An electric aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a fuselage equipped with a power means, a front spar and a rear spar extending from the fuselage to an end of a wing, and a plurality of ribs extending from the rear spar to the front spar and coupled to the front spar and the rear spar, in which a plurality of solid state batteries are mounted in a plurality of individual spaces partitioned by the front spar, the rear spar, and the plurality of ribs, respectively, and the front spar and the rear spar are used as members for serial connection of the plurality of solid state batteries, and the plurality of ribs are used as members for parallel connection of the plurality of solid state batteries.

An electric aircraft includes a forward wing and an aft wing both located on a top side of a fuselage and both having an upward dihedral angle. The forward wing has a straight or slightly forward-swept leading edge. The aft wing has a swept leading edge. A plurality of propeller engines are located on a leading-edge side of the forward wing. A single propeller engine may be located on a top side of an aft end of the fuselage; alternatively, a plurality of propeller engines are located on the aft wing on either its leading or trailing edge. The propeller engines are each powered by an electric motor. An unobstructed cargo door is located on a side of the fuselage, aft of the forward wing.

A system of an electric aircraft with pitch control using an elevator is presented. In some embodiments, the electric aircraft may include an elevator configured to deflect. In some embodiments, the electric aircraft may further include a lift lever configured to generate a lift command upon activation by a pilot. In some embodiments, the electric aircraft may further include a flight controller communicatively connected with the lift lever and the elevator, wherein the flight controller is configured to receive the lift command from the lift lever and adjust the elevator as a function of the lift command.

An aircraft propulsion system having a variable airflow capture area is provided. The propulsion system includes a main propulsion source and an auxiliary propulsion source. In a first mode, the auxiliary propulsion source is stowed within an aerodynamic profile of the aircraft, and the main propulsion source provides all of the propulsion force for powering flight of the aircraft. In a second mode, the auxiliary propulsion source is deployed to augment the airflow capture area of the main propulsion source and increase an overall airflow capture area of the propulsion system. In the second mode, the auxiliary power source is operated by power extracted from the main propulsion source. The main propulsion source may include one or more low bypass ratio engines. The auxiliary power source may include one or more auxiliary thrust fans coupled at a plurality of locations on the aircraft.

A method is provided for operating a propulsion system of a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the propulsion system including a turbomachine, an electric machine, a forward thrust propulsor, and a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans. The method includes driving the forward thrust propulsor with the turbomachine; rotating the electric machine with the turbomachine to generate electrical power; determining a failure condition of the turbomachine; and providing electrical power to the electric machine to drive the forward thrust propulsor with the electric machine in response to determining the failure condition of the turbomachine.

An aircraft includes a fuselage; a propulsion system including a power source and a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans driven by the power source; and a wing extending from the fuselage. The plurality of vertical thrust electric fans are arranged along a length of the wing, the wing including a variable geometry assembly extending along the length of the wing and moveable between a forward thrust position and a vertical thrust position, the variable geometry assembly at least partially covering the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans when in the forward thrust position and at least partially exposing the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans when in the vertical thrust position.

An aircraft includes a fuselage; a propulsion system including a power source and a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans driven by the power source; and a wing extending from the fuselage. The plurality of vertical thrust electric fans are arranged along a length of the wing, the wing including a variable geometry assembly moveable generally along a horizontal direction between a forward thrust position and a vertical thrust position, the variable geometry assembly at least partially covering at least one vertical thrust electric fan of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans when in the forward thrust position and at least partially exposing the at least one vertical thrust electric fan when in the vertical thrust position.

An aircraft includes a fuselage; a propulsion system including a power source and a vertical thrust electric fan driven by the power source; and a wing extending from the fuselage. The vertical thrust electric fan is positioned on or within the wing, the wing including a diffusion assembly movable between a first position and a second position and positioned at least partially downstream of the vertical thrust electric fan when in the second position, the diffusion assembly including a first member and a second member, the second member movable generally along the vertical direction relative to the first member such that the first member and second member together define at least in part an exhaust flowpath for the first vertical thrust electric fan when the diffusion assembly is in the second position.

An aircraft includes a fuselage; a propulsion system including a power source and a vertical thrust electric fan oriented to generate thrust along a vertical direction and powered by the power source; and a wing extending from the fuselage and including the vertical thrust electric fan positioned at least partially therein. The wing includes a variable geometry assembly having partial wing assembly, the partial wing assembly including a frame and a first member, the partial wing assembly moveable generally along a longitudinal direction when the variable geometry assembly is moved between a forward thrust position and a vertical thrust position, the first member moveable relative to the frame to form an exhaust path for the vertical thrust electric fan.

An aircraft includes a fuselage; a propulsion system including a power source and a plurality of vertical thrust electric fans driven by the power source; and a wing extending from the fuselage. The plurality of vertical thrust electric fans are arranged along the wing, the wing including one or more components being moveable to selectively expose the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans, the wing further including a diffusion assembly positioned downstream of at least one vertical thrust electric fan of the plurality of vertical thrust electric fans, the diffusion assembly defining a diffusion area ratio greater than 1:1 and less than about 2:1.