Systems, devices, and methods for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle having a first GPS antenna and a second GPS antenna, where the second GPS antenna is disposed distal from the first GPS antenna; and an aerial vehicle flight controller, where the flight controller is configured to: utilize a GPS antenna signal via the GPS antenna switch from the first GPS antenna or the second GPS antenna; receive a pitch level of the aerial vehicle from the one or more aerial vehicle sensors in vertical flight or horizontal flight; determine if the received pitch level is at a set rotation from vertical or horizontal; and utilize the GPS signal not being utilized via the GPS antenna switch if the determined pitch level is at or above the set rotation.

An autonomous cargo delivery aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft includes a fuselage having an aerodynamic shape with a leading edge, a trailing edge and first and second sides. First and second wings are coupled to the fuselage proximate the first and second sides, respectively. A distributed thrust array includes a first pair of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first wing and a second pair of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second wing. A flight control system is operably associated with the distributed thrust array and configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. The first side of the fuselage includes a door configured to provide access to a cargo bay disposed within the fuselage from an exterior of the aircraft with a predetermined clearance relative to the first pair of propulsion assemblies.

An aircraft is provided which includes a fuselage having a first wing with curved wingtips positioned above a second wing having curved wingtips. Rotor assemblies located in between the curved wingtips of the first and second wing, are employable to both provide vertical thrust for vertical take off of the aircraft and auto rotation to generate electric energy to recharge an onboard electric power supply. The first wing may be formed in a V-shape, and additional rotor assemblies to provide forward and vertical thrust to the airplane can be included on rotatable canards.

Systems, devices, and methods for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle having a first GPS antenna and a second GPS antenna, where the second GPS antenna is disposed distal from the first GPS antenna; and an aerial vehicle flight controller, where the flight controller is configured to: utilize a GPS antenna signal via the GPS antenna switch from the first GPS antenna or the second GPS antenna; receive a pitch level of the aerial vehicle from the one or more aerial vehicle sensors in vertical flight or horizontal flight; determine if the received pitch level is at a set rotation from vertical or horizontal; and utilize the GPS signal not being utilized via the GPS antenna switch if the determined pitch level is at or above the set rotation.

A power package includes a motor and at least one of a propeller or a propeller mounting structure. The propeller mounting structure is configured to detachably mount the propeller at the motor and includes a mounting seat configured to be fixed at an end surface of the motor and rotationally engage with the propeller, a lock member, and an elastic member configured to apply an elastic force to the lock member along an axial direction of a motor shaft of the motor to cause at least part of the lock member to block the propeller from being disengaged from the mounting seat. The motor shaft passes through the mounting seat. The propeller includes a connection assembly and a blade disposed at the connection assembly. The connection assembly is configured to mount at the motor shaft and includes an annular connector configured to rotationally engage with the propeller mounting structure.

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.

A supporting wing structure for an aircraft, in particular for a load-carrying and/or passenger-carrying aircraft, preferably an aircraft in the form of a vertical take-off and landing multicopter having a plurality of electrically driven rotors which are disposed in a distributed manner. The supporting wing structure has a plurality of struts. A first number of the struts are at least largely disposed in a first direction, while a second number of the struts are at least largely disposed in a second direction, the second direction being oriented orthogonal to the first direction. At least the struts of the second number have an aerodynamic profile in cross section, and/or in the struts are connected to one another at least in pairs between neighboring struts by a connecting structure, preferably from individual connecting segments, and the connecting structure or the connecting segments have an aerodynamic profiling. Furthermore an aircraft is provided equipped with such a supporting wing structure.

Method and apparatus for a flight vehicle including a wing having a high aspect ratio and first and second rotors having a high aspect ratio, with a ratio of the rotor diameter to wing length ratio is equal to or greater than about 0.25. In embodiments, the flight vehicle can include a first and second motor, each less than about one thousand HP, to drive a respective rotor and a second motor. The flight vehicle can include a cruise mode and a VTOL mode.

Multi-rotor rotorcraft (10) comprise a fuselage (12), and at least four rotor assemblies (14) operatively supported by and spaced-around the fuselage (12). Each of the at least four rotor assemblies (14) defines a spin volume (24) and a spin diameter (26). Some multi-rotor rotorcraft (10) further comprise at least one rotor guard (50) that is fixed relative to the fuselage (12), that borders the spin volume (24) of at least one of the at least four rotor assemblies (14), and that is configured to provide a visual indication of the spin volume (24) of the at least one of the at least four rotor assemblies (14). Various configurations of rotor guards (50) are disclosed.

An aircraft for capturing drones includes an airframe having a drone channel with first and second wings extending outboard thereof. A two-dimensional distributed thrust array includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to each of the first and second wings such that the rotor disc of each propulsion assembly is outboard of the drone channel. A flight control system is coupled to the airframe and is operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. A mesh bag is coupled to the drone channel forming a drone capture net. The aircraft is configured to convert between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft is also configured to overtake a drone during flight in the biplane orientation such that the drone passes through the drone channel into the mesh bag, thereby capturing the drone in the drone capture net.