In some embodiments, an aircraft includes a fuselage having a forward portion and an aft portion. First and second ducted fans are supported by the forward portion of the fuselage. The first and second ducted fans are tiltable relative to the fuselage between a generally horizontal orientation, in a vertical takeoff and landing mode, and a generally vertical orientation, in a forward flight mode. A tailboom having an aft station extends from the aft portion of the fuselage. A cross-flow fan is disposed in the aft station of the tailboom and is operable to generate a pitch control moment.

In some embodiments, a rotorcraft includes a fuselage, a tailboom, a drive system and a variable thrust cross-flow fan system. The cross-flow fan system includes a cross-flow fan assembly that is mechanically coupled to a drive shaft and operable to rotate with the drive shaft about a longitudinal axis. The cross-flow fan assembly includes first and second driver plates having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted therebetween. The blades are disposed radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis and have a generally circular path of travel when the cross-flow fan assembly rotates about the longitudinal axis. The blades are moveable between a plurality of pitch angle configurations. A control assembly is coupled to the blades. The control assembly is operable to change the pitch angle configuration of the blades to generate variable thrust at a substantially constant rotational speed of the cross-flow fan assembly.

The disclosure pertains to a battery-powered personal flying apparatus comprising a body structure adapted to support and detachably couple user thereto, and a pair of wings rotationally coupled to opposite sides of the body structure. The wings preferably comprise at least a humerus portion and radius portion. The radius portion is configured to rotate relative to the humerus and, during use, the wings mimic the motion of bird flight. The disclosure further pertains to a method of facilitating human flight using the personal flying apparatus comprising the steps of maintaining the user's torso and legs in an inline and generally horizontal position, moving a pair of wings having a humerus rotatably coupled to a radius simultaneously through a wing flight pattern, and repeating the wing fight pattern to maintain flight of the user.