Electrically powered Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft are presented. Contemplated VTOL aircraft can include one or more electrical energy stores capable of delivering electrical power to one or more electric motors disposed within one or more propeller housings, where the motors can drive the propellers. The VTOL aircraft can also include one or more back-up and/or secondary energy/power sources (e.g., batteries, engines, generators, fuel-cells, semi-cells, etc.) capable of driving the motors should the energy stores fail or deplete. The VTOL aircraft will be significantly different to regular Tiltrotor aircraft as we use propellers and a modern steering system that reduces complicity dramatically. The contemplated configurations address safety, noise, and hover stability and outwash concerns to allow such designs to operate in built-up areas while retaining competitive performance relative to existing aircraft.

A system and method enabled to increase efficiency during a VTOL aircraft's transition. A VTOL aircraft enabled to operate multiple lift fans arranged into separately controllable groups, wherein the VTOL aircraft initially has vertical flight but transitions to horizontal flight. A first group of lift fans may be kept at full throttle, a second group of lift fans may be throttled to balance thrust and/or weight, and a third group of lift fans may be shut off.

A hybrid power system for a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft including a first power source operable to provide a power output for at least a forward flight mode; and a second power source configured to provide a high specific power output for an altitude adjustment flight mode, the second power source including an auxiliary gas generator coupled to a turbine and a drive system. In other aspects, there is provided a VTOL aircraft and methods for providing power to a VTOL aircraft.

A flying car that does not require complex transformation between a car and an aircraft, the flying car can quickly take off from a land, such as road or parking, and can land on the road or parking. The flying car is of triangular shape having a broad front and narrow rear. Three motorized members are coupled to three corners of a frame of the flying car. Each of the three motorized members includes a wheel assembly that includes a wheel and a wheel frame, an inner ring and an outer ring coupled to each other, and both mounted to the wheel frame. A fan mounted on the inner ring and one or more turbines mounted on the outer ring.

A hybrid power system for a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft including a first power source operable to provide a power output for at least a forward flight mode; and a second power source configured to provide a high specific power output for an altitude adjustment flight mode, the second power source including an auxiliary gas generator coupled to a turbine and a drive system. In other aspects, there is provided a VTOL aircraft and methods for providing power to a VTOL aircraft.

A hybrid propulsion system with controllers and a drive shaft of a helicopter with a main rotor connected to a gearbox which can keep a flight attitude set by a pilot stable. It includes a pilot controller, a combustion engine and an electric motor, both of which act directly on the drive shaft. The VM is connected to a VM controller, and the EM is connected to an EM controller. One torque sensor and one tachometer are each arranged on the drive shaft, wherein during operation both the VM controller and the EM controller are able to receive values for the current speed and the current torque. Specified values for speed and torque, in which the VM can attain its optimum efficiency, are stored in memory and can be retrieved by the EM controller, wherein the first value can also be retrieved by the VM controller.

A convertible rotor aircraft (CRA) able to convert between airplane and helicopter flight modes during flight, comprising: at least one tillable proprotor assembly (TPA) comprising a proprotor that is tiltable to change the axis of rotation of the proprotor between a substantially horizontal airplane mode and a substantially vertical helicopter mode; and a main rotor system for providing lift during helicopter mode comprising at least one rotor, which produces airflow that flows through at least a portion the proprotor blades of the at least one TPA.

An improved unmanned aerial vehicular system having a rotor head assembly with any balanced number of rotary wings or blades, a generally tubular body assembly, a gimballed neck connecting the head to the body, and a navigation, communications and control unit such as for military and humanitarian operations, including payload delivery and pickup. The vehicle is generally guided using a global positioning satellite signal, and by pre-programmed or real time targeting. The vehicle is generally electrically powered and may be launched by one of (a) hand-launch, (b) air-drop, (c) catapult, (d) tube-launch, or (e) sea launch, and is capable of landing on both static and dynamic targets. Once launched, unmanned aerial vehicles may be formed into arrays on a target area and find use in surveillance, warfare, and in search-and-rescue operations.

An apparatus for facilitating propulsion of a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a housing with an interior space, an inlet, and an outlet, a propulsion mechanism, and a gimbal. The propulsion mechanism is disposed in the interior space and comprises and an upper rotor and a lower rotor rotatably mounted on a first portion and a second portion of a spindle. The upper rotor rotates in a first direction and the lower rotor rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Upper rotor blades have a first blade pitch and lower rotor blades have a second blade pitch opposite to the first blade pitch. The rotating of the upper rotor and the lower rotor creates a fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet for generating a directional thrust. The gimbal rotatably attaches the propulsion mechanism to the housing. The housing is rotatable for vectoring the directional thrust.

An improved unmanned aerial vehicular system having a rotor head assembly with any balanced number of rotary wings or blades, a generally tubular body assembly, a gimballed neck connecting the head to the body, and a navigation, communications and control unit such as for military and humanitarian operations, including payload delivery and pickup. The vehicle is generally guided using a global positioning satellite signal, and by pre-programmed or real time targeting. The vehicle is generally electrically powered and may be launched by one of (a) hand-launch, (b) air-drop, (c) catapult, (d) tube-launch, or (e) sea launch, and is capable of landing on both static and dynamic targets. Once launched, unmanned aerial vehicles may be formed into arrays on a target area and find use in surveillance, warfare, and in search-and-rescue operations.