A craft comprises a hull, a wing, a hydrofoil, and a control system. The wing is configured to generate upwards aero lift as air flows past the wing to facilitate wing-borne flight of the craft. The hydrofoil is configured to generate upwards hydrofoil lift during a first mode of operation as water flows past the hydrofoil to facilitate hydrofoil-borne movement of the craft through the water. While the craft is hydrofoil-borne, the control system is configured to determine the upwards aero lift generated by the wing. The control system is further configured to control the hydrofoil to generate downwards hydrofoil lift to counteract the upwards aero lift generated by the wing that maintains the hydrofoil at least partially submerged in the water while the determined upwards aero lift is below a threshold lift.

The present invention relates to a high-performance battery cell (10) for driving an electric aircraft, comprising a plurality of layers (12) stacked one to another to form a cell stack (100; 200; 300; 400), the cell stack (100; 200; 300; 400) comprising at least two electrode layers (102, 104; 202, 204; 302, 304; 402, 404) comprising a cathode layer and an anode layer, and coating layers (120, 122, 124; 220, 222, 224; 320, 322, 324; 420, 422, 424) applied to the electrode layers (102, 104; 202, 204; 302, 304; 402, 404), wherein at least one of the electrode layers (102, 104; 202, 204; 302, 304; 402, 404) and/or at least one of the coating layers (120, 122, 124; 220, 222, 224; 320, 322, 324; 420, 422, 424) comprises at least one degassing channel (16) connecting an inner portion of the cell stack (100; 300; 400) with an edge portion of the cell stack (100; 300; 400), and/or at least one weakened portion (202a,b, 204a,b; 302a,b, 304a,b) pre-defining at least one path of weakness connecting an inner portion of the cell stack (200:300; 400) with an edge portion of the cell stack (200; 300; 400).

A rotational power device including a blade having a core formed by battery material as a power source.

A vertical take-off and landing aircraft using a hybrid electric propulsion system includes an engine, a generator that produces electric power using power supplied by the engine, and a battery that stores the produced electric power. A motor receives the electric power stored in the battery and electric power produced by the generator but not stored in the battery and provides the power to a thrust generating apparatus. A controller selects either silence mode or normal mode, and determines the amount of electric power stored in the battery and the amount of electric power not stored in the battery from the electric power supplied to the motor. In the silence mode, the controller supplies only the electric power stored in the battery and controls a duration by adjusting output power of motor. In the normal mode, the controller supplies electric power not stored in the battery.

A manned aircraft having wing parts, an internal combustion engine which is connected via a shaft to a left thrust nacelle and to a right thrust nacelle, which are pivotable from a vertical position for a hovering flight phase into a horizontal position for the forward flight phase, and having a left thrust unit and a right thrust unit which are driven by electric motors, and having a control unit which carries out a moment-dynamic flight control and which controls the thrust units to generate thrust for the hovering flight phase and at least partially stops them for the forward flight phase.

A manned aircraft having wing parts, an internal combustion engine which is connected via a shaft to a left thrust nacelle and to a right thrust nacelle, which are pivotable from a vertical position for a hovering flight phase into a horizontal position for the forward flight phase, and having a left thrust unit and a right thrust unit which are driven by electric motors, and having a control unit which carries out a moment-dynamic flight control and which controls the thrust units to generate thrust for the hovering flight phase and at least partially stops them for the forward flight phase.

An electric propulsion and lift system for an aircraft that includes a plurality of electric motor/propeller assemblies on the flaps of the aircraft so that when the flaps are deflected for take-off and landings, the propellers are directed downward to provide thrust for power lift and increased airflow over the wing for aerodynamic lift. The motor/propeller assemblies are spaced apart and positioned along the entire length of the flaps to provide a distributed airflow.

Lift propulsion and stabilizing system and procedure for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that consists in applying simultaneously and combined as lifters during the initial portion of the climb and at the end of the descent of: a) some fans or electric turbines, EDF, and b) at least one rotor with external blades and/or rotary and/or c) the engine flow directed downwards and/or d) pressure air jets injected on leading edges control fins, and/or e) water jets and/or f) supplemented with aerodynamic lift produced during frontal advance of the aircraft, the stabilization is achieved by the gyroscopic stiffness of the rotor and two or more lifting fans oscillating fins and/or air jets located on two or stabilizers more peripheral points in a plane perpendicular to the vertical axis of the aircraft.

An electric propulsion system includes at least one generator. The electric propulsion system also includes at least one drive engine coupled to the at least one generator. The electric propulsion system further includes at least one electrical device. The electric propulsion system also includes at least one battery integrated isolated power converter (BIIC), where the at least one generator and at least one of the at least one BIIC and the at least one electrical device are coupled, and where the at least one BIIC and the at least one electrical device are coupled.

An aerial vehicle adapted for vertical takeoff and landing using a set of wing mounted thrust producing elements and a set of tail mounted rotors for takeoff and landing. An aerial vehicle which is adapted to vertical takeoff with the rotors in a rotated, take-off attitude then transitions to a horizontal flight path, with the rotors rotated to a typical horizontal configuration. The aerial vehicle uses different configurations of its wing mounted rotors and propellers to reduce drag in all flight modes.