A fixed-wing aerial underwater vehicle includes a shell component, a flight component and a pneumatic buoyancy component. The flight component includes a fixed wing and rotors, and the fixed wing and the rotors are mounted in the shell component. The pneumatic buoyancy component includes an air bladder and an inflation and deflation portion, and the inflation and deflation portion can inflate and deflate the air bladder. The air bladder is installed on the shell component, a containing space is formed in the shell component, and the inflation and deflation portion is partially or entirely installed in the containing space. Each rotor includes a rotor supporting rod, a motor base, a motor and a propeller, which are sequentially connected. A control method for the fixed-wing aerial underwater vehicle mentioned above is further provided.

An assembly is disclosed including a first component, a second component, and a spacer component. The first component has a first interface surface. The second component has a second interface surface with a curvature different to the curvature of the first interface surface. The second component is connected to the first component such that the second interface surfaces faces the first interface surface. The spacer component is disposed between the first interface surface and the second interface surface and is configured to be pivotable relative to the first interface surface.

A VTOL aircraft has fixed wings and a rotor blade system for providing lift in active and passive modes thereof. Operation of the rotor blade system may be switched between the active mode in which the rotor blade system is driven by a power system of the aircraft and the passive mode in which the rotor blade system is not driven by the power system, the rotor blade system being configurable to provide lift in the passive mode during forward flight of the aircraft. The rotor blade system provides lift in the passive mode, allowing the fixed wings to be shorter than in the case where the rotor system provides lift during vertical take-off and landing but otherwise has no function, thus providing aircraft which is lighter, more compact and more efficient than similar aircraft of the prior art.

An electric tandem rotorcraft is disclosed. The tandem rotorcraft can include a forward and an aft electric rotor assembly operably coupled to a fuselage of the rotor craft. The aft rotor assembly can be coupled to the fuselage via a tail structure. The rotorcraft can include a wing assembly that can be operably rotatable between a vertical lift configuration and a horizontal flight configuration. The wing assembly can be disposed between and/or below planes of rotation of the forward and aft rotor assemblies. The forward and aft rotor assemblies can have planes of rotation that overlap one another and may or may not intermesh. The forward and aft rotor assemblies can also be distanced such that their respective planes of rotation do not overlap.

An electric tandem rotorcraft is disclosed. The tandem rotorcraft can include a forward and an aft electric rotor assembly operably coupled to a fuselage of the rotor craft. The aft rotor assembly can be coupled to the fuselage via a tail structure. The rotorcraft can include a wing assembly that can be operably rotatable between a vertical lift configuration and a horizontal flight configuration. The wing assembly can be disposed between and/or below planes of rotation of the forward and aft rotor assemblies. The forward and aft rotor assemblies can have planes of rotation that overlap one another and may or may not intermesh. The forward and aft rotor assemblies can also be distanced such that their respective planes of rotation do not overlap.

A fully compounding rotorcraft includes a fuselage having first and second wings extending therefrom and configured to provide lift compounding responsive to forward airspeed. A twin boom includes first and second tail boom members that extend aftward from the first and second wings. An empennage is coupled between the aft ends of the tail boom members. An anti-torque system includes a tail rotor that is rotatably coupled to the empennage. An engine is disposed within the fuselage and is configured to provide torque to a main rotor assembly via an output shaft and a main rotor gearbox. An auxiliary propulsive system is coupled to the fuselage and is configured to generate a propulsive thrust to offload at least a portion of a thrust requirement from the main rotor during forward flight, thereby providing propulsion compounding to increase the forward airspeed of the rotorcraft.

A fully compounding rotorcraft includes a fuselage having first and second wings extending therefrom and configured to provide lift compounding responsive to forward airspeed. A twin boom includes first and second tail boom members that extend aftward from the first and second wings. An empennage is coupled between the aft ends of the tail boom members. An anti-torque system includes a tail rotor that is rotatably coupled to the empennage. An engine is disposed within the fuselage and is configured to provide torque to a main rotor assembly via an output shaft and a main rotor gearbox. An auxiliary propulsive system is coupled to the fuselage and is configured to generate a propulsive thrust to offload at least a portion of a thrust requirement from the main rotor during forward flight, thereby providing propulsion compounding to increase the forward airspeed of the rotorcraft.

An aircraft comprising two half-wings extending to either side of an airframe. The aircraft comprises at least one propeller arranged in the rear part of the airframe. The aircraft comprises a rotary wing provided with two synchronized counter-rotating rotors carried respectively by the half-wings. The aircraft comprises a power plant comprising at least one engine and a mechanical interconnection system connecting the power plant permanently to the rotors except in the event of failure and during training, and to the at least one propeller.

An aircraft comprising two half-wings extending to either side of an airframe. The aircraft comprises at least one propeller arranged in the rear part of the airframe. The aircraft comprises a rotary wing provided with two synchronized counter-rotating rotors carried respectively by the half-wings. The aircraft comprises a power plant comprising at least one engine and a mechanical interconnection system connecting the power plant permanently to the rotors except in the event of failure and during training, and to the at least one propeller.

An aircraft employs articulated, variable-position electric rotors having different operating configurations and transitions therebetween, as well as variable-pitch airfoils or blades, for generating vectored thrust in the different configurations. Control circuitry generates rotor position signals and blade pitch signals to independently control rotor thrust, rotor orientation and rotor blade pitch of the variable-position rotors in a manner providing (i) the transitions among the operating configurations for corresponding flight modes of the aircraft, which may include both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) mode as well as a forward-flight mode, and (ii) commanded thrust-vectoring maneuvering of the aircraft in the different configurations, including tailoring blade pitch to optimize aspects of aircraft performance.