[Object] To maximize static thrust of a ducted fan.

[Solving Means] This ducted fan 1 includes a duct 10, a fan 20, a motor 30, a housing 40, and stators 50. The fan 20 includes a hub 21 disposed concentric with the duct 10 and four blades 22 arranged at equal intervals on the outer circumference of the hub 21. A chord length CL of the blade 22 gradually decreases toward a tip 22A from the root. In contrast, the chord length CL of the blade 22 increases to the tip 21B from a tip vicinity portion 22B.

An end seal device for a high-lift device on an airfoil leading edge of an airfoil includes an end seal body configured to be coupled to the airfoil and having a seal body spanwise portion and a seal end. The end seal body is configured to be in a seal extended position when the high-lift device is in a device extended position. The seal body spanwise portion is disposed adjacent to the aircraft body or the airfoil leading edge and the seal end is disposed adjacent to a device end of the high-lift device when the end seal body is in the seal extended position and the high-lift device is in the device extended position. The end seal body in the seal extended position fills a discontinuity otherwise occurring between the device end and the aircraft body or airfoil leading edge if the end seal body were omitted.

An aircraft having a blended-wing-body configuration includes a centerbody, a pair of wings, at least one pair of engines, a pair of air inlets, and a pair of exhaust outlets. The centerbody has an airfoil-shaped cross section, an aircraft centerline, an aft portion, an upper mold line, a lower mold line, and a pair of centerbody leading edge portions respectively on opposite sides of the aircraft centerline. The wings are integral with the centerbody. The pair of engines are located on opposite sides of the aircraft centerline and are mounted within the centerbody between the upper mold line and the lower mold line. The pair of air inlets are located respectively along the centerbody leading edge portions and are respectively fluidly coupled to the pair of engines. The pair of exhaust outlets our located in the aft portion of the centerbody and our respectively fluidly coupled to the pair of engines.

Technologies for providing noise shielding are described herein. In some examples, noise shields are installed proximate to one or more of the main engines of the aircraft. The noise shields can be extended during terminal operations and retracted during flight operations.

An osculating cone theory-based fixed-plane waverider design method, comprising the following steps: (1) establishing an equation (I) between a leading-edge sweepback angle of a waverider, and ICC and FCT, and (2) according to the equation in (l), designating a leading edge of the waverider as a straight line with a fixed tangent angle , then giving one of the ICC or FCT, that is .sub.1 or .sub.2 being already known, to solve the distribution of .sub.1 or .sub.2, and then generating an outline of the waverider by utilizing a traditional osculating cone method.

A tandem wing aircraft having a fore wing, an aft wing, and a middle wing, attached relative to the aircraft and each other such that the middle wing provides a substantial portion of the total lift at landing speeds, and a minimal portion of the total lift at cruise speeds. At cruise speeds, induced drag is minimized, permitting higher speeds, greater fuel efficiency, and/or greater payload. Advantageously, the wing loading at cruise speeds is higher providing better passenger comfort while still providing controllability and safety at landing speeds.

Methods and systems for longitudinal control of aircraft during flight are disclosed. One method comprises receiving a commanded normal acceleration of the aircraft and computing a target pitch rate for the aircraft based on the commanded normal acceleration. The target pitch rate is used in a control technique for controlling one or more flight control surfaces of the aircraft to achieve the target pitch rate for the aircraft. The control technique can include (e.g., incremental) nonlinear dynamics inversion.

Technologies for providing emergency egress routes for a blended wing body aircraft are described herein. In some examples, the emergency egress routes are through a side cabin bulkhead and aft one or more cargo holds. In some examples, the blended wing body aircraft has wings that are high geometry wings. In these examples, the emergency egress routes do not penetrate an aft spar, reducing weight and increasing the integrity of the aircraft.

Technologies for providing blended wing body aircraft control surfaces are described herein. In some examples, one or more of the control surfaces have angular configurations that reduce the formation of air vortexes when in upward or downward configurations, thereby reducing the drag on the aircraft when the control surfaces are being used.

Described herein is vehicle comprising a body. The vehicle also comprises a cargo door assembly, coupled to the body. The cargo door assembly comprises a first door, movable, relative to the body, between a first closed position and a first open position. The cargo door assembly also comprises a first aerodynamics control surface, coupled to the first door and selectively movable relative to the first door. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 1 of the present disclosure.