An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a central body and a plurality of landing gears that are extendable from and movable relative to the central body. The plurality of landing gears are configured to transform between a flight configuration and a surface configuration. In the flight configuration, the landing gears are extending laterally away from the central body and not in contact with a surface below the central body. In the surface configuration, the landing gears are extending towards the surface below the central body. When the landing gears are in the surface configuration, the landing gears are configured to support a weight of the central body on the surface and transport the UAV over the surface by moving one or more of the landing gears relative to the surface.

A shrink mechanism for use with a landing gear of an aircraft. The landing gear includes an outer cylinder rotatably coupled to a frame of an aircraft about a trunnion axis of rotation and a shock strut assembly movably coupled to the outer cylinder so as to reciprocate along a longitudinal axis of the outer cylinder. The shrink mechanism incudes a first shrink link member pivotally coupled to the outer cylinder, a second shrink link member coupling the first shrink link member to the shock strut assembly, a crank member pivotally coupled to the outer cylinder, a drive member coupling the crank member to a walking beam of a landing gear retract mechanism, and a driven member coupling the crank member to the first shrink link member.

A shrink mechanism for use with a landing gear of an aircraft. The landing gear includes an outer cylinder rotatably coupled to a frame of an aircraft about a trunnion axis of rotation and a shock strut assembly movably coupled to the outer cylinder so as to reciprocate along a longitudinal axis of the outer cylinder. The shrink mechanism incudes a first shrink link member pivotally coupled to the outer cylinder, a second shrink link member coupling the first shrink link member to the shock strut assembly, a crank member pivotally coupled to the outer cylinder, a drive member coupling the crank member to a walking beam of a landing gear retract mechanism, and a driven member coupling the crank member to the first shrink link member.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of aircraft technologies, and provide an unmanned aerial vehicle including an unmanned aerial vehicle body and a landing gear. The landing gear is entirely accommodated in the unmanned aerial vehicle body when being in a folded state. When being folded, the landing gear in the present invention is entirely accommodated in the unmanned aerial vehicle body, and therefore neither causes unnecessary resistance in air nor blocks an aerial photographing field of view in an aerial photographing process of the unmanned aerial vehicle. In addition, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is not in use, the landing gear is accommodated in the unmanned aerial vehicle body, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle is very compact in structure and easy to accommodate and carry.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of aircraft technologies, and provide an unmanned aerial vehicle including an unmanned aerial vehicle body and a landing gear. The landing gear is entirely accommodated in the unmanned aerial vehicle body when being in a folded state. When being folded, the landing gear in the present invention is entirely accommodated in the unmanned aerial vehicle body, and therefore neither causes unnecessary resistance in air nor blocks an aerial photographing field of view in an aerial photographing process of the unmanned aerial vehicle. In addition, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is not in use, the landing gear is accommodated in the unmanned aerial vehicle body, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle is very compact in structure and easy to accommodate and carry.

A remotely controlled VTOL aircraft includes an autopilot subsystem outputting helicopter control signals, and an autopilot subsystem outputting fixed wing control signals. A transition control subsystem is configured to receive said helicopter control signals, said fixed wing control signals, and a transition control signal. Control signals to be applied to the VTOL aircraft controls are calculated as a function of the transition percentage and weighting factors applied to the helicopter control signals and said fixed wing control signals.

A remotely controlled VTOL aircraft includes an autopilot subsystem outputting helicopter control signals, and an autopilot subsystem outputting fixed wing control signals. A transition control subsystem is configured to receive said helicopter control signals, said fixed wing control signals, and a transition control signal. Control signals to be applied to the VTOL aircraft controls are calculated as a function of the transition percentage and weighting factors applied to the helicopter control signals and said fixed wing control signals.

A retractable landing gear system configured to contour an aircraft fuselage includes a landing wheel having an axle, a wheel rotation strut assembly coupling the landing wheel to the aircraft fuselage and an actuation strut assembly configured to move the wheel rotation strut assembly between various positions including a deployed position and a stowed position. The axle of the landing wheel is pivotably coupled to a distal end of the wheel rotation strut assembly and configured to pivot relative to the wheel rotation strut assembly as the actuation strut assembly moves the wheel rotation strut assembly between the deployed and stowed positions such that the landing wheel generally contours the aircraft fuselage when the wheel rotation strut assembly is in the stowed position.

A retractable landing gear system configured to contour an aircraft fuselage includes a landing wheel having an axle, a wheel rotation strut assembly coupling the landing wheel to the aircraft fuselage and an actuation strut assembly configured to move the wheel rotation strut assembly between various positions including a deployed position and a stowed position. The axle of the landing wheel is pivotably coupled to a distal end of the wheel rotation strut assembly and configured to pivot relative to the wheel rotation strut assembly as the actuation strut assembly moves the wheel rotation strut assembly between the deployed and stowed positions such that the landing wheel generally contours the aircraft fuselage when the wheel rotation strut assembly is in the stowed position.

A modular aircraft landing gear assembly is disclosed having a modular landing gear bracket, connectable to an aircraft via a hinge portion, a lever for carrying a wheel, and a linkage assembly for transmitting ground loads via a spring and/or a shock absorber. The bracket comprises structure which redundant when used on an aircraft of a first type but which is necessary for use of the same type of bracket on a different type of aircraft. The modular landing gear assembly may thus provide a design platform from which landing gear assemblies can be readily designed and manufactured for use on different types of aircraft with faster and/or easier redesign and/or recertification of the aircraft landing gear assembly for such subsequently designed types of aircraft.