A multi-rotor aircraft includes a fuselage, a propulsion engine coupled to the fuselage that generates thrust to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight, and rotors coupled to the fuselage, each rotor comprising blades, each rotor coupled to a motor, and each motor configured to supply power to and draw power from the coupled rotor. The aircraft includes a flight control system configured to control the motors coupled to the rotors in a power managed regime in which a net electrical power, consisting of a sum of the power being supplied to or drawn from each rotor by its motor, is maintained within a range determined by a feedback control system of the flight control system. The flight control system can also be leveraged to adjust rotor control inputs to modify at least one of thrust, roll, pitch, or yaw of the multi-rotor aircraft.

A compact, compound gyroplane employing torque compensated main rotor and hybrid power train is disclosed. The invention incorporates a torque-compensated main rotor system with a common Collective pitch control but no Cyclic function, which can be driven transiently during flight to allow vertical take-off, landing and hovering flight operations; torque compensation is via a coaxial counter-rotating (CACR) rotor system, or alternatively using one or more electronically-controlled, fixed-pitch, thruster motors. A mechanical or electro-mechanical hybrid power system allows a single engine to power vertical lift and forward propulsion; the use of electric motors for lift and torque compensation facilitates electronic (and potentially autonomous) control of critical phases of flight.

A multi-rotor aircraft includes a fuselage, a propulsion engine coupled to the fuselage that generates thnist to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight, and rotors coupled to the fuselage, each rotor comprising blades, each rotor coupled to a motor, and each motor configured to supply power to and draw power from the coupled rotor. The aircraft includes a flight control system configured to control the motors coupled to the rotors in a power managed regime in which a net electrical power, consisting of a sum of the power being supplied to or drawn from each rotor by its motor, is maintained within a range determined by a feedback control system of the flight control system. The flight control system can also be leveraged to adjust rotor control inputs to modify at least one of thrust, roll, pitch, or yaw of the multi-rotor aircraft.

An aircraft rotor system including a hub having a hub axis about which the hub is configured to rotate; a plurality of rotor blades configured to extend from the hub and rotate about the hub axis, at least one of the rotor blades rotatable about a respective pitch change axis; wherein the hub is configured to be rotated about the hub axis only by the plurality of rotor blades. Another aspect includes a method of operating the rotor system.

A rotor system for an aircraft including a driving member; an externally driven rim configured to be rotated by the driving member; a hub having a hub axis, the hub including a rotatable housing and a non-rotatable housing; a plurality of rotor blade assemblies rotatably coupled to the rotatable housing of the hub and the externally driven rim such that rotation of the externally driven rim rotates the plurality of rotor blade assemblies about the hub axis, each rotor blade assembly having a rotor blade rotatable about a respective pitch change axis; and a pitch control mechanism operably associated with the hub and the plurality of rotor blade assemblies, wherein, actuation of the pitch control mechanism rotates each rotor blade assembly about the respective pitch change axis to collectively control the pitch of the rotor blade, thereby generating a variable thrust output. Also, a method of operating the rotor system.

A rotor hub assembly includes an open rotor hub assembly with an open rotor hub and a mounting plate. The open rotor hub includes an annular base portion with periphery and a plurality of rotary member portions arranged about the annular base portion that each define an aperture for receiving a rotor blade. The mounting plate spans the annular base portion and is coupled to the annular base portion by a resilient member to accommodate radially expansion and contraction of the annular base portion according to loads exerted on the rotor hub by rotor blades seated in the apertures of the rotary member portions.

A rotor system for an aircraft including a driving member; an externally driven rim configured to be rotated by the driving member; a hub having a hub axis, the hub including a rotatable housing and a non-rotatable housing; a plurality of rotor blade assemblies rotatably coupled to the rotatable housing of the hub and the externally driven rim such that rotation of the externally driven rim rotates the plurality of rotor blade assemblies about the hub axis, each rotor blade assembly having a rotor blade rotatable about a respective pitch change axis; and a pitch control mechanism operably associated with the hub and the plurality of rotor blade assemblies, wherein, actuation of the pitch control mechanism rotates each rotor blade assembly about the respective pitch change axis to collectively control the pitch of the rotor blade, thereby generating a variable thrust output. Also, a method of operating the rotor system.

A multi-rotor aircraft includes a fuselage, a propulsion engine coupled to the fuselage that generates thrust to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight, and rotors coupled to the fuselage, each rotor comprising blades, each rotor coupled to a motor, and each motor configured to supply power to and draw power from the coupled rotor. The aircraft includes a flight control system configured to control the motors coupled to the rotors in a power managed regime in which a net electrical power, consisting of a sum of the power being supplied to or drawn from each rotor by its motor, is maintained within a range determined by a feedback control system of the flight control system. The flight control system can also be leveraged to adjust rotor control inputs to modify at least one of thrust, roll, pitch, or yaw of the multi-rotor aircraft.

A multi-rotor aircraft includes a fuselage, a propulsion engine coupled to the fuselage that generates thrust to propel the aircraft along a first vector during forward flight, and rotors coupled to the fuselage, each rotor comprising blades, each rotor coupled to a motor, and each motor configured to supply power to and draw power from the coupled rotor. The aircraft includes a flight control system configured to control the motors coupled to the rotors in a power managed regime in which a net electrical power, consisting of a sum of the power being supplied to or drawn from each rotor by its motor, is maintained within a range determined by a feedback control system of the flight control system. The flight control system can also be leveraged to adjust rotor control inputs to modify at least one of thrust, roll, pitch, or yaw of the multi-rotor aircraft.

The hybrid electric vehicle belongs to the field of small aircraft. This vehicle is used to move people on the ground, like a regular motorcycle and to move people through the air like an autogyro. Hybrid electric vehicle can be used by citizens, organizations, government agencies to perform various tasks: personal and official transport, tourism, monitoring, patrolling, ambulance, etc.

The essence of the described vehicle is a change in the basic design of motorcycle, so that it has a mast and an autogyro rotor that can be removed, as well as the use of two ducted propellers with built-in electric motors, and an additional electric motor for the rotating of rear wheel. In this case, ducted propellers (together with the listed systems of parts, called elements of flight providing (EFP)) can be removed, as well as fixed in two positions. First, in such a way that their plane of rotation is perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the rear wheel (flight mode). And in this situation ducted propellers provide a opportunity where the total thrust vector generated by them is located much lower than in case of conventional autogyros and, accordingly, the vehicle's center of mass can also be located lowin the immediate vicinity of the thrust vector line, this opportunity will allow the vehicle to move steadily as in the air and on the ground. Secondly, in such a way that the ducted propellers (and the other parts of the EFP also) are pressed to the side parts of the hybrid avehicle, in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation of the rear wheel (ground mode) (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5).