A parasite aircraft for airborne deployment and retrieve includes a wing; a fuselage rotatably mounted to the wing; a dock disposed on top of the fuselage and configured to receive a maneuverable capture device of a carrier aircraft; a pair of tail members extending from the fuselage; and a plurality of landing gear mounted to the wing. A method of preparing a parasite aircraft for flight includes unfolding an end portion of a wing; unfolding an end portion of a tail member of the parasite aircraft; and rotating a fuselage of the parasite aircraft so that the fuselage is perpendicular to the wing. A method of preparing a parasite aircraft for storage includes rotating a fuselage of the parasite aircraft to be parallel with a wing of the parasite aircraft; folding an end portion of the wing; and folding an end portion of a tail member of the parasite aircraft.

An unmanned aerial vehicle with deployable components (UAVDC) is disclosed. The UAVDC may comprise a fuselage, at least one wing, and at least one control surface. In some embodiments, the UAVDC may further comprise a propulsion means and/or a modular payload. The UAVDC may be configured in a plurality of arrangements. For example, in a compact arrangement, the UAVDC may comprise the at least one wing stowed against the fuselage and the at least one control surface stowed against the fuselage. In a deployed arrangement, the UAVDC may comprise the at least one wing deployed from the fuselage and the least one control surface deployed from the fuselage. In an expanded arrangement, the UAVDC may comprise the at least one wing telescoped to increase a wingspan of the deployed arrangement.

An aircraft including a wing and a wing tip device is disclosed. The wing tip device is moveable between a flight configuration for use during flight and a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations. In the ground configuration the wing tip device is folded inwardly from the flight configuration such that the span of the aircraft is reduced. The wing tip device is connected to the wing along a hinge axis by spar beams of the wing tip device, one of the beams being mounted for pivoting about a fixed axis and the other beam being mounted on a spherical bearing to provide greater freedom of movement. Various actuator arrangements may be provided to pivot the wing tip device.

A power supply for an aircraft includes a drone capable of flight and including rotors, a DC-to-DC converter, a battery for driving the rotors and a locking device for securing a plug connection between the drone and the aircraft. The drone is set up to secure the plug connection by the locking device until the aircraft reaches a prescribed altitude, and the power supply is configured in such a way that the battery supplies power to the aircraft by the DC-to-DC converter as long as the plug connection exists.

An aircraft includes cruise propellers, lifting propellers, an energy battery and a power battery. The energy battery is electrically connected to the cruise propellers, and the power battery is electrically connected to the lifting propellers.

An aircraft includes a first battery, provisions for transport that are powered by a second battery, and a management system for transferring energy between the first battery and the second battery.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having wings stowed against a fuselage of the UAV in a first arrangement is disclosed. Methods and systems for deploying the wings into a second arrangement are disclosed. For example, after a launch of the UAV, the UAV monitors for at least one pre-set condition. The at least one pre-condition being a pre-condition associated with deploying wings of the UAV into the second arrangement. Upon detecting the at least one pre-set condition, the wings of the UAV are deployed into a second arrangement. Deploying the wings comprises activating, in response to detecting the at least one pre-set condition associated with the UAV, a gearbox configured to transition the wings from the first arrangement to the second arrangement. Roll control may be maintained throughout launch and deployment.

An air mobility may include a wing portion extending from a fuselage of the air mobility; a folded portion provided at an edge portion of the wing portion, configured to extend from the wing portion to form a part of the wing portion during unfolding of the folded portion, and configured to move to overlap with the wing portion during folding of the folded portion, so that an area of air resistance in a vertical direction of the wing portion is reduced; an actuator connected to the folded portion and configured to provide power to the folded portion, so that the folded portion is unfolded or folded to the wing portion; and a controller connected to the actuator and configured to control the actuator, so that the folded portion is folded during vertical takeoff or landing of the fuselage, and configured to control the actuator to unfold the folded portion during cruising of the fuselage.

Apparatus and methods for limiting trailing edge deflection in aircraft folding wing tips are disclosed herein. An example aircraft wing disclosed herein includes a fixed wing portion. The fixed wing portion includes an outboard rib. The aircraft wing also includes a wing tip moveably coupled to the fixed wing portion. The wing tip is moveable between an extended position and a folded position. The wing tip includes an inboard rib that is disposed in a trailing edge section of the wing tip. The wing tip includes a stop plate coupled to the inboard rib. The stop plate extends inboard from the inboard rib such that when the wing tip is in the extended position, the stop plate is disposed below a portion of the outboard rib of the fixed wing portion to limit upward deflection of the trailing edge section of the wing tip relative to the fixed wing portion.

An aircraft wing (1) has a wing tip device (3) joined thereto. The root (7) of the wing tip device (3) is joined to the tip of the wing (1) at a first connection (11). An external strut (9) extends between the wing (1) and the wing tip device (3), the strut (9) being joined to the wing (1) at a second connection (13). The second connection (13) is inboard of the first connection, such that loadings on the wing tip device (3) generated during use, are transferred, via the strut (9), to a location on the wing (1) that is inboard of where the root (7) of the wing tip device (3) is joined to the tip of the wing.