An actuating system for an actuatable door and to an actuatable door having such an actuating system. The actuating system comprises a rotatable latching shaft, a rotatable locking shaft, a latching device, comprising a latch, and a locking device. The latch is adapted to maintain the actuatable door in a closed position. The locking device comprises a locking cam, that is mounted to the locking shaft and that is adapted to engage with the latch in a closed and latched position, and a latch securing lever, that is driven by the locking cam and that is adapted to engage with the latch to maintain the latch in a closed and secured position.

An embodiment is a system including an external passenger seating unit comprising at least one seat; and a translation mechanism for translating the external passenger seating unit between a first position in which the external passenger seating unit is stowed in a payload bay of an aircraft and a second position in which the external passenger seating unit is deployed external to the aircraft for accommodating at least one passenger.

A door assembly for a payload bay (10) having an opening (12), the door assembly comprising at least one door (20, 220). The at least one door comprises: a panel section (22, 222) having a first end (24, 224) and a second end (26, 226); and a first mounting member (30, 230) arranged orthogonally to the panel section at the first end and having a first engagement feature (31, 231) having a rotational axis (18, 218) about which the panel section is arranged to rotate. The engagement feature is arranged to engage with a first fixing member (16, 216) on one side of the payload bay to rotatably couple the panel section to the payload bay. The at least one door is arranged to translate between a closed configuration, in which the panel section is arranged in the same plane as the opening, and an open configuration, in which the panel section is arranged at at least 90 degrees to the plane of the opening, by rotating about the rotational axis. The panel section is arranged parallel to and offset from the rotational axis, such that an inner surface of the panel section faces the rotational axis.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has a wing assembly that is coupled to a cargo carrying pod. The pod has a pallet storage volume and an aerodynamic outer surface. The wing assembly has wings that are coupled to rotor booms that include motors and rotors. A tail assembly is coupled to tail booms that extend back from the wings. Rudders are coupled to the rear portions of the tail booms and an elevator is coupled to top portions of the rudders. The elevator is at least 84 inches high and the rudders are at least 48 apart so that a forklift can drive under the elevator and between the rudders to a rear door of the pod to place cargo on a pallet into the storage area of the pod.

The present disclosure provides doorway protection assemblies with a base portion and two leg portions that can be positioned over and protect the exterior surrounding a doorway of a vehicle, such as an aircraft, from damage while cargo or other items are being loaded into or unloaded from the vehicle. Each assembly can include one or more attachment portions that wrap over and attach to the door sill area or side jambs of the vehicle doorway in order to secure the assembly in place. Each assembly can include a cushion layer between the various portions and the exterior of the aircraft to further avoid or reduce damage. Each assembly can include retention straps that releasably attach to anchors on the vehicle to further secure the assembly on the vehicle doorway.

Systems, methods, and aircraft for managing center of gravity (CG) while transporting large cargo are described. Management of CG is achieved in many ways. In some instances, the aircraft itself is designed to assist in managing CG by providing fuel tanks that minimize the impact of fuel on the net CG of the aircraft. The fuel tanks utilize only a small amount of available volume in the wings for fuel. Disclosures related to properly managing CG while loading wind turbines onto cargo aircraft are also provided. The CG management techniques provided for herein allow for the transportation of wind turbine blades via aircraft, running counter to the typical rail or truck transportation of the same. One such management technique includes accounting for how a rotation of the blades when loading impacts the CG of the blades, and thus taking this into account when placing the blades in the aircraft.

A plug door assembly for a pressurized aircraft is provided. The door assembly includes a surround and a door, and connector assemblies along the edges that act to transfer in-place stresses directly across the fuselage opening via the door, as well as stops that react redial loads generated by cabin pressure. The door assembly obviates the need for a separate frame to transmit stresses around the perimeter of the fuselage opening.

An aircraft door controller 100 including a receiver 110 configured to receive a command 14 to move an aircraft door between an open position and a closed position relative to a door frame. The aircraft door controller 100 is configured to not store the command 14 when power to move the aircraft door between the open position and the closed position relative to the door frame is unavailable.

Door for cargo airplane, wherein a cargo compartment is accessible from the outside of the fuselage through an opening for loading goods provided with the door. The door is provided with a first operating handle accessible from the outside of the door and used to lock/unlock the pins that are used to connect the door to the fuselage and control the closing/opening of a ventilation door; and a second operating handle accessible from the outside of the door for advancing/retracting the pins in/from respective seats. According to the invention, the door is provided with a third handle accessible from the inside of the door and mechanically interconnected with the first handle for locking/unlocking the pins and controlling the closing/opening of the ventilation door; and a fourth operating handle accessible from the inside of the door and mechanically interconnected with the second handle for advancing/retracting the pins in/from respective seats.

An aircraft door locking system comprises a first locking element fastenable to a first element of an aircraft door arrangement rotatable about a rotation axis and having a receiving opening and a bearing shell. A second locking element is fastenable to a door arrangement second element and comprises a locking bolt. In a release state, the locking bolt is insertable through the receiving opening and, by a rotation of the first locking element about the rotation axis in a locking direction, is positionable in the bearing shell to effect the locking state. A torque-generating device is configured, in the locking state, to generate a torque opposing a rotation of the first locking element about the rotation axis in a release direction opposite to the locking direction if a force directed substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis is exerted on the bearing shell and/or on the locking bolt.