Embodiments of the present application are a UAV foot stand and a UAV. The UAV foot stand includes a main body, a mounting board, and a support structure, where one end of the main body is provided with a lightening cavity, one end of the main body that is provided with the lightening cavity extends outward to form the mounting board, the support structure is fixed to the main body, and the support structure at least partially extends into the lightening cavity and is connected to an inner wall of the lightening cavity, so as to increase rigidity of the main body.

Presented are weight distribution systems for aircraft center of gravity (CG) management, methods for making/operating such systems, and aircraft equipped with CG management systems. A method is presented for managing the CG of an aircraft. The aircraft includes first and second landing gears and an airframe that removably attaches thereto one or more payloads and/or hardware modules. The method includes supporting the aircraft on a support leg that operatively attaches to the airframe and, while supported on the support leg, determining if the aircraft pivots onto the first or second landing gear. If the aircraft pivots onto either landing gear, the method responsively identifies a new airframe position for the payload/hardware module that will shift the aircraft's CG to within a calibrated “acceptable” CG range; doing so should balance the aircraft on the support leg. The payload/hardware module is then relocated to the new airframe position.

Presented are weight distribution systems for aircraft center of gravity (CG) management, methods for making/operating such systems, and aircraft equipped with CG management systems. A method is presented for managing the CG of an aircraft. The aircraft includes first and second landing gears and an airframe that removably attaches thereto one or more payloads and/or hardware modules. The method includes supporting the aircraft on a support leg that operatively attaches to the airframe and, while supported on the support leg, determining if the aircraft pivots onto the first or second landing gear. If the aircraft pivots onto either landing gear, the method responsively identifies a new airframe position for the payload/hardware module that will shift the aircraft's CG to within a calibrated “acceptable” CG range; doing so should balance the aircraft on the support leg. The payload/hardware module is then relocated to the new airframe position.

An aircraft landing gear is disclosed including a main leg, a foldable stay and a lock link configured to hold the foldable stay in position when the landing gear is extended. The foldable stay includes a first stay member and a second stay member, and the landing gear is configured such that the second stay member rotates in a first direction from a first position to a second position as the landing gear moves from a retracted configuration to an extended configuration. An end stop is arranged such that in the event the lock link fails, the second stay member rotates in the first direction from the second position to a third position in which the stay contacts the end stop thereby preventing further movement of the second stay member in the first direction and wherein the foldable stay goes over centre as the second stay member moves from the first position to the third position.

An aircraft has a supporting structure and a shell that can be filled with a gas and which is tensioned by the supporting structure. The supporting structure includes a plurality of rod or tube-shaped sections which define a circular, oval or polygonal main clamping plane for the shell.

An aircraft includes a landing gear having a shock strut, an outer sleeve at least partially surrounding the shock strut, and a shrink mechanism coupled to both the outer sleeve and the shock strut, where the shrink mechanism moves the shock strut relative to the outer sleeve. The shrink mechanism includes a shaft rotatably coupled to the outer sleeve, an anchor arm coupled to the shaft, a shrink arm coupled to the shaft, the shrink arm and the anchor arm being coupled to the shaft so as to rotate as a unit with the shaft about a shaft rotation axis, relative to the outer sleeve, at least 180° when the anchor arm is coupled to the structure within the wing of the aircraft, and a shrink link rotatably coupled to the shrink arm, the shrink link being configured to rotatably couple to the shock strut.

An aircraft includes a landing gear having a shock strut, an outer sleeve at least partially surrounding the shock strut, and a shrink mechanism coupled to both the outer sleeve and the shock strut, where the shrink mechanism moves the shock strut relative to the outer sleeve. The shrink mechanism includes a shaft rotatably coupled to the outer sleeve, an anchor arm coupled to the shaft, a shrink arm coupled to the shaft, the shrink arm and the anchor arm being coupled to the shaft so as to rotate as a unit with the shaft about a shaft rotation axis, relative to the outer sleeve, at least 180° when the anchor arm is coupled to the structure within the wing of the aircraft, and a shrink link rotatably coupled to the shrink arm, the shrink link being configured to rotatably couple to the shock strut.

An aircraft including a main landing gear compartment which comprises a rear transverse wall, and a base wall forming a sealed barrier between a first, pressurized area and a second, non-pressurized area. The main landing gear compartment includes a body, produced in a single piece from composite material, separating the first, pressurized area and the second, non-pressurized area. The body includes a first part corresponding to the base wall, as well as a second part corresponding to the rear transverse wall. At least two longitudinal beams made of composite material, are connected to the body. This single body makes it possible to eliminate a large number of parts, to simplify the assembly process, and to reduce the duration thereof.

An aircraft including a main landing gear compartment which comprises a rear transverse wall, and a base wall forming a sealed barrier between a first, pressurized area and a second, non-pressurized area. The main landing gear compartment includes a body, produced in a single piece from composite material, separating the first, pressurized area and the second, non-pressurized area. The body includes a first part corresponding to the base wall, as well as a second part corresponding to the rear transverse wall. At least two longitudinal beams made of composite material, are connected to the body. This single body makes it possible to eliminate a large number of parts, to simplify the assembly process, and to reduce the duration thereof.

We describe an aircraft design, which is capable of vertical takeoff and landing and also high-speed cruise on a fixed wing. The aircraft comprises a fuselage with a probe-deployment mechanism, which deploys a sample-gathering probe, located at a front end of the fuselage. A main wing is coupled to a middle section of the fuselage, wherein a right motor and right propeller are coupled to a right side of the main wing, and a left motor and left propeller are coupled to a left side of the main wing. The right and left propellers are angled with respect to the fuselage enabling the aircraft to pitch up to a vertical-takeoff mode and pitch down a horizontal-cruising mode. A pitch motor and pitch propeller are located at the rear end of the fuselage, wherein the pitch propeller is angled to provide substantially vertical thrust to control a pitch of the fuselage.