An aircraft piston engine magneto having a magnetic rotor and an ignition circuit with a reconfigurable charging coil inductively coupled to magnetic rotor. The charging coil includes multiple coils inductively powered by the magnetic rotor and electronically reconfigurable from a higher turn, lower amperage power coil for use when running at low speeds into a lower turn, higher amperage coil at higher speeds. The charging coil is configured into the higher turn coil by electronically connecting the multiple coils in series, and into the lower turn power coil by electronically connecting the coils in parallel. The ignition circuit is a fully electronic ignition circuit that generates and distributes ignition pulses to the piston engine spark plugs using only non-mechanically actuated electrical components within the magneto.

A personal flight vehicle including a platform base assembly that provides a surface upon which the feet of an otherwise free-standing person are positionable, and including a plurality of axial flow propulsion systems positioned about a periphery of the platform base assembly. The propulsion systems generate a thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the platform base assembly, where the thrust flow is unobstructed by the platform base assembly. The thrust flow has a sufficient intensity to provide vertical takeoff and landing, flight, hovering and locomotion maneuvers. The vehicle allows the pilot to control the spatial orientation of the platform base assembly by the movement, preferably direct, of at least part of his or her body, and the spatial movement of the vehicle is thus controlled

A personal flight vehicle including a platform base assembly that provides a surface upon which the feet of an otherwise free-standing person are positionable, and including a plurality of axial flow propulsion systems positioned about a periphery of the platform base assembly. The propulsion systems generate a thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the platform base assembly, where the thrust flow is unobstructed by the platform base assembly. The thrust flow has a sufficient intensity to provide vertical takeoff and landing, flight, hovering and locomotion maneuvers. The vehicle allows the pilot to control the spatial orientation of the platform base assembly by the movement, preferably direct, of at least part of his or her body, and the spatial movement of the vehicle is thus controlled

Provided is a high efficiency long range drone, and more particularly, a high efficiency long range drone capable of increasing flight time and efficiently using power during long range cruising flight by selectively using the power among an engine generator and a battery and applying an auxiliary wing.

Provided is a high efficiency long range drone, and more particularly, a high efficiency long range drone capable of increasing flight time and efficiently using power during long range cruising flight by selectively using the power among an engine generator and a battery and applying an auxiliary wing.

There is provided a heat management system for a hybrid electrical aircraft comprising electric propulsors powered by a power plant. The heat management system comprises a heat exchanger integrated to a nacelle of at least one of the electric propulsors for dissipating heat withdrawn from the power components of the power plant into ambient air.

There is provided a heat management system for a hybrid electrical aircraft comprising electric propulsors powered by a power plant. The heat management system comprises a heat exchanger integrated to a nacelle of at least one of the electric propulsors for dissipating heat withdrawn from the power components of the power plant into ambient air.

A personal flight vehicle including a platform base assembly that provides a surface upon which the feet of an otherwise free-standing person are positionable, and including a plurality of axial flow propulsion systems positioned about a periphery of the platform base assembly. The propulsion systems generate a thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the platform base assembly, where the thrust flow is unobstructed by the platform base assembly. The thrust flow has a sufficient intensity to provide vertical takeoff and landing, flight, hovering and locomotion maneuvers. The vehicle allows the pilot to control the spatial orientation of the platform base assembly by the movement, preferably direct, of at least part of his or her body, and the spatial movement of the vehicle is thus controlled.

A personal flight vehicle including a platform base assembly that provides a surface upon which the feet of an otherwise free-standing person are positionable, and including a plurality of axial flow propulsion systems positioned about a periphery of the platform base assembly. The propulsion systems generate a thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the platform base assembly, where the thrust flow is unobstructed by the platform base assembly. The thrust flow has a sufficient intensity to provide vertical takeoff and landing, flight, hovering and locomotion maneuvers. The vehicle allows the pilot to control the spatial orientation of the platform base assembly by the movement, preferably direct, of at least part of his or her body, and the spatial movement of the vehicle is thus controlled.

A method of operating a compoundable engine that includes a turbine having a turbine shaft and an intermittent internal combustion engine having an engine shaft. The engine shaft is rotated at a first rotational speed. The turbine is driven by exhaust gases of the intermittent internal combustion engine to rotate the turbine shaft while the engine shaft rotates independently from the turbine shaft. A rotatable load is driven with the turbine shaft. A rotational speed of the engine shaft is increased from the first rotational speed until the turbine shaft reaches a predetermined rotational speed. After the turbine shaft has reached the predetermined rotational speed, the rotational speed of the engine shaft is adjusted until the turbine shaft and the engine shaft are drivingly engageable with each other, and the turbine shaft with the engine shaft are engaged such that both are in driving engagement with the rotatable load.