Aspects relate to blended wing body tankers and methods of use. An exemplary blended wing body tanker includes a blended wing body, a first fuel store located within the blended wing body and configured to store a first fuel, a fuel offloading system operatively connected to the first fuel store and configured to offload the first fuel to another aircraft in flight, a second fuel store located within the blended wing body and configured to store a second fuel different from the first fuel, and a propulsion system powered by the second fuel and configured to propel the blended wing body.

An aircraft includes an airframe having a fixed-wing section and a plurality of articulated electric rotors, at least some of which are variable-position rotors having different operating configurations based on rotor position. A first operating configuration is a vertical-flight configuration in which the rotors generate primarily vertical thrust for vertical flight, and a second operating configuration is a horizontal-flight configuration in which the rotors generate primarily horizontal thrust for horizontal fixed-wing flight. Control circuitry independently controls rotor thrust and rotor orientation of the variable-position rotors to provide thrust-vectoring maneuvering. The fixed-wing section may employ removable wing panels so the aircraft can be deployed both in fixed-wing and rotorcraft configurations for different missions.

Aspects relate to an aircraft having a controllable center of gravity and methods of controlling the center of gravity. An exemplary aircraft having a controllable center of gravity includes a first tank configured to store a first portion of a ballast, a second tank configured to store a second portion of the ballast disposed substantially aft of the first tank, at least a pipe configured to provide fluidic communication between the first tank and the second tank, at least a pump configured to pump the ballast bidirectionally between the first tank and the second tank by way of the at least a pipe, and a controller in communication with the at least a pump and configured to control a ballast ratio of the first portion of the ballast relative the second portion of the ballast and affect an aircraft center of gravity.

A multi-segment oblique flying wing aircraft which has three distinct segments including two outer wing segments and a central wing segment. The central segment may be thicker in the vertical direction and adapted to hold pilots and passengers. The outer wing segments may be substantially thinner and may taper as they progress outboard from the wing center. The multi-segment oblique flying wing aircraft be adapted for rotating into a high speed flight configuration, or may be adapted for take-off and cruise at a constant angle. In an extreme flight case, the central wing segment may rotate to a local sweep of ninety degrees.

The present disclosure is directed to a blended wing body aircraft including a blended wing body, wherein the blended wing body is characterized by having no clear dividing line between wings and a main body along a leading edge of the aircraft, at least a rib, wherein the at least a rib runs longitudinally from fore to aft of the main body, and a plurality of transparent panels located in the top surface of the main body, wherein the plurality of transparent panels are located in channels, wherein the channels are separated by the at least a rib.

Systems and methods for mechanically rotating an aircraft about its center-of-gravity (C.sub.G) are disclosed. The system can enable the rear, or main, landing gear to squat, while the nose landing gear raises to generate a positive angle of attack for the aircraft for takeoff or landing. The system can also enable the nose gear and main gear to return to a relatively level fuselage attitude for ground operations. The system can include one or more hydraulically linked hydraulic cylinders to control the overall height of the nose gear and the main gear. Because the hydraulic cylinders are linked, a change on the length of the nose cylinder generates a proportional, and opposite, change in the length of the main cylinder, and vice-versa. A method and control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of the nose gear and main gear is also disclosed.

Systems and methods for mechanically rotating an aircraft about its center-of-gravity (C.sub.G) are disclosed. The system can enable the rear, or main, landing gear to squat, while the nose landing gear raises to generate a positive angle of attack for the aircraft for takeoff or landing. The system can also enable the nose gear and main gear to return to a relatively level fuselage attitude for ground operations. The system can include one or more hydraulically linked hydraulic cylinders to control the overall height of the nose gear and the main gear. Because the hydraulic cylinders are linked, a change on the length of the nose cylinder generates a proportional, and opposite, change in the length of the main cylinder, and vice-versa. A method and control system for monitoring and controlling the relative positions of the nose gear and main gear is also disclosed.

Aspects related to aircraft for commercial air travel and methods of manufacture. An exemplary aircraft includes a blended wing body, a single deck located within the blended wing body, wherein the single deck additionally includes a passenger compartment located in a lateral middle portion of the blended wing body and at least a cargo store located laterally outside the passenger compartment, and a landing gear, wherein the landing gear includes at least a nose gear located substantially forward of the single deck and at least a main gear located substantially aft of the single deck, wherein one or more of the at least a nose gear and the at least a main gear occupies a gear housing that overlaps with a plane coincident with at least a portion of the single deck.

A flow body for an aircraft includes a skin having a first flow surface, having a flow influencing section with at least one first layer, at least one separator layer, at least one third layer, and at least one base layer. The first layer includes lithiated carbon fibers embedded into a matrix to form a negative electrode. The third layer includes carbon fibers with an electrode active material coating to form a positive electrode. The separator layer includes a non-conductive material for electrically isolating the first layer and the third layer from each other. The flow influencing section is configured for selectively raising a region of the arrangement of first layer, separator layer and third layer from the base layer upon application of a voltage between the first and third layers to form a bump on the flow body.

A blended wing body aircraft includes a body section having an aerodynamic lifting surface. The body section includes an upper body and a lower body. The blended wing body aircraft also includes a plurality of blended wing sections further defining the body section. The blended wing body aircraft includes one or more grooves in the body section. The one or more grooves extend from the upper body towards the lower body. The blended wing body aircraft further includes one or more open-fan engines mounted at least partially within the one or more grooves. The one or more open-fan engines ingest a portion of a boundary layer of the blended wing body aircraft.