A yaw control system for a helicopter having an airframe that includes a tailboom includes one or more tail rotors rotatably coupled to the tailboom and a flight control computer implementing an airframe protection module. The airframe protection module includes an airframe protection monitoring module configured to monitor one or more flight parameters of the helicopter and an airframe protection command module configured to modify one or more operating parameters of the one or more tail rotors based on the one or more flight parameters of the helicopter, thereby protecting the airframe of the helicopter.

A yaw control system for a helicopter having a tailboom and a forward flight mode includes a surface coupled to the tailboom, one or more tail rotors coupled to the surface, a flight control computer implementing a yaw controller having a rudder control module and a tail rotor rotational speed reduction module and a rudder rotatably coupled to the surface. The tail rotor rotational speed reduction module is configured to selectively switch the one or more tail rotors into a rotational speed reduction mode in the helicopter forward flight mode. The rudder control module is configured to rotate the rudder in the rotational speed reduction mode of the one or more tail rotors to control the yaw of the helicopter.

The present invention includes a system and method for slowing the rotation of a rotor using, for example, rotor brake system for a rotorcraft comprising: one or more generators connected to a main rotor gearbox; an electric distributed anti-torque system mounted on a tail boom of the rotorcraft comprising two or more electric motors connected to the one or more generators, wherein the two or more electric motors are connected to one or more blades; and wherein a rotation of the rotor is slowed by placing a drive load on the main rotor gearbox with the one or more generators to bleed the mechanical power from rotor into electrical power via the two or more electric motors, wherein the electric distributed anti-torque system generates thrust in opposing directions.

An anti-torque assembly for a helicopter includes a plurality of fans pivotably mountable to a tail boom. The fans have fan blades rotatable about a fan axis. One or more of the fans is pivotable relative to the tail boom to a first configuration. The fan axes in the first configuration have an upright orientation and the fans are operable to one or both of pitch and roll the helicopter. Different fans are operable to generate thrust to provide anti-torque to the helicopter. A method of providing anti-torque and method of changing an attitude of a helicopter are also provided.

The present invention includes an a plurality of first variable speed motors mounted on a tail boom of the helicopter; one or more fixed pitch blades attached to each of the plurality of first variable speed motors; and wherein a speed of one or more of the plurality of first variable speed motors is varied to provide an anti-torque thrust.

Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a ducted rotor assembly. The ducted rotor assembly includes a housing having a duct, a rotor drive mechanism coupled to a rotor system, and a plurality of stators that both structurally support the rotor drive mechanism within the duct of the housing and carry a fluid through internal fluid passages in the plurality of stators to provide cooling to the rotor drive mechanism. Some of the stators carry fluid to the rotor drive mechanism, where the fluid absorbs heat from the rotor drive mechanism, and some of the stators carry fluid away from the rotor drive mechanism. The rotor system generates an airflow over the stators carrying fluid away from the rotor drive mechanism to effect transfer between the fluid and the airflow.

A rotor comprises at least two rotor blades, and each rotor blade of the at least two rotor blades rotates around a rotor axis and performs pitching around a pitch axis. The rotor axis and the pitch axis intersect in a rotor center. The rotor is characterized in that each rotor blade comprises at least one permanent magnet having a first spherical magnet surface. Each rotor blade further comprises a pitch control apparatus for controlling the pitching of the at least two rotor blades. The pitch control apparatus comprises electrically controlled magnets having a second spherical magnet surface.

An anti-torque system (10) for a helicopter (1) is described that comprises: an electric power supply unit (15); at least one first rotor (17), operatively connected to an electric power supply unit (15) and operable by the electric power supply unit (15) so as to rotate with a first variable angular speed; and at least one second rotor (25) operatively connected to electric power supply unit (15) and operable by the electric power supply unit (15) so as to rotate with a second variable angular speed.

A tail rotor assembly coupled to a tailboom of a helicopter includes a tail rotor gearbox having top, bottom and aft sides and a shroud surrounding the tail rotor gearbox. The shroud includes a shroud airframe having top and bottom portions. The tail rotor assembly includes a tail rotor gearbox support assembly configured to support the tail rotor gearbox within the shroud. The tail rotor gearbox support assembly includes a support column coupling the aft side of the tail rotor gearbox between the top and bottom portions of the shroud airframe, an upper support crossbar coupling the top side of the tail rotor gearbox between the support column and the tailboom airframe and a lower support crossbar coupling the bottom side of the tail rotor gearbox between the support column and the tailboom airframe.

A yaw control system coupled to a tailboom of a helicopter includes tail rotors. The tail rotors include a clockwise tail rotor and a counterclockwise tail rotor. The clockwise tail rotor is configured to rotate in a first rotational direction. The counterclockwise tail rotor is configured to rotate in a second rotational direction, the second rotational direction opposite of the first rotational direction.