A variable length stay for an aircraft landing gear is disclosed having first and second sets of struts lying on different longitudinal axes that enable the stay to extend and contract by movement of the struts parallel to their axes. The stay may be locked in its extended and retracted configurations thus providing downlock and uplock functions for the landing gear. The struts of the stay may have an open and easy to inspect structure, have low friction kinematics, and do not need to telescope within each other or lie on a single common axis.

A variable length stay for an aircraft landing gear is disclosed having first and second sets of struts lying on different longitudinal axes that enable the stay to extend and contract by movement of the struts parallel to their axes. The stay may be locked in its extended and retracted configurations thus providing downlock and uplock functions for the landing gear. The struts of the stay may have an open and easy to inspect structure, have low friction kinematics, and do not need to telescope within each other or lie on a single common axis.

A tandem-tiltrotor apparatus, comprising a right-wing, a pin extending substantially in an inboard-outboard direction of the aircraft, a leadingedge-leaf connected to the hollow-pin providing the leadingedge-leaf 1-degree of rotational freedom around the pin. A tandem-tiltrotor power apparatus, comprising a right-wing, a front-wingleaf, hollow-pin extending substantially in an inboard-outboard direction of the aircraft, a leadingedge-leaf connected to a pin providing the leadingedge-leaf having 1-degree of rotational freedom around the hollow-pin, and a power cable threaded through the hollow-pin. A tandem-tiltrotor link apparatus, comprising a right-wing, a hollow-pin extending substantially in a inboard-outboard direction of the aircraft, a leadingedge-leaf having 1-degree of rotational freedom around the hollow-pin, a frontlink, fixed to the leadingedge-leaf lower surface and a frontlink-hinge fixed to the frontlink.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of aircrafts, and provide an undercarriage and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having the undercarriage. The undercarriage includes a power assembly and an undercarriage body. The power assembly includes a connecting member and a drive apparatus for driving the connecting member to reciprocate. The undercarriage body includes a plurality of hinged connecting rods, the plurality of hinged connecting rods constituting at least one parallelogram mechanism, and projections of at least two of the hinged connecting rods on a side face of the fuselage are staggered. The undercarriage body is connected to the connecting member, and when the connecting member reciprocates, the undercarriage body is driven to be folded or unfolded. In the foregoing manner, driven by the reciprocating motion of the connecting member, the undercarriage body may be retracted and folded on two sides or in an interior of the fuselage, so that the undercarriage may be retracted and folded during flight of the UAV, thereby avoiding unnecessary resistance in the air.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of aircrafts, and provide an undercarriage and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having the undercarriage. The undercarriage includes a power assembly and an undercarriage body. The power assembly includes a connecting member and a drive apparatus for driving the connecting member to reciprocate. The undercarriage body includes a plurality of hinged connecting rods, the plurality of hinged connecting rods constituting at least one parallelogram mechanism, and projections of at least two of the hinged connecting rods on a side face of the fuselage are staggered. The undercarriage body is connected to the connecting member, and when the connecting member reciprocates, the undercarriage body is driven to be folded or unfolded. In the foregoing manner, driven by the reciprocating motion of the connecting member, the undercarriage body may be retracted and folded on two sides or in an interior of the fuselage, so that the undercarriage may be retracted and folded during flight of the UAV, thereby avoiding unnecessary resistance in the air.

A folding trailing arm landing gear assembly having a main fitting configured to couple to a hinge positioned at a proximal end; a swing arm rotatably coupled at a proximal end to a distal end of the main fitting; a shock coupled at a distal end to a distal end of the swing arm; a bellcrank coupled at a distal end to a proximal end of the shock, and coupled at a proximal end to the main fitting; and a wheel coupled to the swing arm.

Walking VTOL vehicles and related systems and methods are disclosed. A representative system can include one or more vertical thrust propulsion systems for providing vertical thrust for the vehicle, one or more horizontal thrust propulsion systems for providing horizontal thrust for the vehicle, and leg elements that are rotatable between a first configuration in which each leg element extends downwardly and a second configuration different from the first configuration. A representative method of operating a vehicle includes using vertical thrust to raise the vehicle upward, rotating a leg element forward, lowering the vehicle, and then rotating the leg element rearward to propel the vehicle forward.

An aircraft including a main landing gear compartment which comprises a rear transverse wall, and a base wall forming a sealed barrier between a first, pressurized area and a second, non-pressurized area. The main landing gear compartment includes a body, produced in a single piece from composite material, separating the first, pressurized area and the second, non-pressurized area. The body includes a first part corresponding to the base wall, as well as a second part corresponding to the rear transverse wall. At least two longitudinal beams made of composite material, are connected to the body. This single body makes it possible to eliminate a large number of parts, to simplify the assembly process, and to reduce the duration thereof.

An aircraft including a main landing gear compartment which comprises a rear transverse wall, and a base wall forming a sealed barrier between a first, pressurized area and a second, non-pressurized area. The main landing gear compartment includes a body, produced in a single piece from composite material, separating the first, pressurized area and the second, non-pressurized area. The body includes a first part corresponding to the base wall, as well as a second part corresponding to the rear transverse wall. At least two longitudinal beams made of composite material, are connected to the body. This single body makes it possible to eliminate a large number of parts, to simplify the assembly process, and to reduce the duration thereof.

A landing gear for use on an aircraft, the landing gear including a shock strut and an anti-rotation linkage. The shock strut is positioned at least partially within and guided in movement by a guide member coupled to a frame of the aircraft. The shock strut including an outer cylinder that is shaped and sized to engage the guide member where the guide member guides sliding movement of the outer cylinder, and where the outer cylinder is configured so as to be driven in the sliding movement relative to the guide member, and an inner cylinder disposed at least partly within the outer cylinder. The anti-rotation linkage including a connector plate coupled to the outer cylinder of the shock strut, and an anti-rotation link assembly coupled to both the guide member and the connector plate, the anti-rotation link assembly being configured to maintain the shock strut in a fixed rotational orientation relative to the guide member.