A vehicle architecture and the associated method of operation for fixed wing aircraft transition from operation underwater to flight in air. More particularly, the vehicle architecture and method allow transition and long-range operation in both water and in air.

The method starts with the vehicle oriented for long range flight in water. The method is composed of a flight orientation change for high speed ascent by rolling over, then water ascent, tractor propeller transition, wing transition, pusher propeller transition, boundary layer flight, and air ascent. The vehicle will ascend in its highspeed water configuration. As the tractor propeller breaches the surface of the water it will change its pitch collectively to optimize for low speed operation in air. As the wings breach the surface of the water, they will increase in camber to optimize for low speed operation in air. The vehicle will change angle of attack to stay within the ground effect regime in air using firstly the submerged control surfaces. In ground regime flight the vehicle will accelerate and transition to high altitude low drag flight with optimally cambered wings.

A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.

A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.

A method of designing a hypersonic vehicle includes selecting a shock shape; tracing a leading edge along the shock shape; selecting a base plane defining endpoints of the leading edge and rearwardly displaced from a front of the leading edge; and tracing stream surfaces back from the leading edge along the shock to the base plane in order to define an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper and lower surfaces and base plane enclose a volume representing internal volume of the hypersonic vehicle. The lower stream surface is controllably morphable.

A method of designing a hypersonic vehicle includes selecting a shock shape; tracing a leading edge along the shock shape; selecting a base plane defining endpoints of the leading edge and rearwardly displaced from a front of the leading edge; and tracing stream surfaces back from the leading edge along the shock to the base plane in order to define an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper and lower surfaces and base plane enclose a volume representing internal volume of the hypersonic vehicle. The lower stream surface is controllably morphable.

The invention relates to a supporting structure (46) which is positioned in a fluid flow (44) and characterised in that it is configured to be elastically deformed, on at least one portion of the supporting structure (46), between a first idle state in the absence of external stress and a second deformed state in the presence of external stresses caused by the fluid flow (44) due to a change in the orientation of the supporting structure (46) and/or the fluid flow (44). The invention also relates to an aircraft comprising at least one such supporting structure (46).

The invention relates to a supporting structure (46) which is positioned in a fluid flow (44) and characterised in that it is configured to be elastically deformed, on at least one portion of the supporting structure (46), between a first idle state in the absence of external stress and a second deformed state in the presence of external stresses caused by the fluid flow (44) due to a change in the orientation of the supporting structure (46) and/or the fluid flow (44). The invention also relates to an aircraft comprising at least one such supporting structure (46).

A flow control device on a structure such that strain in the structure is at least partially transferred to the flow control device is disclosed having at least two states, or shapes, separated by an elastic instability region. The flow control device is arranged to rapidly transition, or snap through, from the first state to the second state when strain in the structure exceeds an activation threshold of the flow control device. A spoiler on an aerofoil may have a rest position where it is substantially flush with the low pressure surface and an activated position where it protrudes from the low pressure surface and modifies the airflow over that surface. The spoiler bends to move from the rest position to the activated position when the strain in the aerofoil crosses a threshold. The deployed spoiler reduces the lift on the aerofoil, acting to reduce the lift induced strain of the aerofoil to which the spoiler is attached.

Disclosed is a transformable wing, which comprises: a main wing including multiple ribs extending in the forward and backward direction of the wing wherein the multiple ribs are arranged at intervals in a lengthwise direction of the wing; and a span morphing part including an auxiliary wing extending in the lengthwise direction, a scissors part connected to one end of the auxiliary wing in the lengthwise direction, and a driving part for extending or reducing the scissor part in the lengthwise direction.

Disclosed is a transformable wing, which comprises: a main wing including multiple ribs extending in the forward and backward direction of the wing wherein the multiple ribs are arranged at intervals in a lengthwise direction of the wing; and a span morphing part including an auxiliary wing extending in the lengthwise direction, a scissors part connected to one end of the auxiliary wing in the lengthwise direction, and a driving part for extending or reducing the scissor part in the lengthwise direction.