An unmanned aircraft includes a propulsion system having a diesel or kerosene internal combustion engine and a charger device for engine charging. The propulsion system can be a hybrid propulsion system or a parallel hybrid propulsion system.

Methods and systems for a full-scale vertical takeoff and landing manned or unmanned aircraft, having an all-electric, low-emission or zero-emission lift and propulsion system, an integrated highway in the sky avionics system for navigation and guidance, a tablet-based motion command, or mission planning system to provide the operator with drive-by-wire style direction control, and automatic on-board-capability to provide traffic awareness, weather display and collision avoidance. Automatic computer monitoring by a programmed triple-redundant digital autopilot computer controls each motor-controller and motor to produce pitch, bank, yaw and elevation, while simultaneously restricting the flight regime that the pilot can command, to protect the pilot from inadvertent potentially harmful acts that might lead to loss of control or loss of vehicle stability. By using the results of the state measurements to inform motor control commands, the methods and systems contribute to the operational simplicity, reliability and safety of the vehicle.

The electrical machine according to the invention is a dual machine, and comprises a first machine which can be reversed and a second machine functioning through induction between two windings. The second machine can be used for de-icing a propeller, the induction-receiving winding being mounted on the propeller shaft. The first electrical machine can function as an electrical engine to taxi the aircraft. In certain embodiments, the winding mounted on the stator is common to the two machines and different magnetic flows are utilised to control them. A separate functioning of the two machines and a very good integration into the aircraft engine, with space-saving and low mass, are possible.

The disclosure is directed to an optionally hybrid power system that may operate either as a traditional power system, deriving power from a single power source, or as a hybrid power system, deriving power from multiple types of power sources. An example optionally hybrid power system may include a gas turbine engine and one or more electric motors. When configured as a traditional power system the optionally hybrid power system may derive all power from the gas turbine engine. However, when configured as a hybrid power system, the one or more motors may be coupled to the optionally hybrid power system to supplement the power produced by the gas turbine engine. Additionally, an operator interface that may control the optionally hybrid power system may select from a plurality of operating modes that depend on the configuration of the optionally hybrid power system.

An aircraft including trailing edge flaps, a wing mounted propulsor positioned such that the flaps are located in a slipstream of the first propulsor in use when deployed. The aircraft further including a thrust vectorable propulsor configured to selectively vary the exhaust efflux vector of the propulsor in at least one plane. The thrust vectorable propulsor includes a ducted fan configurable between a first mode, in which the fan provides net forward thrust to the aircraft, and a second mode in which the fan provides net drag to the aircraft. The fan is positioned to ingest a boundary layer airflow in use when operating in the first mode.

A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section and a turbine section together defining a core air flowpath. Additionally, a rotary component is rotatable with at least a portion of the compressor section and at least a portion of the turbine section. An electric machine is mounted coaxially with the rotary component and positioned at least partially inward of the core air flowpath along a radial direction of the gas turbine engine. A cavity wall defines at least in part a buffer cavity surrounding at least a portion of the electric machine to thermally insulate the electric machine, e.g., from the relatively high temperatures within the core air flowpath.

UAV configurations and battery augmentation for UAV internal combustion engines, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A representative configuration includes a fuselage, first and second wings coupled to and pivotable relative to the fuselage, and a plurality of lift rotors carried by the fuselage. A representative battery augmentation arrangement includes a DC-powered motor, an electronic speed controller, and a genset subsystem coupled to the electronic speed controller. The genset subsystem can include a battery set, an alternator, and a motor-gen controller having a phase control circuit configurable to rectify multiphase AC output from the alternator to produce rectified DC feed to the DC-powered motor. The motor-gen controller is configurable to draw DC power from the battery set to produce the rectified DC feed.

An electric propulsion system includes at least one generator. The electric propulsion system also includes at least one drive engine coupled to the at least one generator. The electric propulsion system further includes at least one electrical device. The electric propulsion system also includes at least one battery integrated isolated power converter (BIIC), where the at least one generator and at least one of the at least one BIIC and the at least one electrical device are coupled, and where the at least one BIIC and the at least one electrical device are coupled.

A hybrid rotary aircraft includes a body having an inner area; a plurality of arms rigidly attached to and extending from the body; a plurality of rotor assemblies pivotally engaged with the plurality of arms; a first gas engine; and a first brushless electric generator rotatably attached to the first gas engine and conductively coupled to each of the brushless electric motors. The plurality of rotor assemblies each having a brushless electric motor; and a rotor blades rotatably attached to the brushless electric motor.

A multi-hybrid aircraft engine that includes a primary compressor 1, a multiplier 199 comprising a drive block, a driven block, driven block pistons 54, and primary shafts 78 and 41; an output shaft 105, and a speed regulator 167. The multi-hybrid aircraft engine is configured such that the primary compressor 1 is fluidly connected to the drive block 46 which is mechanically connected to the driven block 57. The primary compressor 1 pumps compressible fluid to the drive block 46 through the speed regulator 167 to drive the drive block 46, which in turn, drives the primary shafts 78 and 41. The primary shafts 78 and 41 drive the driven block 57, which pumps fluid via the driven block pistons 54, to the drive block 46 through the speed regulator 167 to increase the flow rate of compressible fluid within the multi-hybrid aircraft engine. Furthermore, the driven block 57 provides a shaft 68 that is connected to sets of planetary gears 62 connected to an output shaft 105 that drives a propeller 186.