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, and a skin fabricated in-situ over the internal skeleton. The internal skeleton may be fabricated via a first additive manufacturing system. The skin may be fabricated via a second additive manufacturing system that is different from the first additive manufacturing system.

A vehicle body may have an internal skeleton, and a skin fabricated in-situ over the internal skeleton. The internal skeleton may be fabricated via a first additive manufacturing system. The skin may be fabricated via a second additive manufacturing system that is different from the first additive manufacturing system.

A computer-implemented method for space frame design involves constructing a load stress map in a geometrical boundary representation of a design space, defining attachment points and load application points in the design space, creating a starting network of interconnecting lines between each two of the attachment points and load application points in the design space, assigning load application factors to each line of the starting network of interconnecting lines based on values of the load stress map, generating potential space frame designs by culling different subsets of lines of the starting network of interconnecting lines for each potential space frame design according to variable culling parameters, evaluating the potential space frame designs with respect to optimization parameters, combining the culling parameters for the potential space frame designs the performance score of which is above a predefined performance threshold, and iterating the steps of generating potential space frame designs and evaluating the potential space frame designs on the basis of the combined culling parameters.

A computer-implemented method for space frame design involves constructing a load stress map in a geometrical boundary representation of a design space, defining attachment points and load application points in the design space, creating a starting network of interconnecting lines between each two of the attachment points and load application points in the design space, assigning load application factors to each line of the starting network of interconnecting lines based on values of the load stress map, generating potential space frame designs by culling different subsets of lines of the starting network of interconnecting lines for each potential space frame design according to variable culling parameters, evaluating the potential space frame designs with respect to optimization parameters, combining the culling parameters for the potential space frame designs the performance score of which is above a predefined performance threshold, and iterating the steps of generating potential space frame designs and evaluating the potential space frame designs on the basis of the combined culling parameters.

A fuselage component for an aircraft, including a shell part composed of a fiber composite material and a stiffening structure which is connected to an inner surface of the shell part and has shaped parts composed of a fiber composite material, wherein the shaped parts each have a flat base section which extends along the inner surface of the shell part, and a step-shaped profile edge which extends in an encircling manner around the base section. The shaped parts are arranged in the form of parquetry with overlapping profile edges. As a result, the overlapping profile edges form stiffening profiles intersecting at an intersection. Furthermore, an aircraft which has at least one such fuselage component and a method for producing a fuselage component are described.

A fuselage component for an aircraft, including a shell part composed of a fiber composite material and a stiffening structure which is connected to an inner surface of the shell part and has shaped parts composed of a fiber composite material, wherein the shaped parts each have a flat base section which extends along the inner surface of the shell part, and a step-shaped profile edge which extends in an encircling manner around the base section. The shaped parts are arranged in the form of parquetry with overlapping profile edges. As a result, the overlapping profile edges form stiffening profiles intersecting at an intersection. Furthermore, an aircraft which has at least one such fuselage component and a method for producing a fuselage component are described.

Methods and structures are disclosed. An example method includes: rotating a tubular mandrel about a longitudinal axis of the tubular mandrel; depositing a composite material on an inner surface of the tubular mandrel to form a composite tubular member on the inner surface of the tubular mandrel; inserting and expanding an inner expandable mandrel within the composite tubular member to cause the inner expandable mandrel to press the composite tubular member against the inner surface of the tubular mandrel; curing the composite tubular member; removing the inner expandable mandrel; placing a frame within the composite tubular member; and removing the tubular mandrel so as to obtain the composite tubular member with the frame placed therein.

Methods and structures are disclosed. An example method includes: rotating a tubular mandrel about a longitudinal axis of the tubular mandrel; depositing a composite material on an inner surface of the tubular mandrel to form a composite tubular member on the inner surface of the tubular mandrel; inserting and expanding an inner expandable mandrel within the composite tubular member to cause the inner expandable mandrel to press the composite tubular member against the inner surface of the tubular mandrel; curing the composite tubular member; removing the inner expandable mandrel; placing a frame within the composite tubular member; and removing the tubular mandrel so as to obtain the composite tubular member with the frame placed therein.