axis defined by the curved first guide face. The connection portion or the bearing shell connects to the fixing structure by a pin. A second rotational axis extending transversely to the first rotational axis is defined by a pin central axis and/or the first guide face curvature.