A multicopter with boom mounted rotors is disclosed. In various embodiments, a multicopter includes multiple rotors, each mounted substantially horizontally on a distal end of a boom. The multicopter further includes a plurality of boom extensions, each boom extension being associated with a corresponding boom and each boom extension being configured to extend an associated distal end of said corresponding boom by an amount determined based at least in part on a swept area associated with a rotor mounted at or near said associated distal end. The multicopter includes a material, such as netting, secured to the aircraft and of a size sufficient to reach a far end of one or more of said boom extensions.

Airframes configured for stable in-flight transition between forward flight and vertical takeoff and landing are described herein. In one embodiment, an aircraft can include a fuselage, opposed wings extending from opposed sides of the fuselage, and a plurality of engines. At least one engine can be mounted to each of the opposed wings and at least a portion of each opposed wing including at least one of the plurality of engines can rotate relative to the fuselage around a rotation axis that is non-perpendicular and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage. Rotating portions of the wings including at least one of the plurality of engines in the described manner can provide a stable and smooth transition between vertical and forward flight.

Airframes configured for stable in-flight transition between forward flight and vertical takeoff and landing are described herein. In one embodiment, an aircraft can include a fuselage, opposed wings extending from opposed sides of the fuselage, and a plurality of engines. At least one engine can be mounted to each of the opposed wings and at least a portion of each opposed wing including at least one of the plurality of engines can rotate relative to the fuselage around a rotation axis that is non-perpendicular and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage. Rotating portions of the wings including at least one of the plurality of engines in the described manner can provide a stable and smooth transition between vertical and forward flight.

The invention relates to an aircraft for takeoff and landing on water or on land. The aircraft comprises a fuselage and a spring-mounted landing gear. Landing gear wheels are mountable on the landing gear for takeoff and landing on land. Furthermore, the aircraft comprises a floating device coupleable to the landing gear of the aircraft via a connecting device. The floating device is configured such that the hydrostatic lifting force of the floating device is greater than the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft.

The invention relates to an aircraft for takeoff and landing on water or on land. The aircraft comprises a fuselage and a spring-mounted landing gear. Landing gear wheels are mountable on the landing gear for takeoff and landing on land. Furthermore, the aircraft comprises a floating device coupleable to the landing gear of the aircraft via a connecting device. The floating device is configured such that the hydrostatic lifting force of the floating device is greater than the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft.

The invention provides a float plane having a fuselage, a wing, and two floats mounted to the fuselage. In one group of embodiments, the float plane is a firefighting float plane that includes a water tank and a water scooping assembly. In another group of embodiments, the float plane includes a spreader bar suspension assembly. In certain embodiments, the float plane is a firefighting float plane that includes a water tank, a water scooping assembly, and a spreader bar suspension assembly.

The invention provides a float plane having a fuselage, a wing, and two floats mounted to the fuselage. In one group of embodiments, the float plane is a firefighting float plane that includes a water tank and a water scooping assembly. In another group of embodiments, the float plane includes a spreader bar suspension assembly. In certain embodiments, the float plane is a firefighting float plane that includes a water tank, a water scooping assembly, and a spreader bar suspension assembly.

An aircraft includes a float which provides buoyancy when the aircraft floats on a surface of water. The aircraft also includes a rotor where the rotor is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane and blow a wake across a side of the float. The rotor and the float are positioned relative to each other such that there is no aerodynamic separation between the wake blown by the rotor and the side of the float.

An aircraft includes a float which provides buoyancy when the aircraft floats on a surface of water. The aircraft also includes a rotor where the rotor is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane and blow a wake across a side of the float. The rotor and the float are positioned relative to each other such that there is no aerodynamic separation between the wake blown by the rotor and the side of the float.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is movable between a retracted, or up, position and an extended, or down, position. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels may protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The landing gear actuator and transmission may operate all gear in concert. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement in the event of an inadvertent gear-up landing on terrain.