A vertical take-off aircraft with a propulsion drive for generating a driving force being effective in a horizontal direction and with a lift drive for generating a lifting force being effective in a vertical direction includes a motor for providing mechanical energy for the propulsion drive and a first generator for providing electrical energy for the lift drive. Moreover, the aircraft includes an exhaust gas turbocharger for the motor with a first turbine being driven by an exhaust gas flow of the motor, wherein the first turbine is configured to provide mechanical energy for the propulsion drive.

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 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a fuselage, an empennage having an all-moving horizontal stabilizer located at a tail end of the fuselage, a wing having the fuselage positioned approximately halfway between the distal ends of the wing, wherein the wing is configured to transform between a substantially straight wing configuration and a canted wing configuration using a canted hinge located on each side of the fuselage. The VTOL aircraft may further includes one or more retractable pogo supports, wherein a retractable pogo support is configured to deploy from each of the wing's distal ends.

A site management system includes an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight, a working vehicle working in a civil construction site, a shape detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane to detect a shape of the civil construction site, and an external control apparatus that controls flight of the unmanned airplane, driving of the working vehicle, and driving of the shape detection sensor. The external control apparatus moves the unmanned airplane to an observation area by performing the high speed flight. Further, the external control apparatus detects a shape of the observation area by driving the shape detection sensor while performing the high speed flight or by driving the shape detection sensor while performing low speed flight by switching from the airplane mode to the VTOL mode.

A system of a multi-rotor aircraft that capitalizes on the advantages of fixed wing elements combined with rotary wing structures. The fixed wing elements can help to generate lift once the aircraft is airborne and can thus reduce the need for larger lifting rotors which can allow for longer flight times and distances. Additionally, the systems disclosed herein take advantage of a partial in-wing configuration with a number of rotors to reduce the overall footprint of the vehicle while maintaining the flight efficiency that comes with combining features of fixed and rotary wing elements, and increasing operator safety by shrouding rotating parts. The unique configurations allow for a decoupling of the pitch, yaw and roll authority to reduce the complexity in control systems and improve the flight efficiency of the aircraft. Additional configurations implement the use of smaller thrust rotors that can be used to generate thrust as well as control yaw and thus counteract any remaining unbalanced torque.

A system of a multi-rotor aircraft that capitalizes on the advantages of fixed wing elements combined with rotary wing structures. The fixed wing elements can help to generate lift once the aircraft is airborne and can thus reduce the need for larger lifting rotors which can allow for longer flight times and distances. Additionally, the systems disclosed herein take advantage of a partial in-wing configuration with a number of rotors to reduce the overall footprint of the vehicle while maintaining the flight efficiency that comes with combining features of fixed and rotary wing elements, and increasing operator safety by shrouding rotating parts. The unique configurations allow for a decoupling of the pitch, yaw and roll authority to reduce the complexity in control systems and improve the flight efficiency of the aircraft. Additional configurations implement the use of smaller thrust rotors that can be used to generate thrust as well as control yaw and thus counteract any remaining unbalanced torque.

Provided is a flying apparatus and a method for controlling the same which are capable of precisely measuring a remaining charge of a battery with a simple configuration. A flying apparatus 10 comprises a rotor 11, a motor 12, a power converting unit 14, a battery 21, and a calculation control unit 15. The rotor 11 rotates to generate thrust for causing an airframe base unit 16 to float, and the motor 12 is supplied with an electric power from the battery 21 to rotationally drive the rotor 11.The calculation control unit 15 generates an instruction signal to bring the airframe base unit 16 into a certain positional posture. The power converting unit 14 adjusts an electric power to be supplied from the battery 21 to the motor 12 based on the instruction signal inputted. Further, the calculation control unit 15 estimates a remaining charge of the battery 21 based on the instruction signal.

Provided is a flying apparatus and a method for controlling the same which are capable of precisely measuring a remaining charge of a battery with a simple configuration. A flying apparatus 10 comprises a rotor 11, a motor 12, a power converting unit 14, a battery 21, and a calculation control unit 15. The rotor 11 rotates to generate thrust for causing an airframe base unit 16 to float, and the motor 12 is supplied with an electric power from the battery 21 to rotationally drive the rotor 11.The calculation control unit 15 generates an instruction signal to bring the airframe base unit 16 into a certain positional posture. The power converting unit 14 adjusts an electric power to be supplied from the battery 21 to the motor 12 based on the instruction signal inputted. Further, the calculation control unit 15 estimates a remaining charge of the battery 21 based on the instruction signal.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, in particular to a tiltable wing and an unmanned aerial vehicle. The tiltable wing includes a wing body, a wingtip, a power device, a cable, a rotating shaft and a driving mechanism. The power device is mounted on the wingtip; one end of the cable is connected to the power device, the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the wing body and the wingtip, respectively, a through hole is disposed in an axial direction of the rotating shaft, and the other end of the cable passes through the through hole and extends to the inside of the wing body; the driving mechanism is used for driving the wingtip to rotate with the rotating shaft as an axis; and the power device is switchable between a first preset position and a second preset position relative to the wing body, so that the power device is switched between a horizontal state and a vertical state.

An aircraft, in particular a personal air mobility aircraft or a drone, having one or more annular propellers, with one or more blades extending radially from a rotor ring body towards the axis of the rotor ring, and one or more belt transmissions, which connect the rotor ring of each annular propeller with the output shaft of a motor unit including an electric motor. Various aircraft configurations include a vertical take-off and horizontal flight configuration. The aircraft surfaces are covered by groups of photovoltaic solar cells connected to a main battery pack for powering the electric motors that drive the annular propellers, and to an auxiliary electric battery for powering the on-board electrical circuit.