An aircraft defining longitudinal, lateral and vertical directions the aircraft comprising: a main wing and a tail, each being pivotable about the lateral direction (B); a plurality of main propellers mounted to the main wing, and configured to pivot with the main wing; at least one cruise propeller mounted to the tail, and configured to pivot with the tail; each main propeller being stowable from a deployed position to a stowed position; wherein each main propeller has a fixed pitch, and each cruise propeller has a variable pitch.

A transverse fan propulsion system includes a first transverse fan configured to rotate in a first direction, and a second transverse fan configured to rotate in a second direction. The second direction is opposite to the first direction. The second transverse fan is located coaxially with and radially inward of the first transverse fan.

A cross flow fan to be incorporated into an aircraft fuselage comprises an ingestion fan rotor to be positioned in a tail section of an aircraft fuselage to reduce boundary layer air from a top surface of the fuselage and to drive the air away from the top surface, and a drive arrangement for the ingestion fan rotor. An aircraft is also disclosed.

A cycloidal rotor air vehicle includes an airframe, a first cycloidal rotor assembly supported by the airframe and configured to rotate about a first axis of rotation relative to the airframe, the first cycloidal rotor assembly including a blade having a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the first axis of rotation, a first motor configured to rotate the first cycloidal rotor assembly about the first axis of rotation, a first servo coupled to the blade of the first cycloidal rotor assembly and configured to adjust the pitch of the blade, and a control system supported on the airframe and configured to control the operation of the first motor and the first servo.

A tiltrotor aircraft has a fuselage and a wing having upper and lower surfaces with a plurality of channels extending therebetween, each with a cycloidal rotor mounted therein. At least two pylon assemblies are rotatably coupled to the wing to selectively operate the tiltrotor aircraft between helicopter and airplane flight modes. Each pylon assembly includes a mast and a proprotor assembly operable to rotate with the mast to generate thrust. At least one engine provides torque and rotational energy to the proprotor assemblies and the propulsion assemblies. Each of the cycloidal rotors has a plurality of blades that travels in a generally circular path and has a plurality of pitch angle configurations such that each cycloidal rotor is operable to generate a variable thrust and a variable thrust vector, thereby providing vertical lift augmentation, roll control, yaw control and/or pitch control in the helicopter flight mode.

A variable thrust cross-flow fan system for an aircraft including a rotatable wing member having a first housing member; an actuator assembly operably coupled to the first housing member; and a variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly including a first and second driver plates having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted therebetween. The plurality of blades has a circular path of travel when rotating and includes a control assembly coupled to the plurality of blades to generate a variable thrust force. The control assembly includes a control cam that is substantially non-rotatable relative to the first and second driver plates and a hinge member that is fixedly connected to the control cam and to the first housing member at a hinge axis. Rotation of the first housing member by the actuator assembly imparts rotation of the control cam about the hinge axis, thereby changing the direction of the variable thrust force.

An aircraft capable of carrying at least 400 pounds of payload, has four rotors systems, each of the rotor systems being independently driven by an electric motor or other torque-producing source. Each of the rotor systems provide sufficient thrust such that the aircraft is capable of controlled vertical takeoff and landing, even if one of the variable pitch rotor is inoperable. An electronic control system is configured to control the rotational speed and pitch of at least one of the rotor systems in each of the first and second rotor pairs. The rotors may be arranged in coaxial stacks or may be otherwise configured.

An apparatus is provided, allowing vertical take-off and landing. The apparatus, a biplane, has a cockpit 1attached to a wings assembly 6 by hinges 3 fixed in the supports 7 of the wings. The cockpit having a limited swing possibility within the wings' support structure. The apparatus has four propellers 9, driven by engines 20, disposed two per wing; forming a quadcopter. The apparatus being managed by a computer 17 disposed in the upper wing, and take off being made with the wings and the engines vertically oriented. The apparatus takes off as a quadcopter, and then transitions to cruise flight by reducing the angle of incidence of the wings. Meanwhile, the cockpit 1 remains in a vertical position, due to its lower center of gravity and due to joints 3, which allow it to rotate relative to the wings assembly 6 through a central open area of the lower wing. Landing is made similarly to a quadcopter.

A tri-wing aircraft includes a fuselage having a longitudinally extending fuselage axis. Three wings extend generally radially outwardly from the fuselage axis and are circumferentially distributed generally uniformly about the fuselage at approximately 120-degree intervals. The wings have airfoil cross-sections including first and second surfaces having chordwise channels therebetween. A distributed propulsion system includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies. Each propulsion assembly includes a variable thrust cross-flow fan disposed within one of the chordwise channels of one of the wings. At least two variable thrust cross-flow fans are disposed within the chordwise channels of each of the wings. A flight control system is operably associated with the distributed propulsion system such that the flight control system and the distributed propulsion system are operable to generate a triaxial dynamic thrust matrix.

To eliminate stability issues in forward flight due to oncoming flow interfering with the flows produced inside the rotor, rotor shielding or enclosure are used giving it the ability to operate steadily at various forward speeds. Furthermore to improve performance and flows cycloidal rotor/propeller has blades travelling along generally non-circular and elongated track and is able to transition to a variety of other track shapes having corresponding blade orbit shapes. Track shape variation designs similar to such track designs for blade trajectory determination are used for the purpose of changing the blades pitch and their cross-sectional shape. One embodiment uses fixed elliptic shape track upon which run carriages connected to blade shafts. Said track can be inclined about its major axis thereby changing its shape projection onto the plane in which blades travel thus changing the elliptic shape of their orbit. Another embodiment during rotor's transitional phase of operation has computer controlled actuators dynamically varying the blades radial positions and thus their trajectory while each blade also runs on and flexes the track containing electro-rheological fluid in the pivots which, once desired orbital trajectory and corresponding track shape are reached and voltage is applied, instantly solidifies making the track rigid and the actuators disengage until the orbit has to change again. Third embodiment uses flexible track with size varying elements built-in; when these elements are activated in proper sequence by computer control system track flexes into shape corresponding to desired orbit shape. Fourth embodiment uses camshaft with continuous surface around which run rollers linked to blades. Camshaft's axial movement accomplishes change of camshaft cross-section shape being followed by rollers and accordingly results into orbit shape changes. Other embodiments feature the neutralization of centrifugal forces acting on the blades, adjustable shape and position vanes control the flows in, out and inside of rotor to further improve rotor performance, forward thrust and prevent rotorcraft destabilization.