A flying vehicle with a fuselage having a longitudinal axis, a cockpit extending substantially from the center of the fuselage, a left front wing extending from the fuselage, a right front wing extending from the fuselage, a left rear wing extending from the fuselage, a right rear wing extending from the fuselage. Each wing contains a rotor rotatably mounted and a direct drive brushless motor providing directional control of the vehicle. A centrally located ducted fan encompasses the cockpit and provides VTOL capabilities. The central location of the cockpit and central ducted fan aid in balance and stability. The central ducted fan is itself a brushless motor with the stator windings encapsulated in the ducted fan housing and rotor magnets within the fan. All motors and rotatable mounts are controlled by a fly-by-wire system integrated into a central computer with avionics allowing for autonomous flight.

An aircraft propulsion system includes an energy conversion device that uses a cryogenic fuel and air to generate power and thermal energy, and a bottoming cycle where a working fluid is circulated within a closed circuit that includes a bottoming compressor section and a bottoming turbine section. A primary heat exchanger provides thermal communication of thermal energy from the energy conversion device to the working fluid of the bottoming cycle. A second heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the working fluid and a heat source other than from the energy conversion device for changing a temperature of the working fluid flow.

An aircraft propulsion system includes an energy conversion device that uses a cryogenic fuel and air to generate power and thermal energy, and a bottoming cycle where a working fluid is circulated within a closed circuit that includes a bottoming compressor section and a bottoming turbine section. A primary heat exchanger provides thermal communication of thermal energy from the energy conversion device to the working fluid of the bottoming cycle. A second heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the working fluid and a heat source other than from the energy conversion device for changing a temperature of the working fluid flow.

A hybrid aircraft powerplant includes a turbine engine having a first shaft configured to output power from the turbine engine, a bypass fan, and an electric machine. The hybrid aircraft powerplant further includes a first mechanism configured to selectively engage the first shaft with a second shaft connected to the electric machine such that the power is output from the turbine engine to the electric machine. The hybrid aircraft powerplant further includes a second mechanism configured to selectively engage the first shaft with a third shaft connected to the bypass fan to output the power from the turbine engine to the bypass fan.

A hybrid aircraft powerplant includes a turbine engine having a first shaft configured to output power from the turbine engine, a bypass fan, and an electric machine. The hybrid aircraft powerplant further includes a first mechanism configured to selectively engage the first shaft with a second shaft connected to the electric machine such that the power is output from the turbine engine to the electric machine. The hybrid aircraft powerplant further includes a second mechanism configured to selectively engage the first shaft with a third shaft connected to the bypass fan to output the power from the turbine engine to the bypass fan.

The present invention relates to an aircraft. The aircraft comprises a fuselage, a propulsion mounting spar, a propulsion unit, and a tillable wing. The propulsion unit is mounted to the fuselage by the propulsion mounting spar. The ti liable wing is spaced apart from the propulsion mounting spar. The tillable wing is disposed in the wake from the propulsion unit. The tillable wing is arranged to tilt to vary the angle of attack of the tillable wing. In use, the propulsion unit forces air over the tillable wing such that lift is generated by the wing. The angle of attack of the wing can be increased by tilting the wing to increase the amount of lift generated by the wing. The aircraft may be configured for vertical take-off and/or landing (VTOL), or short take-off and/or landing (STOL).

The present invention relates to an aircraft. The aircraft comprises a fuselage, a propulsion mounting spar, a propulsion unit, and a tillable wing. The propulsion unit is mounted to the fuselage by the propulsion mounting spar. The ti liable wing is spaced apart from the propulsion mounting spar. The tillable wing is disposed in the wake from the propulsion unit. The tillable wing is arranged to tilt to vary the angle of attack of the tillable wing. In use, the propulsion unit forces air over the tillable wing such that lift is generated by the wing. The angle of attack of the wing can be increased by tilting the wing to increase the amount of lift generated by the wing. The aircraft may be configured for vertical take-off and/or landing (VTOL), or short take-off and/or landing (STOL).

A power source for an aircraft including a solid oxide fuel cell and a solid oxide fuel cell along with a solid oxide fuel cell multi-power source. At least one battery is electrically coupled to the solid oxide fuel cell, the solid oxide fuel cell, and an aircraft distribution network to supply electricity to the aircraft and also for becoming recharged by the solid oxide fuel cell and the solid oxide fuel cell.

Disclosed is a high-power electric motor and its fabrication technology. The motor and its distributed power electronics are all being fully integrated in a conventional turbofan engine. The rotor drives directly (with no gears) the LP shaft of the jet engine while requiring minimal modification to a basic jet engine and without distortion to the nacelle geometry. In principle such a configuration should be suitable for a power level of 10 to 50 MW, which makes it fully capable of providing a standard flight envelope by only using electric energy.

An aircraft propulsion system includes a fan, a primary powerplant, an augmenting powerplant and a controller. The primary powerplant is coupled to the fan and configured to rotate the fan during a first flight stage and during a second flight stage. The augmenting powerplant is coupleable with the fan. The controller is configured to cause the augmenting powerplant to drive the fan during the first flight stage, and to cause the augmenting powerplant to cease driving the fan based on an indication of a transition from the first flight stage to the second flight stage.