A fixed wing drone comprises an air channel embedded therein. The air channel has an upstream an air inlet. A microcontroller mounted within the drone is configured to control navigation of the drone. An air scoop having a section positioned adjacent the inlet to the air channel is adjustable between a first position to capture and divert air into the inlet and thereby to air channel and a second position to block air flow into the air inlet. The air scoop is positioned to divert air flow into the air channel and to the gas sensor during forward flight of the drone. In one embodiment, the fixed wing drone comprises an aircraft having a fuselage and at least two wings. In another embodiment, the fixed wing drone has a flying wing construction, that is, is a tailless design.

An air sample collection apparatus and methods for operating the air sample collection apparatus are provided. The air sample apparatus comprises a plurality of air canisters comprising at least a first canister and a second canister, a multi-position valve comprising an outlet, and an inlet region, which are fluidly connected to a plurality of ports. Each respective port is fluidly connected to a canister of the plurality of air canisters, a pump operable to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region of the multi-position valve, and a computing device operable to open and close each respective port fluidly coupled to each canister of the plurality of canisters.

An aircraft-mountable inflow and outflow apparatus has an accumulating sleeve, an inflow line and at least one exit opening. The regulating sleeve has an entry opening. The inflow line has a supply-line connection for a respective supply line. The accumulating sleeve forms a first supply-line portion, is designed for insertion into a respective shaft of the respective inflow and outflow apparatus and is dimensioned such that, in a state in which the insert has been inserted into the respective shaft, the entry opening of the accumulating sleeve is located in the vicinity of an opening between a respective head part and the respective shaft of the respective inflow and outflow apparatus. Furthermore, the accumulating sleeve is connected to the supply-line connection for a respective supply line via the entry line, which constitutes a second supply-line portion.

Systems, devices, and methods for a gas sensor comprising one or more optical cells; a processor having addressable memory, the processor configured to: detect gas from the one or more optical cells of the gas sensor, where the detected gas is one or more of: methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, water, ammonia, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen; record data corresponding to the detected gas, where the recorded data comprises at least one of: an ambient temperature from a temperature sensor, an ambient pressure from a pressure sensor, an aerial vehicle telemetry, and an aerial vehicle location from a global positioning system (GPS); and generate a map of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration on a map based on the detected gas and the recorded data.

A fixed wing drone comprises an air channel embedded therein. The air channel has an upstream an air inlet. A microcontroller mounted within the drone is configured to control navigation of the drone. An air scoop having a section positioned adjacent the inlet to the air channel is adjustable between a first position to capture and divert air into the inlet and thereby to air channel and a second position to block air flow into the air inlet. The air scoop is positioned to divert air flow into the air channel and to the gas sensor during forward flight of the drone. In one embodiment, the fixed wing drone comprises an aircraft having a fuselage and at least two wings. In another embodiment, the fixed wing drone has a flying wing construction, that is, is a tailless design.

A multirotor drone comprises a main body and an air channel embedded within the main body having an air inlet on the surface of the main body, multiple propellers that induce an air flow toward the air inlet and into the air channel, a microcontroller positioned and configured to control navigation of the drone by actuation of the plurality of propellers, an air scoop having a section positioned at the outer surface of the main body adjacent to the air inlet which is adjustable so as to capture and divert air into the air inlet and air channel or to block air flow into the air inlet, and a gas sensor positioned within the air channel. The air scoop is positioned to capture air flow from at least one of the plurality of propellers into the air channel and to the gas sensor.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for collecting fungal spores in high altitudes comprising a container of closed structure, at least one chamber being connected to one inside end of the container, and at least one actuator connected to the closed end of the chamber. The present invention further relates to a method of collecting fungal spores from atmosphere using the apparatus and a disease warning system for Asian soybean rust.

In various embodiments a capture surface for capturing high velocity and hypervelocity dust and ice particles is provided. In certain embodiments the capture surface is comprised of a soft metal that is chosen to optimize particle capture efficiency, to minimize thermal degradation of chemicals and biochemical in the particles, and to present the captured particles to an analyzer for chemical and biochemical analysis of the particles and their contents. In various embodiments capture chambers comprising one or more such capture surfaces are provided as well as methods of use thereof.

A multirotor drone comprises a main body and an air channel embedded within the main body having an air inlet on the surface of the main body, multiple propellers that induce an air flow toward the air inlet and into the air channel, a microcontroller positioned and configured to control navigation of the drone by actuation of the plurality of propellers, an air scoop having a section positioned at the outer surface of the main body adjacent to the air inlet which is adjustable so as to capture and divert air into the air inlet and air channel or to block air flow into the air inlet, and a gas sensor positioned within the air channel. The air scoop is positioned to capture air flow from at least one of the plurality of propellers into the air channel and to the gas sensor.

An environmental sampling system includes a passage in an aircraft component and a removable collector disposed in the passage. The passage has an inlet at a first region and an outlet at a second region. When the aircraft component is in operation the first region is at a greater pressure than the second region such that air flows through the passage from the inlet to the outlet. The removable collector is configured to retain constituents from the air and to react with the media designed to mimic corrosion effects seen at higher temperatures on engine parts. The constituents can then be characterized and correlated to engine deterioration to predict maintenance activity.