An aircraft includes an airframe with first and second wings having a fuselage extending therebetween. A propulsion assembly is coupled to the fuselage and includes a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system that is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector. First and second yaw vanes extend aftwardly from the fuselage. A flight control system is configured to direct the thrust vector of the coaxial rotor system and control movements of the yaw vanes. In a VTOL orientation of the aircraft, differential operation of the yaw vanes and/or differential operations of first and second rotor assemblies of the coaxial rotor system provide yaw authority for the aircraft. In a biplane orientation of the aircraft, collective operation of the yaw vanes provides yaw authority for the aircraft.

An aircraft includes an airframe with first and second wings having a fuselage extending therebetween. A propulsion assembly is coupled to the fuselage and includes a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system that is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector. Tail assemblies are coupled to wingtips of the first and second wings each having an elevon that collectively form a distributed array of elevons. A flight control system is configured to direct the thrust vector of the coaxial rotor system and to control movements of the elevons such that the elevons collectively provide pitch authority and differentially provide roll authority for the aircraft in the biplane orientation. In addition, when the flight control system detects an elevon fault, the flight control system is configured to perform corrective action responsive thereto at a distributed elevon level or at a coordinated distributed elevon and propulsion assembly level.

A propulsion assembly for an aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The propulsion assembly includes a housing coupled to the fuselage of the aircraft. A coaxial rotor system includes a first rotor assembly and a second rotor assembly that are rotatable about a common axis of rotation. The first rotor assembly counter-rotates relative to the second rotor assembly. A motor assembly is operably associated with the coaxial rotor system. The motor assembly provides torque and rotational energy to the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly. A gimbal assembly couples the coaxial rotor system to the housing such that the coaxial rotor system is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector.

Shape memory actuators may be used in unmanned aerial vehicles to control various components. For example, shape memory actuators may adjust cant angles of motors, propellers, and other propulsion mechanisms. In addition, shape memory actuators may adjust positions or orientations of various other components of unmanned aerial vehicles, including wings, control surfaces, motor arms, frame sections, payload doors, and landing gears. The shape memory actuators may be formed of various shape memory materials, may be one-way or two-way shape memory actuators, and may change their configurations responsive to heat and/or magnetic fields.

A propulsion device has a body including a platform and a thrust unit, the thrust unit including a first thermal thruster configured to eject a gaseous flow along an axis normal to the platform, the body of the propulsion device including support means of the thrust unit, wherein said thrust unit includes a first electrical secondary thruster configured to correct the attitude of the propulsion device.

A propulsion device has a body including a platform and a thrust unit, the thrust unit including a first thermal thruster configured to eject a gaseous flow along an axis normal to the platform, the body of the propulsion device including support means of the thrust unit, wherein said thrust unit includes a first electrical secondary thruster configured to correct the attitude of the propulsion device.

A fuselage, a support part supporting the fuselage, a thrust generation unit including fore, aft, left, and right thrust generators, and a flight controller controlling the unit are included. The fore, aft, left, and right thrust generators are respectively positioned on first, second, third, and fourth axes respectively extending in support part fore and aft, fore and aft, left and right, and left and right directions. The generators are respectively at the support part front, back, left, and right. The generators respectively generate thrust in directions intersecting the first, second, third, and fourth axes and can change thrust magnitude and direction around them. All generators are connected to the support part.

A fuselage, a support part supporting the fuselage, a thrust generation unit including fore, aft, left, and right thrust generators, and a flight controller controlling the unit are included. The fore, aft, left, and right thrust generators are respectively positioned on first, second, third, and fourth axes respectively extending in support part fore and aft, fore and aft, left and right, and left and right directions. The generators are respectively at the support part front, back, left, and right. The generators respectively generate thrust in directions intersecting the first, second, third, and fourth axes and can change thrust magnitude and direction around them. All generators are connected to the support part.

A flight propulsion system for Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) and Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft, having a two cyclorotors, installed in the front and rear portions of a pair-wings mechanism involving top wing and bottom wing, three degree-of-freedom DOF adjusting mechanism for pair-wings, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators, a bar mechanism for pitching oscillation and rotation speed controls and rear cyclorotor, a yawing mechanism for rear cyclorotor, all on each side of the flight vehicle. This propulsion system is particularly useful for VTOL aircraft. The main features are: high controllability and manoeuvrability, low noise and environmental pollutions, VTOL, STOL, hover state flights, marine and ground take-off and landing, high safety, suitable for different aircraft scales and for different missions and purposes, instant altering the flight direction.

An aircraft may include a fuselage, a propulsion assembly configured to produce thrust for the aircraft, and a gimballing mechanism articulatably coupling the propulsion assembly to the fuselage and configured to rotate the propulsion assembly about a first axis of rotation defined through a center of mass of the propulsion assembly, and rotate the propulsion assembly about a second axis of rotation defined through the center of mass of the propulsion assembly. The first axis of rotation may be perpendicular to the second axis of rotation. The first axis of rotation may be perpendicular to the second axis of rotation.