A robust amphibious air vehicle incorporates a fuselage with buoyant stabilizers and wings extending from the fuselage. At least one lift fan is mounted in the fuselage. Movable propulsion units carried by the wings are rotatable through a range of angles adapted for vertical and horizontal flight operations.

This disclosure is directed to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that transitions in-flight between vertical flight configuration and horizontal flight configuration by changing an orientation of the UAV by approximately ninety degrees. The UAV may include propulsion units that are coupled to a wing. The wing may include wing segments rotatably coupled together by pivots that rotate to position the propulsion units around a center of mass of the UAV when the fuselage is oriented perpendicular with the horizon. In this vertical flight configuration, the UAV may perform vertical flight or hover. During the vertical flight, the UAV may cause the wing to extend outward via the pivots such that the wing segments become positioned substantially parallel to one another and the wing resembles a conventional fixed wing. With the wing extended, the UAV assumes a horizontal flight configuration that provides upward lift generated from the wing.

A wing deployment mechanism and a design method using a pneumatic cylinder with transmission spring system (assembly) are provided. The deployment mechanism comprises frame, wing, deployment cylinder, gas canister, rotation shaft, bolts, groove, locking pin, dowel pin, flange, first spring, second spring, dowel pin hole, looking pin hole, slider, third spring. The design method includes step 1: determining the problem's specifications; step 2: constructing the equations of motion; step 3: designing a primary scheme for a system of pneumatic cylinder with transmission spring. Step 4: determining the parameters for the system; and step 5: validating the design.

A method and apparatus for an unmanned aerial system is described herein. An unmanned aerial system capable of being launched from a grenade launcher includes a tubular body that encloses a compartment for a payload and a battery, a motor coupled to the tubular body, a propeller coupled to the motor, and a parachute disposed within the tubular body when the unmanned aerial system is in a stowed configuration and disposed outside of the tubular body when the unmanned aerial system is in a powered flight configuration.

An aircraft includes a first battery, provisions for transport that are powered by a second battery, and a management system for transferring energy between the first battery and the second battery.

One embodiment of a vertical take-off and landing aircraft held aloft by way of one or more powered assemblies of wing type elements capable of generating aerodynamic lift by means of rotation. A main body having an integrated means for directing air impelled from an inlet, by way of one or more powered impellers, through a cavity, acting as a duct, to an outlet. At least one movable surface located in sufficient proximity to the outlet to direct expelled air in a vectored manner providing a means of affecting the motion of the aircraft.

An aircraft includes a body defining an interior compartment configured to hold at least one of a passenger and a payload, a battery system, a plurality of arms coupled to and extending from the body, and a plurality of propulsion devices configured to provide thrust to fly the aircraft. Each of the plurality of propulsion devices is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of arms. The plurality of propulsion devices are powered by the battery system. Each of the plurality of propulsion devices is selectively pivotable about at least one axis. The plurality of propulsion devices include at least one of (i) counter rotating ducted fans and (ii) ionizing electrode engines.

An aircraft includes a fuselage coupled to a wing having a root section and first and second outboard sections each having first and second wing layers pivotably coupled to respective outboard ends of the root section. A thrust array is coupled to the wing. A power system is operably associated with the thrust array to provide power to each of a plurality of propulsion assemblies. A flight control system is operably associated with the thrust array and the wing. The flight control system is operable to control the thrust output from the propulsion assemblies and the configuration of the wing. In a thrust-borne vertical lift mode, the wing has a split wing configuration such that the thrust array forms a two dimensional thrust array. In the wing-borne forward flight mode, the wing has a monoplane configuration such that the thrust array forms a one dimensional thrust array.

This disclosure is directed to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that transitions in-flight between vertical flight configuration and horizontal flight configuration by changing an orientation of the UAV by approximately ninety degrees. The UAV may include propulsion units that are coupled to a fuselage or wing. The UAV may include a tail and/or a swing arm that is rotatably coupled to the fuselage and that rotate between different positions. The swing arm may be selectively coupled to cargo. The wing may include wing segments rotatably coupled together by pivots that rotate to position the propulsion units around a center of mass of the UAV when the fuselage is oriented perpendicular with the horizon.

An assembly comprising a drone (1) and at least one releasable load (37) mounted on the drone, the drone comprising an on-board data processing system, the releasable load (37) comprising at least one sensor delivering a piece of information that can be used to ascertain the path of same and actuators for controlling flight control surfaces allowing it to be oriented as it falls, being linked to the drone (1) by an optical fibre (70), the load and the drone being arranged to exchange information via the optical fibre while the load is falling, the load transmitting data originating from said at least one sensor and the drone transmitting data for controlling the actuators, established taking into account that received from the load, in order to guide the load towards a predefined target.