A propulsion system for an aircraft includes an engine (e.g., piston engine, or turbine) having an axis made to be nonparallel with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. This is enabled using an electrical, hydraulic, or other system to transfer energy generated by the engine (e.g., via electrical wiring, fluid conduits, etc.) to remotely power a motor used to drive a thrust-creating device (e.g., propeller or ducted fan). That the engine is able to be freely oriented allows for it being positioned without regard to any mechanical restraints existing in conventional arrangements.

One embodiment is an aircraft including a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; first and second booms connected to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage; first and second forward propulsion systems attached to forward ends of the first and second booms; first and second aft propulsion systems fixedly attached proximate aft ends of the first and second booms; first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems connected to outboard ends of wings; and first and second wing tips fixedly connected to outboard sides of the first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems; wherein the first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems and the first and second wing tips are collectively tiltable between a first position when the aircraft is in a hover mode and a second position when the aircraft is in a cruise mode.

In an aspect this disclosure is directed at a propulsor assembly powered by a dual motor system. The aircraft may comprise a propulsor. The electric aircraft may also include a driveshaft that is mechanically coupled to the propulsor, wherein a driveshaft is configured to provide mechanical power to the propulsor. The aircraft includes a plurality of electric motors. The electric motors may be configured to impart rotational energy to the driveshaft. Wherein each electric motor includes a stator and a rotor. Each electric motor is selectively engaged to the driveshaft by a freewheel clutch.

An electric aircraft engine includes an electric motor driving a propulsor. A power source powers the electric motor. An electric compressor supplies compressed air. A nacelle surrounds the electric motor, the power source and the electric compressor. An aircraft and a method are also disclosed.

Aspects described herein may relate to aerial structures such as aircraft. An aerial structure may include a fuselage, a wing attached to the fuselage, and a plurality of propulsion systems configured to generate thrust. A propulsion system may include a plurality of propulsors, such as propulsor fans. A propulsor fan may be configured to be actuated between a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) flight mode, a short take-off and landing (STOL) flight mode, and a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) flight mode.

A electric aircraft power distribution system includes a first battery pack connected to at least a first load and to a common bus that connects the first battery pack in parallel to at least a second battery pack; a first electrical component electrically connected between the first battery pack and the first load and configured to disconnect the first load from the first battery pack in response to current above a first threshold current, wherein the first electrical component has a first disconnection time at the first threshold current; and a second electrical component electrically connected between the first battery pack and the common bus and configured to disconnect the first battery pack from the common bus in response to current above a second threshold current, wherein the second electrical component has a second disconnection time at the second threshold current that is higher than the first disconnection time.

Aspects of this present disclosure relate to flight control of electric aircrafts and other vehicles. In one embodiment, an aircraft is disclosed comprising: a fuselage; two wings; a plurality of lift propellers, the lift propellers disposed aft of the wings during forward flight; plurality of tilt propellers that are tiltable between vertical lift and forward propulsion configurations, the tilt propellers disposed forward of the wings during forward flight; a plurality of tilt propellor actuators that tilt propellers between vertical lift and forward propulsion configurations, the tilt propellor actuators on opposite sides of the fuselage; and a plurality of electrical buses coupled to a flight control computer; wherein the flight control computer is configured to provide control signals for at least one of the lift propellers mounted to one of the wings and one of the tilt propellers mounted to the other wing via the same electrical bus.

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for flight control of aircrafts driven by electric propulsion systems and in other types of vehicles. In some embodiments, an aircraft is disclosed, comprising: at least one electric propulsion unit; at least one sensor configured to measure at least one aircraft condition; and at least one flight control computer configured to dynamically vary at least one torque command to the at least one electric propulsion unit based at least on the at least one aircraft condition; wherein the at least one electric propulsion unit is configured to generate thrust based on the at least one dynamically varied torque command.

Aspects of this present disclosure relate to systems and methods for dynamically moving graphical elements of a user interface of a flight control system. In one, a method is disclosed comprising: determining aircraft authority limits based on at least one state signal indicating an aircraft state, wherein the aircraft authority limits indicate an extent to which one or more control signals can command the aircraft; determining one or more proximities between the aircraft state and the determined aircraft authority limits; and automatically moving the graphical elements of the user interface to one or more positions on the user interface based on the determined one or more proximities.

A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (101) for transporting persons or loads, including a plurality of preferably equivalent and redundant electric motors (3) and propellers (2), substantially arranged in one surface, wherein each propeller is assigned an individual electric motor to drive the propeller, the aircraft being characterized in that at least one attitude sensor is provided for attitude control of the aircraft (101) in an active signal connection to at least one signal processing unit which is designed or set up to automatically perform the attitude control based on measurement data from the attitude sensor by regulating the speed of at least some of the electric motors (3), preferably with signal actions of the speed controller assigned to each electric motor such that the aircraft (101) is positioned in space with the surface defined by the propeller (2) substantially horizontal at all times, without control input by a pilot or a remote control.