An aircraft includes a fuselage and a pair of wings. Each wing is coupled to the fuselage at a wing-fuselage joint, and is supported by a strut coupled to the fuselage at a strut-fuselage joint and coupled to the wing at a strut-wing joint. The strut-fuselage joint is located below and at least partially aft of the wing-fuselage joint. The wing generates a lifting force when air passes over the wing. The lifting force induces a vertical moment about the wing-fuselage joint due to the location of the strut-fuselage joint below and at least partially aft of the wing-fuselage joint. The wing and/or the strut has a structural arrangement configured to counteract the vertical moment.

An aircraft includes a fuselage and a pair of wings. Each wing is coupled to the fuselage at a wing-fuselage joint, and is supported by a strut coupled to the fuselage at a strut-fuselage joint and coupled to the wing at a strut-wing joint. The strut-fuselage joint is located below and at least partially aft of the wing-fuselage joint. The wing generates a lifting force when air passes over the wing. The lifting force induces a vertical moment about the wing-fuselage joint due to the location of the strut-fuselage joint below and at least partially aft of the wing-fuselage joint. The wing and/or the strut has a structural arrangement configured to counteract the vertical moment.

An unmanned Wing In Ground Effect vessel (UWIG) for transporting the cargo with internal cargo hold contained in a seaworthy fuselage. The UWIG is autonomous or semi-autonomous. A pair of wings are attached to the fuselage. An on-board controller controls lift sufficient lift to travel in ground effect. The controller also controls UWIG surface maneuvering, taxiing and flying. The UWIG may be autonomous or semi-autonomous.

An unmanned Wing In Ground Effect vessel (UWIG) for transporting the cargo with internal cargo hold contained in a seaworthy fuselage. The UWIG is autonomous or semi-autonomous. A pair of wings are attached to the fuselage. An on-board controller controls lift sufficient lift to travel in ground effect. The controller also controls UWIG surface maneuvering, taxiing and flying. The UWIG may be autonomous or semi-autonomous.

A ground effect craft having a ground effect wing, a plurality of sponsons, and a control system is disclosed. The ground effect wing may include a fore ground effect wing and an aft ground effect wing. The ground effect wing may generate a stabilizing moment on at least one sponson to stabilize the ground effect craft. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to the body. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to each other. The dynamic coupling may permit the sponsons to move relatively independent of the body and each other, thereby stabilizing the ground effect craft. The ground effect craft may include a stabilizing wing.

An aircraft includes a closed wing, a fuselage at least partially disposed within a perimeter of the closed wing, and one or more spokes coupling the closed wing to the fuselage. A source of electric power is disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or one or more spokes. A plurality of electric motors are disposed within or attached to the one or more spokes in a distributed configuration. Each electric motor is connected to the source of electric power. A propeller is operably connected to each of the electric motors and proximate to a leading edge of the one or more spokes. One or more processors are communicably coupled to the plurality of electric motors. A longitudinal axis of the fuselage is substantially vertical in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, and substantially in a direction of a forward flight in a forward flight mode.

An aircraft includes a closed wing, a fuselage at least partially disposed within a perimeter of the closed wing, and one or more spokes coupling the closed wing to the fuselage. A source of electric power is disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or one or more spokes. A plurality of electric motors are disposed within or attached to the one or more spokes in a distributed configuration. Each electric motor is connected to the source of electric power. A propeller is operably connected to each of the electric motors and proximate to a leading edge of the one or more spokes. One or more processors are communicably coupled to the plurality of electric motors. A longitudinal axis of the fuselage is substantially vertical in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, and substantially in a direction of a forward flight in a forward flight mode.

An aircraft having multiple wing planforms. The aircraft includes an airframe having first and second half-wings with first and second pylons extending therebetween. A distributed thrust array is attached to the airframe. The thrust array includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first half-wing and a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second half-wing. A flight control system is coupled to the airframe. The fight control system is configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies and control conversions between the wing planforms. The aircraft is configured to convert between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a forward flight orientation. In addition, the aircraft is configured to convert between a biplane configuration and a monoplane configuration in the forward flight orientation.

A ground effect craft having a ground effect wing, a plurality of sponsons, and a control system is disclosed. The ground effect wing may include a fore ground effect wing and an aft ground effect wing. The ground effect wing may generate a stabilizing moment on at least one sponson to stabilize the ground effect craft. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to the body. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to each other. The dynamic coupling may permit the sponsons to move relatively independent of the body and each other, thereby stabilizing the ground effect craft. The ground effect craft may include a stabilizing wing.

A VTOL aircraft (1) having a fuselage (2) for transporting passengers and/or load, front and rear wings (3, 4) attached to the fuselage, a right connecting beam (5a) and a left connecting beam (5b), which connecting beams structurally connect the front wing and the rear wing, and which connecting beams are spaced apart from the fuselage, and at least two lifting units (M1-M6) on each one of the connecting beams. The lifting units each include at least one propeller (6b) and at least one motor (6a) driving the propeller, preferably an electric motor, and are arranged with their respective propeller axis in an essentially vertical orientation. The front wing, at least in portions thereof, has a sweep angle γ between γ=450 and γ=135°, and the rear wing, at least in portions thereof, has a forward sweep with sweep angle β≥30°.