An aircraft has a fuselage, a wing assembly, and a pair of struts. The wing assembly has a center wing structure and a pair of outer wing structures. The center wing structure is coupled to the fuselage at a wing-fuselage joint, and has a pair of engine mounting locations respectively on opposite sides of a wing centerline. Each of the struts is coupled to the fuselage at a strut-fuselage joint, and to one of the outer wing structures at a strut-wing joint. Each strut-fuselage joint is located below and aft of the wing-fuselage joint. Each outer wing structure is coupled to the center wing structure at a mid-wing joint located no further inboard than the engine mounting location, and no further outboard than the strut-wing joint.

An aircraft assembly including a wing component and an engine mounting pylon component. The wing component has three fastening locations arranged in a triangle and a plane. The engine mounting pylon component is connected to the wing component by three tension fasteners, wherein each of the tension fasteners passes through a different one of the fastening locations. The wing component comprises three first spherical surfaces positioned such that the center of each first spherical surface is at a different one of the fastening locations. The engine mounting pylon component comprises three second spherical surfaces having equal and opposite curvature to the first spherical surfaces. Each of the second spherical surfaces is in contact with a different one of the first spherical surfaces.

An aircraft assembly including a wing component and an engine mounting pylon component. The wing component has three fastening locations arranged in a triangle and a plane. The engine mounting pylon component is connected to the wing component by three tension fasteners, wherein each of the tension fasteners passes through a different one of the fastening locations. The wing component comprises three first spherical surfaces positioned such that the center of each first spherical surface is at a different one of the fastening locations. The engine mounting pylon component comprises three second spherical surfaces having equal and opposite curvature to the first spherical surfaces. Each of the second spherical surfaces is in contact with a different one of the first spherical surfaces.

An aircraft airfoil having an internal thrust unit and an aircraft having the same are provided. The airfoil includes a skin structure having a lower surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil over which air flows during forward flight. A thrust system is connected to the skin structure and includes a thrust unit generating an airflow that is at least partially expelled through an outlet in the lower surface of the skin structure. At least one outlet cover is connected to the skin structure and movable between a forward flight position, in which the at least one outlet cover is configured to deflect the airflow in an at least partially rearward direction, and a vertical flight position, in which the at least one outlet cover is substantially clear of the airflow which is directed in an at least partially downward direction.

An aircraft airfoil having an internal thrust unit and an aircraft having the same are provided. The airfoil includes a skin structure having a lower surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the airfoil over which air flows during forward flight. A thrust system is connected to the skin structure and includes a thrust unit generating an airflow that is at least partially expelled through an outlet in the lower surface of the skin structure. At least one outlet cover is connected to the skin structure and movable between a forward flight position, in which the at least one outlet cover is configured to deflect the airflow in an at least partially rearward direction, and a vertical flight position, in which the at least one outlet cover is substantially clear of the airflow which is directed in an at least partially downward direction.

A heat exchanger system for a propulsion system inlet duct includes a heat exchanger assembly that is disposed within an inlet duct assembly. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger with a front facing area that is greater than an area of the inlet duct that is transverse to a longitudinal length of the inlet duct.

A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft is disclosed having a fuselage ending with a tail, a first wing fixedly attached to the fuselage, and a second wing fixedly attached to the fuselage and located between the first wing and the tail. The first wing is provided with four tilting propulsion units forwards of the first wing and attached to the first wing. There may be four tilting propulsion units forwards of the second wing or two tilting propulsion units forwards of the second wing and two non-tilting propulsion units behind the first wing. Each propulsion unit is provided with propeller blades. The propeller blades forwards of the first wing are at least 10% longer than the propeller blades on the second wing and/or behind the first wing and the propeller blades of the tilting propulsion units have variable pitch.

A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft is disclosed having a fuselage ending with a tail, a first wing fixedly attached to the fuselage, and a second wing fixedly attached to the fuselage and located between the first wing and the tail. The first wing is provided with four tilting propulsion units forwards of the first wing and attached to the first wing. There may be four tilting propulsion units forwards of the second wing or two tilting propulsion units forwards of the second wing and two non-tilting propulsion units behind the first wing. Each propulsion unit is provided with propeller blades. The propeller blades forwards of the first wing are at least 10% longer than the propeller blades on the second wing and/or behind the first wing and the propeller blades of the tilting propulsion units have variable pitch.

The present invention discloses a VTOL aircraft with retractable wings and TEMCS (trailing edge mounted control surface) mounted tilt-able engines. The aircraft has two hover modes; a first hover mode with retracted wings which allows takeoff and landing in tight landing spots, and a second hover mode with extended wings, during these hover modes, the aircraft operates as a multi-rotor aircraft with additional means of vectored forces created by tilt-able engines, with engines directed upward, and a cruise mode with the wings extended and the engines directed in forward direction.

The present invention discloses a VTOL aircraft with retractable wings and TEMCS (trailing edge mounted control surface) mounted tilt-able engines. The aircraft has two hover modes; a first hover mode with retracted wings which allows takeoff and landing in tight landing spots, and a second hover mode with extended wings, during these hover modes, the aircraft operates as a multi-rotor aircraft with additional means of vectored forces created by tilt-able engines, with engines directed upward, and a cruise mode with the wings extended and the engines directed in forward direction.