A tiltrotor aircraft having a propulsion configuration that divorces the engine core power from the thrust fan, using a combined gearbox with a plurality of clutches to couple and decouple one or more rotor systems and one or more thrust fans. The aircraft can be operable for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) in a helicopter mode, forward flight in a proprotor mode, and high-speed forward flight in an airplane (jet) mode. The propulsion configuration provides shaft horsepower (SHP) to rotors for VTOL flight, while also providing SHP to the thrust fan for high speed flight. Allowing the rotor and the thrust fan to be clutched on and off, sequentially, enables transition from rotor-borne VTOL flight to wing-borne thrust fan flight, and back.

In some embodiments, an aircraft includes a flying frame having an airframe, a propulsion system attached to the airframe and a flight control system operably associated with the propulsion system wherein, the flying frame has a vertical takeoff and landing mode and a forward flight mode. A pod assembly is selectively attachable to the flying frame such that the flying frame is rotatable about the pod assembly wherein, the pod assembly remains in a generally horizontal attitude during vertical takeoff and landing, forward flight and transitions therebetween.

Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft are provided with fixed-position port and starboard wings extending laterally from an elongate fuselage having an empennage at an aft end of the fuselage and a propeller to provide horizontal thrust to the aircraft in a direction of the longitudinal axis thereof. A series of port and starboard rotor units are provided, each of which includes axially opposed rotor blades, and a motor to rotate the rotor blades and provide vertical thrust to the aircraft. A logic control unit (LCU) controllably sets an angular position of the opposed rotor blades along a position axis relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft in response to determining an optimal position of the rotor blades during cruise flight operation to thereby minimize airflow disruption over the fixed-position wings.

Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft are provided with fixed-position port and starboard wings extending laterally from an elongate fuselage having an empennage at an aft end of the fuselage and a propeller to provide horizontal thrust to the aircraft in a direction of the longitudinal axis thereof. A series of port and starboard rotor units are provided, each of which includes axially opposed rotor blades, and a motor to rotate the rotor blades and provide vertical thrust to the aircraft. A logic control unit (LCU) controllably sets an angular position of the opposed rotor blades along a position axis relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft in response to determining an optimal position of the rotor blades during cruise flight operation to thereby minimize airflow disruption over the fixed-position wings.

In an aspect, a system comprising a computing device. The computing device is configured to determine a drag minimization axis of a rotor connected to an aircraft. The rotor includes a first end and a second end. The rotor is configured to rotate about an axis. The computing device is further configured to determine a halting point of the rotor, wherein the halting point includes a drag minimization axis of the rotor. The computing device is configured to send a halting command to at least a magnetic element to halt the rotor, wherein the halting process is configured to stop a movement of the rotor and position the rotor in the halting point. The position of the rotor in the halting point includes the first end pointing in one direction of the drag minimization axis and the second end pointing in an opposite direction of the first end.

In an aspect, a system comprising a computing device. The computing device is configured to determine a drag minimization axis of a rotor connected to an aircraft. The rotor includes a first end and a second end. The rotor is configured to rotate about an axis. The computing device is further configured to determine a halting point of the rotor, wherein the halting point includes a drag minimization axis of the rotor. The computing device is configured to send a halting command to at least a magnetic element to halt the rotor, wherein the halting process is configured to stop a movement of the rotor and position the rotor in the halting point. The position of the rotor in the halting point includes the first end pointing in one direction of the drag minimization axis and the second end pointing in an opposite direction of the first end.

Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft can provide opportunities to incorporate aerial transportation into transportation networks for cities and metropolitan areas. However, VTOL aircraft may be noisy. To accommodate this, the aircraft may utilize onboard sensors, offboard sensing, network, and predictive temporal data for noise signature mitigation. By building a composite understanding of real data offboard the aircraft, the aircraft can make adjustments to the way it is flying and verify this against a predicted noise signature (via computational methods) to reduce environmental impact. This might be realized via a change in translative speed, propeller speed, or choices in propulsor usage (e.g., a quiet propulsor vs. a high thrust, noisier propulsor). These noise mitigation actions may also be decided at the network level rather than the vehicle level to balance concerns across a city and relieve computing constraints on the aircraft.

A rotor mounting assembly for a vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes a boom configured for mounting to a wing of the aircraft; a mount for mounting a rotor assembly, the mount connected to the boom at a joint and tiltable about the joint from a forward thrust orientation in which the rotor assembly can provide forward thrust for forward flight to a vertical thrust orientation in which the rotor assembly can provide vertical thrust for vertical take-off and landing and hover; a multi-link assembly extending from the boom to the mount; and a rotary actuator for actuating the multi-link assembly to control tilting of the mount.

An aircraft with increased crash robustness including a fuselage with a forward end, an opposite rear end, a ventral surface, and a dorsal surface. The aircraft further including a longitudinal axis running from the rear end to the forward end and a dorsoventral axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and running from the dorsal surface to the ventral surface. The aircraft also including at least a battery module located within the fuselage comprising a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell includes an axial axis positioned orthogonally to each of the longitudinal axis and the dorsoventral axis, and each battery cell has a plurality of radial axes orthogonal to the axial axis, wherein the plurality of radial axes includes a first radial axis aligned with the longitudinal axis and a second radial axis aligned with the dorsoventral axis.

A long-distance drone having a main body, a left hind wing, a right hind wing, a left forewing, and a right forewing. There is a left linear support connecting the left forewing to the left hind wing, and a right linear support connecting the right forewing to the right hind wing. A plurality of propellers are disposed on the left and the right linear supports.