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.

A pressure deck system for a fuselage of an aircraft. The pressure deck system comprises a first sloping outboard pressure panel, a first longitudinal stiffener connected to the first sloping outboard pressure panel, a second sloping outboard pressure panel opposite the first sloping outboard pressure panel, a second longitudinal stiffener connected to the second sloping outboard pressure panel, pressure panels between the first sloping outboard pressure panel and the second sloping outboard pressure panel and forming the an upper barrier of a wheel well, longitudinal beams connected to the pressure panels and supporting a cabin floor of the fuselage, and a sloping pressure deck connecting a number of these components to the rear spar of the center wing box. A waterline of the pressure deck system is de-coupled from a side-of-body waterline in the fuselage.

A pressure deck system for a fuselage of an aircraft. The pressure deck system comprises a first sloping outboard pressure panel, a first longitudinal stiffener connected to the first sloping outboard pressure panel, a second sloping outboard pressure panel opposite the first sloping outboard pressure panel, a second longitudinal stiffener connected to the second sloping outboard pressure panel, pressure panels between the first sloping outboard pressure panel and the second sloping outboard pressure panel and forming the an upper barrier of a wheel well, longitudinal beams connected to the pressure panels and supporting a cabin floor of the fuselage, and a sloping pressure deck connecting a number of these components to the rear spar of the center wing box. A waterline of the pressure deck system is de-coupled from a side-of-body waterline in the fuselage.

A landing gear for use on an aircraft, the landing gear including a shock strut and an anti-rotation linkage. The shock strut is positioned at least partially within and guided in movement by a guide member coupled to a frame of the aircraft. The shock strut including an outer cylinder that is shaped and sized to engage the guide member where the guide member guides sliding movement of the outer cylinder, and where the outer cylinder is configured so as to be driven in the sliding movement relative to the guide member, and an inner cylinder disposed at least partly within the outer cylinder. The anti-rotation linkage including a connector plate coupled to the outer cylinder of the shock strut, and an anti-rotation link assembly coupled to both the guide member and the connector plate, the anti-rotation link assembly being configured to maintain the shock strut in a fixed rotational orientation relative to the guide member.

A landing gear for use on an aircraft, the landing gear including a shock strut and an anti-rotation linkage. The shock strut is positioned at least partially within and guided in movement by a guide member coupled to a frame of the aircraft. The shock strut including an outer cylinder that is shaped and sized to engage the guide member where the guide member guides sliding movement of the outer cylinder, and where the outer cylinder is configured so as to be driven in the sliding movement relative to the guide member, and an inner cylinder disposed at least partly within the outer cylinder. The anti-rotation linkage including a connector plate coupled to the outer cylinder of the shock strut, and an anti-rotation link assembly coupled to both the guide member and the connector plate, the anti-rotation link assembly being configured to maintain the shock strut in a fixed rotational orientation relative to the guide member.

A landing gear bay including a bottom wall which includes longitudinal beams and at least one panel forming an airtight barrier between first and second zones disposed on either side of the panel. The panel has first and second longitudinal edges each linked to one of the longitudinal beams. The second zone is configured to sustain a pressure greater than that of the first zone. The panel has a profile that is substantially constant in the longitudinal direction and includes at least one central part offset toward the second zone with respect to its first and second longitudinal edges. This solution makes it possible to limit the vertical stresses applied to the longitudinal beams by virtue of the pressure difference between the first and second zones.

A landing gear bay including a bottom wall which includes longitudinal beams and at least one panel forming an airtight barrier between first and second zones disposed on either side of the panel. The panel has first and second longitudinal edges each linked to one of the longitudinal beams. The second zone is configured to sustain a pressure greater than that of the first zone. The panel has a profile that is substantially constant in the longitudinal direction and includes at least one central part offset toward the second zone with respect to its first and second longitudinal edges. This solution makes it possible to limit the vertical stresses applied to the longitudinal beams by virtue of the pressure difference between the first and second zones.

A structural assembly for an aircraft having pairs of main gantries distributed in the longitudinal direction, two transverse panels fixed to the front and the rear of the pairs of main gantries to together define a compartment for a landing gear of the aircraft, at least one pair of secondary gantries between the main gantries, at least one crossmember parallel to the transverse panels and that straddles at least one secondary gantry, and, for each secondary gantry and each crossmember straddling the secondary gantry, a connecting rod mounted to be able to freely rotate, via a first end, on a lower part of the crossmember and, via a second end, on an outer lateral part of the secondary gantry. Such an arrangement reduces the vertical bulk of the structural assembly.

A structural assembly for an aircraft having pairs of main gantries distributed in the longitudinal direction, two transverse panels fixed to the front and the rear of the pairs of main gantries to together define a compartment for a landing gear of the aircraft, at least one pair of secondary gantries between the main gantries, at least one crossmember parallel to the transverse panels and that straddles at least one secondary gantry, and, for each secondary gantry and each crossmember straddling the secondary gantry, a connecting rod mounted to be able to freely rotate, via a first end, on a lower part of the crossmember and, via a second end, on an outer lateral part of the secondary gantry. Such an arrangement reduces the vertical bulk of the structural assembly.

Systems and methods for landing gear arrangements are provided. In various embodiments, a landing gear arrangement may comprise a first composite layer, the first composite layer having a cylindrical geometry, a metallic ring comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the metallic ring perimetrically surrounding at least a portion of the first composite layer, the inner surface being in contact with the first composite layer, a metallic connecting tab extending away from the outer surface, and a second composite layer at least partially perimetrically surrounding the metallic ring and at least partially perimetrically surrounding the first composite layer, the outer surface being in contact with the second composite layer.