Variations of an aerial vehicle, all with capability of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), with one variation comprising at least three engines, at least three rotors, a flight control system, battery, and propulsion system. The second VTOL aerial vehicle variation being a hybrid with engine-powered rotors and electric-powered rotors configured to work with a flight control system and battery. The first and second variations having the option of a genset system which recharges the battery. The third VTOL aerial vehicle variation being all-electric-powered rotors configured to work with a flight control system and a genset system which powers the rotors and/or recharges the battery.

A method for authorizing the flight of an aircraft provided with a hybrid power plant having at least one heat engine and at least one electric motor electrically connected to an electrical energy source comprising several electrical accumulators. The method comprises extracting (STP1), while on the ground, an electrical energy or an electrical power to be extracted from the electrical energy source during a predetermined time period and determining (STP2) for the electrical accumulators, respective initial values of an operating parameter, calculating (STP3) an average value from the initial values, determining (STP4) a minimum value from the measured initial values, issuing an authorization when a difference between the average value and the minimum value is less than a threshold and a prohibition when said difference between the average value and the minimum value is greater than or equal to the threshold.

An aircraft having a hybrid power source includes two horizontal drive units, four vertical drive units, a vertical drive unit comprising a power supply bus the output of which may be connected to a single horizontal drive unit which may be connected to at least two vertical drive units via a switch, two power generation sources connected, on the one hand, to each of the power supply buses by a respective input of the corresponding vertical drive unit and, on the other hand, to each horizontal drive unit via the respective output of each vertical drive unit, and a power supply command arranged to send a power command to the power generation sources according to the power requirements of the vertical drive units and/or horizontal drive units. The power generation sources are also suitable for recharging power sources of the vertical drive units.

The present disclosure provides air cooling systems and methods for propulsion systems (e.g., aviation or aerospace propulsion systems). More particularly, the present disclosure provides integrated air cooling systems and methods utilizing air cycle machine cooling for hybrid-electric aircraft or aerospace propulsion systems or the like. The present disclosure provides integrated air cycle machine cooling into the hybrid propulsion system (e.g., into the wing-mounted hybrid propulsion system). As such, the air cooling systems and methods of the present disclosure can minimize weight while improving electric motor/generator cooling.

Electric engine to provide thrust to fly an aircraft. Engine includes housing, air inlet, shaft, bladed rotor having a plurality of magnets secured on shaft, stator having plurality of coils positioned so as to interact with plurality of magnets and an exhaust nozzle. Powering coils causes interaction with magnets that results in bladed rotor rotating and pressurizing and accelerating air received via air inlet and expelling via exhaust nozzle to provide thrust. Engine may include generator having stator with coils secured to shaft via bearings and plurality of rotors with magnets secured to shaft to rotate with shaft. Magnets rotating past coils results in electric generation. Second hollow shaft may be mounted to shaft with bearings and generator may be located with hollow shaft. Second bladed rotor may be connected to, and rotate, second shaft. Engine may include ducts external to bladed rotor and fan to route air therein.

This invention relates to a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, a method of controlling a VTOL aircraft, and a control system for controlling the VTOL aircraft. The aircraft comprises an airframe having a wing extending along a transverse axis and attached to a fuselage extending between a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and an empennage or canard. An array of electric rotors is fixedly mounted to the airframe. Front and rear internal combustion engines are pivotably mounted to the fuselage and are displaceable between lift positions in which the front and rear rotors are oriented to provide vertical lift to the aircraft for vertical flight and propulsion positions in which the front and rear rotors are oriented to provide forward thrust to the aircraft for horizontal flight. The front and rear rotors provide a majority, or all, of the vertical lift to the aircraft during vertical flight.

This invention relates to a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, a method of controlling a VTOL aircraft, and a control system for controlling the VTOL aircraft. The aircraft comprises an airframe having a wing extending along a transverse axis and attached to a fuselage extending between a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and an empennage or canard. An array of electric rotors is fixedly mounted to the airframe. Front and rear internal combustion engines are pivotably mounted to the fuselage and are displaceable between lift positions in which the front and rear rotors are oriented to provide vertical lift to the aircraft for vertical flight and propulsion positions in which the front and rear rotors are oriented to provide forward thrust to the aircraft for horizontal flight. The front and rear rotors provide a majority, or all, of the vertical lift to the aircraft during vertical flight.

A flotation system for an aircraft that includes a battery system providing power to the aircraft is presented. The flotation system can include a water propulsion system enables maneuvering of the aircraft, such as a seaplane, on the surface of water. The system can include waterjets located on floats of the aircraft that enable maneuvering of the aircraft in forward, backward, and lateral directions as well as rotational motion. The systems are quieter in operation than the main engine of the aircraft and provide precision maneuvering for docking or active stabilization of the aircraft's position.

A flotation system for an aircraft that includes a battery system providing power to the aircraft is presented. The flotation system can include a water propulsion system enables maneuvering of the aircraft, such as a seaplane, on the surface of water. The system can include waterjets located on floats of the aircraft that enable maneuvering of the aircraft in forward, backward, and lateral directions as well as rotational motion. The systems are quieter in operation than the main engine of the aircraft and provide precision maneuvering for docking or active stabilization of the aircraft's position.

An electric propulsor is provided. The electric propulsor includes a core cowl and an outer cowl. A first air flowpath is defined radially outward of the outer cowl and a second air flowpath is defined between the core cowl and the outer cowl. The electric propulsor also includes one or more electric machines, a fan rotatably drivable by at least one electric machine, and a booster having a plurality of airfoils disposed at least in part in the second air flowpath, the booster being rotatably drivable by at least one electric machine for compressing air flowing along the second air flowpath. The electric propulsor further includes a heat exchanger disposed within the second air flowpath downstream of the booster, the heat exchanger being in thermal communication with at least one of the one or more electric machines and/or a gearbox mechanically coupled with the fan.