A hybrid-electric powertrain system for aircraft includes a gearbox having a first rotary shaft for output to drive an air mover for aircraft thrust. The system includes a first prime mover connected by a second rotary shaft to the gearbox for power input to the gearbox. Further, the system includes a second prime mover connected by a third rotary shaft to the gearbox. The second prime mover can have a hollow core, and at least one of the first and second rotary shafts passes through the hollow core and the third rotary shaft.

An aircraft power system includes an internal combustion core engine where an inlet airflow is mixed with a fuel and ignited to generate shaft power and a primary gas flow, a boost combustor where a portion of the primary gas flow from the core engine is combined with fuel and ignited to generate a boosted gas flow, and a drive turbine that includes a drive output shaft wherein the boosted gas flow is expanded to generate shaft power.

A gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprises, in axial flow sequence, a compressor module, a combustor module, and a turbine module, with a first electric machine being rotationally connected to the turbine module. The first electrical machine is configured to generate a maximum electrical power P.sub.EM1 (W), and the gas turbine engine is configured to generate a maximum dry thrust T (N); and a ratio S of: $S=\frac{\left(\mathrm{Maximum}\mathrm{Electrical}\mathrm{Power}\mathrm{Generated}=P_{EM1}\right)}{\left(\mathrm{Maximum}\mathrm{Dry}\mathrm{Thrust}=T\right)}$
is in a range of between 2.0 and 10.0.

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 rotary wing aircraft having an electrical installation including at least one thermopile for powering at least one piece of electrical load equipment. Technical specifications for the thermopile specify: a usable power for supplying to the load equipment in the range 20 W to 200 kW, a power rise time lapse lying in the range 3 s to 30 s, and a low operating time for usefully supplying a predetermined quantity of electrical energy lying in the range 10 s to 180 s. The invention applies in particular to rotary wing aircraft.

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.

Hybrid turbine engines and methods of operating the same are disclosed herein. The hybrid turbine engines include a first thrust-generating device that includes a turbine with a turbine rotary shaft and a clutch, which includes a clutch input, which is operatively coupled to the turbine rotary shaft, and a clutch output. The clutch defines an engaged state and a disengaged state. The hybrid turbine engines also include a rotary electric machine including a machine rotary shaft that is operatively coupled to the clutch output, a second thrust-generating device that is operatively coupled to the machine rotary shaft, and an electric power system. The rotary electric machine is configured to selectively receive an electric power output from the electric power system, such as to selectively produce additional thrust, and to selectively receive in an input torque from the machine rotary shaft, such as to selectively produce additional electric power.

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one rotor motor. The rotor motor is powered by a micro hybrid generation system. The micro hybrid generator system comprises a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor, a small engine configured to generate mechanical power, a generator motor coupled to the small engine and configured to generate AC power using the mechanical power generated by the small engine, a bridge rectifier configured to convert the AC power generated by the generator motor to DC power and provide the DC power to either or both the rechargeable battery and the at least one rotor motor, and an electronic control unit configured to control a throttle of the small engine based, at least in part, on a power demand of at least one load, the at least one load including the at least one rotor motor.

A hypersonic vehicle includes a body; a first engine secured to the body, the first engine is configured to create forward thrust at a first flight regime; a second engine secured to the body, the second engine is configured to create forward thrust at a second flight regime; and the hypersonic vehicle transitions between the first engine and the second engine during the first flight regime and the second flight regime.

The invention concerns an aircraft propulsion system having an engine core within which fuel is combusted to produce an exhaust containing water produced from the combustion of fuel, at least one propulsive fan for generating a mass flow of air which mixes with the exhaust of the engine core, and one or more sensor arranged to sense a condition indicative of vapor trail formation by the exhaust flow from the engine; and a controller arranged to control the ratio of the mass flow of water in the exhaust to the mass flow of air propulsed by the propulsive fan such that the ratio is reduced upon sensing of said condition by the one or more sensor.