A technique for operating an aerial vehicle involves enabling a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) propeller of the aerial vehicle to rotate freely. The VTOL propeller is coupled with a VTOL motor (e.g., a 3-phase brushless DC motor). The technique further involves detecting when the VTOL propeller rotates to a predefined position relative to a direction of flight for the aerial vehicle (e.g., when blades of the VTOL propeller extend along an axis that is parallel to the direction of flight). The technique further involves, in response to detecting that the VTOL propeller has rotated to the predefined position, providing a load from the VTOL motor that inhibits further rotation of the VTOL propeller. Accordingly, while the aerial vehicle is in fixed wing horizontal flight, the controller is able to align the VTOL propeller in the direction of horizontal flight to minimize drag from the VTOL propeller.

Certain aspects relate to a battery pack for an electric vehicle. Exemplary battery pack includes a first pouch cell and a vent configured to vent the ejecta from the first pouch cell. The first pouch cell includes at least an outer coating, at least a first pair of electrodes, at least a first pair of foil tabs electrically connected to the at least a first pair of electrodes, at least a first insulator layer located substantially between the at least a first pair of foil tabs, a first pouch substantially encompassing the at least a first pair of foil tabs and the at least a first insulator layer, and a first electrolyte within the first pouch. The battery pack is also configured to power at least a propulsor component.

A system for estimating flight range of an electric aircraft. The system generally includes at least a sensor and a computing device. The at least a sensor is communicatively connected to at least a flight component. The at least a sensor is configured to detect a performance datum of the at least a flight component. The computing device is communicatively connected to the at least a sensor. The computing device is configured to receive the performance datum from the at least a sensor, determine an energy performance datum from the performance datum, determine a flight performance datum from the performance datum, generate a projected flight range datum as a function of the energy performance datum and the flight performance datum, and display the projected flight range datum. A method for estimating flight range of an electric aircraft is also provided.

Braking systems and methods for an electrical vertical takeoff and landing aircraft are provided. A braking system may contain a pilot control device, brakes, wheels, sensors, and a controller. Pilot controls the pilot control device to transmit information to the controller such that the aircraft will slow down.

An aircraft with an in-boom lift propulsor includes a fuselage, a boom with a recess in the upper surface, and a lift propulsor comprising of a motor assembly and a propulsive element. Motor on the aircraft is operated through an interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate force on a shaft of the motor. The in-boom lift propulsor helps prevent damages to the motor assembly and the aircraft by absorbing torque from the rotor and absorbing moment from the mating flange 328, where the mating flange 328 joins the motor assembly to the boom. The boom includes an access panel to service the motor assembly and invertor during maintenance.

We describe an aircraft design, which is capable of vertical takeoff and landing and also high-speed cruise on a fixed wing. The aircraft comprises a fuselage with a probe-deployment mechanism, which deploys a sample-gathering probe, located at a front end of the fuselage. A main wing is coupled to a middle section of the fuselage, wherein a right motor and right propeller are coupled to a right side of the main wing, and a left motor and left propeller are coupled to a left side of the main wing. The right and left propellers are angled with respect to the fuselage enabling the aircraft to pitch up to a vertical-takeoff mode and pitch down a horizontal-cruising mode. A pitch motor and pitch propeller are located at the rear end of the fuselage, wherein the pitch propeller is angled to provide substantially vertical thrust to control a pitch of the fuselage.

A system for the prioritization of flight controls in an electric aircraft is illustrated. The system includes a plurality of flight components, a sensor, and a computing device. The plurality of flight components are coupled to the electric aircraft. The sensor is coupled to each flight component of the plurality of flight components. Each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to detect a failure event of a flight component of the plurality of flight components and generate a failure datum associated to the flight component of the plurality of flight components. The computing device is communicatively connected to the sensor and is configured to receive the failure datum associated to the flight component of the plurality of flight component from the sensor, determine a prioritization element as a function of the failure datum, and restrict at least a flight element as a function of the prioritization element.

Provided in this disclosure is a high voltage distribution system of an electric aircraft. The system includes a power source mechanically connected to an electric aircraft, where the power source is configured to supply power to the electric aircraft. The system also includes a flight component mechanically connected to the electric aircraft. The system also includes a distribution component configured to control the providing of power to and from the power source and the flight component as needed during recharging and/or operation of the electric aircraft.

A tandem wing aircraft that uses electric ducted fans to propel itself. The positioning of the electrical ducted fans allows the aircraft to take off and land vertically when the electrical ducted fans have their airflow outlet in a vertical position and to fly horizontally when a pair of electrical ducted fans are rotated so that their airflow outlet are in a horizontal position. The tandem wing aircraft uses an electric power source to power the aircraft and is controlled by a logic and electronic controller. The aircraft uses flaps, vertical stabilizers, ailerons, and an elevator to control its orientation and position during horizontal flight. The aircraft is designed to fly in urban spaces because of its wing and propulsion design. In addition, this design guarantees the stability of the aircraft on all flight stages, as well as the emergency landing in case the electrical ducted fans fail.

Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft can provide opportunities to incorporate aerial transportation into transportation networks for cities and metropolitan areas. However, VTOL aircraft may be noisy. To accommodate this, the aircraft may utilize onboard sensors, offboard sensing, network, and predictive temporal data for noise signature mitigation. By building a composite understanding of real data offboard the aircraft, the aircraft can make adjustments to the way it is flying and verify this against a predicted noise signature (via computational methods) to reduce environmental impact. This might be realized via a change in translative speed, propeller speed, or choices in propulsor usage (e.g., a quiet propulsor vs. a high thrust, noisier propulsor). These noise mitigation actions may also be decided at the network level rather than the vehicle level to balance concerns across a city and relieve computing constraints on the aircraft.