The control surface according to the present invention controls an attitude of a flying object, and includes a skin covering an internal space and a lattice structure supporting the skin in the internal space. The lattice structure has mechanical strength that is changeable in one or both of a surface length direction and a surface width direction. For example, the mechanical strength at a root of the control surface in the surface length direction may be made larger than the mechanical strength of other regions in the surface length direction, or the mechanical strength at a front edge and a rear edge in the surface width direction may be made larger than the mechanical strength of other regions in the surface width direction.

A connection assembly for connecting a first element to a second element is provided. The connection assembly has a male element and a female element. The female element has a barrel nut. The barrel nut has a conical inner portion positioned at a first longitudinal region and a cylindrical inner portion positioned at a second longitudinal region. The barrel nut has a first engaging element portion and a first plain portion arranged alternatingly around a circumferential direction of the barrel nut. The male element has a cylindrical bolt-like shape and has a second engaging element portion and a second plain portion arranged alternatingly around a circumferential direction of the male element. The male element further has flattened sides at the second plain portion. The second engaging element portion of the male element is configured to engage with a respective one of the first engaging element portion of the barrel nut.

An aircraft fuselage includes a structure, considered in respect of all or part of the fuselage, with fuselage upper sub-structure constituting an upper part of the fuselage and a fuselage bottom sub-structure constituting a lower part of the fuselage. Openings in the structure of the fuselage are intended for the installation of windows or doors for exiting the fuselage. Furthermore, the fuselage upper sub-structure and the fuselage bottom sub-structure form fuselage sub-structures that are assembled with one another via at least one lintel in which all or some of the openings intended for installing the exit doors or windows are formed.

An aircraft fuselage includes a structure, considered in respect of all or part of the fuselage, with fuselage upper sub-structure constituting an upper part of the fuselage and a fuselage bottom sub-structure constituting a lower part of the fuselage. Openings in the structure of the fuselage are intended for the installation of windows or doors for exiting the fuselage. Furthermore, the fuselage upper sub-structure and the fuselage bottom sub-structure form fuselage sub-structures that are assembled with one another via at least one lintel in which all or some of the openings intended for installing the exit doors or windows are formed.

An aircraft for carrying a cargo assembly. The aircraft comprises a spine structure including a first end, a second end, and mounts. The mounts structurally engage the cargo assembly in juxtaposition with the spine structure between the first and second ends. The aircraft further comprises a pre-load system. The pre-load system comprises a first load transfer structure coupled to the first end, a second load transfer structure coupled to the second end, a linking structure coupled to the first and second load transfer structures, and a tensioning mechanism coupled to the linking structure. The tensioning mechanism is configured to apply varying levels of tension to the linking structure when coupled to the load transfer structures.

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising an outer protective cage, a propulsion system mounted inside the outer protective cage, a sensor support system fixed on the outer protective cage and a sensor system coupled to the sensor support system. The sensor system is coupled to the sensor support system via a load-limiting coupling mechanism that comprises a spring coupling exerting an elastic bias against the sensor system towards a normal operating position, the sensor system being retractable into the outer protective cage against the elastic bias of the spring coupling upon collision with an external object.

An aeronautical vehicle that rights itself from an inverted state to an upright state has a self-righting frame assembly has a protrusion extending upwardly from a central vertical axis. The protrusion provides an initial instability to begin a self-righting process when the aeronautical vehicle is inverted on a surface. A propulsion system, such as rotor driven by a motor can be mounted in a central void of the self-righting frame assembly and oriented to provide a lifting force. A power supply is mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame assembly and operationally connected to the at least one rotor for rotatably powering the rotor. An electronics assembly is also mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame for receiving remote control commands and is communicatively interconnected to the power supply for remotely controlling the aeronautical vehicle to take off, to fly, and to land on a surface.

An aeronautical vehicle that rights itself from an inverted state to an upright state has a self-righting frame assembly has a protrusion extending upwardly from a central vertical axis. The protrusion provides an initial instability to begin a self-righting process when the aeronautical vehicle is inverted on a surface. A propulsion system, such as rotor driven by a motor can be mounted in a central void of the self-righting frame assembly and oriented to provide a lifting force. A power supply is mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame assembly and operationally connected to the at least one rotor for rotatably powering the rotor. An electronics assembly is also mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame for receiving remote control commands and is communicatively interconnected to the power supply for remotely controlling the aeronautical vehicle to take off, to fly, and to land on a surface.

A vehicle body may have an internal skeleton forming a wing shape, and a skin formed over the internal skeleton. The skin may include a matrix material, and a plurality of continuous fibers encased within the matrix material. The plurality of continuous fibers may curve from a base end near a fore/aft center of the wing shape outward toward leading and trailing edges of the wing shape at a tip end.

A vehicle body may have an internal skeleton forming a wing shape, and a skin formed over the internal skeleton. The skin may include a matrix material, and a plurality of continuous fibers encased within the matrix material. The plurality of continuous fibers may curve from a base end near a fore/aft center of the wing shape outward toward leading and trailing edges of the wing shape at a tip end.