There is provided a multicopter having a frame, four rotors attached to the frame and each having an input shaft, four motor-generators installed one on each of the rotors and each having an input-output shaft, a single gas-turbine engine connected to the motor-generators and having an output shaft. The input shaft of each rotor, the input-output shaft of each motor-generator and the output shaft of the engine are respectively connected with each other by a speed reducer mechanism having a sun gear, ring gear and planetary carrier.

There is provided a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOL), having a main propulsion unit (GT engine) with high-pressure and low-pressure turbine shafts installed along a longitudinal axis of a frame to be rotated by pressurized gas jetted on combustion of an air-fuel mixture to produce propulsion force in a longitudinal direction of the frame, high-pressure side and low-pressure side motor generators coaxially attached to the high-pressure and low-pressure turbine shaft, four fans installed on the frame to be rotatable around axes parallel to a vertical axis of the frame, four propulsion units individually connected to the fans to rotate them and generate lift force in a vertical direction of the frame, and a controller. The controller control operation of the main propulsion unit, motor generators and sub propulsion units to obtain propulsion forces in the longitudinal direction and in the vertical direction of the frame.

The invention relates to the field of aviation, and more particularly to designs for vertical take-off and landing aircraft. A convertiplane comprising a fuselage, a pair of wings: fore and aft, propulsion systems comprising engines and propellers, a keel, a landing gear, and pylons designed so as to be rotatable. Two lift propulsion systems are arranged on the pylons with one degree of freedom with respect to the yaw angle along the sides of the fuselage so as to be fixable in position and retractable during horizontal flight forward or back in fuselage niches. A basic propulsion system is mounted on a pylon with two degrees of freedom with respect to the angle of bank and pitch so as to be fixable in position, and is arranged either in the nose section of the fuselage or in the keel, on the leading edge or the trailing edge thereof. This provides improved reliability and safety, increased flight range and reduced cost of the convertiplane.

A UAV catch and release system has a UAV adapted to fly a mission, an aircraft adapted to carry, launch, and retrieve the UAV, a fuel hose deployed and retrieved by mechanisms from the aircraft, an end effector joined by a gimbal joint to a lowermost end of the fuel hose, a downward projecting aerodynamic acquisition blade connected at a lowermost end of the hose, and an acquisition port opening upward from the body of the UAV, with a roller mechanism operable to engage the acquisition blade, and to draw the blade into the body until a refueling nozzle on an end of the acquisition blade is engaged to a refueling port of the UAV.

Systems and methods for starting a powerplant are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a starting system of a powerplant includes one or more features that allow for the powerplant to be started electrically with a burst of electrical power and without deriving electrical power from an offboard power source or a relatively heavy onboard energy storage device.

An ejector system for propelling a vehicle. The system includes a diffusing structure and a duct coupled to the diffusing structure. The duct includes a wall having openings formed therethrough and configured to introduce to the diffusing structure a primary fluid produced by the vehicle. An airfoil is positioned within the flow of the primary fluid through the openings to the diffusing structure.

A vehicle, includes a main body. A fluid generator is coupled to the main body and produces a fluid stream. At least one fore conduit and at least one tail conduit are fluidly coupled to the generator. First and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the fore conduit, coupled to the main body and respectively coupled to a starboard side and port side of the vehicle. The fore ejectors respectively comprise an outlet structure out of which fluid flows. At least one tail ejector is fluidly coupled to the tail conduit. The tail ejector comprises an outlet structure out of which fluid flows. A primary airfoil element is coupled to the tail portion. A surface of the primary airfoil element is located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors such that the fluid from the first and second fore ejectors flows over the such surface.

An aircraft includes a closed wing, a fuselage at least partially disposed within a perimeter of the closed wing, and one or more spokes coupling the closed wing to the fuselage. A source of electric power is disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or one or more spokes. A plurality of electric motors are disposed within or attached to the one or more spokes in a distributed configuration. Each electric motor is connected to the source of electric power. A propeller is operably connected to each of the electric motors and proximate to a leading edge of the one or more spokes. One or more processors are communicably coupled to the plurality of electric motors. A longitudinal axis of the fuselage is substantially vertical in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, and substantially in a direction of a forward flight in a forward flight mode.

The present invention relates;to a drone comprising a fuselage (1) provided with a carrying means (11, 12) capable of allowing a belly-to-ground flight position and an inverted flight position, at least one propulsion means (2), autonomous navigation instruments and an axial compartment (10) forming a recess incorporated into an upper part of the fuselage in order to receive a parachutist (h) in the lying position, avionics provided with programmable control means coupled to the autonomous navigation instruments and means for releasing said parachutist controlled by said avionics, characterised in that said release means are designed and intended to ensure the release of said parachutist in the inverted flight position, and,to a piece of airborne intervention equipment.

A gas turbine engine for an aircraft such as a UAV includes a compressor connected to a turbine with a combustor to produce a hot gas stream. The rotor is supported by two radial foil bearings. An axial thrust bearing assembly is positioned between the compressor disk and the turbine disk and includes an axial thrust bearing radial disk extending from a hollow axial tube. Compressed air is bled off from the compressor and passed into an axial thrust balance chamber to provide the axial thrust balance for the rotor. The compressed air from the thrust bearing chamber then flows through both of the radial foil bearings for cooling, is collected in and around the hollow tube, and then discharged into the inlet of the turbine. An orifice can be adjusted to meter and control a pressure occurring in the thrust balance chamber.