A manned or unmanned aircraft has a main body with a circular shape and a circular outer periphery. One or more rotor blades extend substantially horizontally outward from the main body at or about the circular outer periphery. In addition, one or more counter-rotation blades extend substantially horizontally outward from said main body at or about the circular outer periphery, but vertically offset from the main rotor blades.

A lightweight, pocket-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be held in an outstretched hand by a user for take-off and landing of the UAV. The UAV comprises a semi-toroidal or a substantially toroidal hollow body that defines a duct. The UAV further comprises a motor for rotating a fan that directs air into and out of the duct enabling the UAV to take flight. The UAV comprises a flight-control system that comprises at least two flight control surfaces that can alter the directed air as it flows through the duct for controlling the roll and pitch and optionally the yaw of the UAV during flight. The flight control system may be controlled by a microprocessor controller. The UAV further comprises a payload, with at least a wireless transmitter and receiver unit.

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a fuselage of an unmanned aircraft that includes a first section removably coupled to a second section, and a third section removably coupled to the second section such that the second section is disposed between the first section and the third section in a vertical direction. The first section includes a first rotor and a second rotor disposed at a non-zero spaced distance in the vertical direction from each other. The first rotor and the second rotor share a common and aligned rotational axis defined along a longitudinal centerline of the fuselage defined in the vertical direction. The second section is configured to contain a selected payload, and the third section includes a control system. A plurality of legs are coupled to the third section and serve as landing gear for the unmanned aircraft.

Multiple propeller blades may be joined by tip connectors to form a closed propeller apparatus. The tip connectors may create continuous structure between adjacent tips of a first propeller and a second propeller. Use of the tip connectors may reduce vortices created near the tips of the propeller blades, which cause drag and slow the rotation of the propeller blades. The tip connectors may also reduce noise caused by rotation of propeller blades. Further, the tip connectors reduce or eliminate deflection of the propeller blades by creating a support structure to counteract forces that would otherwise cause deflection of the propeller blades, thereby improving propeller blade loading. In some embodiments, the tip connectors may be formed of a malleable material and/or include one or more joints that enable at least one of the propellers to modify a pitch of blades of the propeller.

Flying body including body portion and a plurality of propellers radially disposed to be laterally symmetrical from body portion is provided with: a plurality of motors respectively rotating the plurality of propellers; a plurality of power storage packs respectively supplying currents to the plurality of motors; and sub power storage pack connected to the plurality of power storage packs by power wirings, respectively. The same number of motors of the plurality of motors are installed on each of the left and right sides, and the same number of power storage packs of the plurality of power storage packs are installed on each of the left and right sides. Sub power storage pack is installed on a lateral center line of body portion.

There is provided a drone system in which a drone and a movable body operate in coordination with each other, the movable body being capable of moving with the drone aboard and allowing the drone to make a takeoff and a landing, the drone system includes a demarcating member that demarcates an operation area and detects an intruder into the operation area, the operation area being an area where at least one of the drone and the movable body performs an operation, the movable body includes a movement control section that stops movement of the movable body based on the detection of the intruder by the demarcating member, and the drone includes a landing position determining section that determines a landing position based on a stop position of the movable body.

A hybrid VTOL/high speed aircraft may comprise systems and functions for in flight configuration changes from high lift helicopter or VTOL mode to fixed or swing-wing high speed aircraft mode to accommodate a variety of functions or missions.

This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes a frame that provides both structural support for the UAV and protection for foreign objects that may come into contact with the UAV. The UAV may have any number of lifting motors. For example, the UAV may include four lifting motors (also known as a quad-copter), eight lifting motors (octo-copter), etc. Likewise, to improve the efficiency of horizontal flight, the UAV may also include one or more pushing motor and propeller assemblies that are oriented at approximately ninety degrees to one or more of the lifting motors. When the UAV is moving horizontally, the pushing motor(s) may be engaged and the pushing propeller(s) will aid in the horizontal propulsion of the UAV.

The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a multicopter-assisted launch and retrieval system generally including: (1) a multi-rotor modular multicopter attachable to (and detachable from) a fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; (2) a storage and launch system usable to store the modular multicopter and to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; and (3) an anchor system usable (along with the multicopter and a flexible capture member) to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from wing-borne flight.

A rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicle and pneumatic launcher system includes a rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicle and a pneumatic launcher. The rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicle includes a pressure tube, a launch detector, and a center controller. The pressure tube has an open end and a closed end. The launch detector is coupled to the center controller and detects the launch of the rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicle. The pneumatic launcher includes a launch gas reservoir, a launch tube, and a release valve. The release valve is located between the launch gas reservoir and the launch tube. The gas reservoir holds launch gas. The launch tube is inserted into the pressure tube through the open end.