Abstract:
A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is provided and includes a fuselage, wings extending outwardly from opposite sides of the fuselage, nacelles supportively disposed on the wings and reversely oriented, axial flow engines disposed in each of the nacelles to generate mechanical energy for driving lift and thrust generating prop-rotor rotations.
Abstract:
A cooling system for a rotorcraft laser system is provided. The cooling system includes at least one laser carrying component operatively coupling a laser turret and a laser generating assembly. The cooling system also includes at least one fuel line fluidly coupled to a fuel tank containing a fuel. The cooling system further includes a heat exchanger containing a portion of the laser carrying component and the fuel line to transfer heat therebetween to cool the laser carrying component.
Abstract:
A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is provided and includes wings, first and second nacelles supported on each of the wings, each of the first and second nacelles including a propeller drivable to generate aircraft thrust, and an asymmetrical power generation unit. The asymmetrical power generation unit includes a single engine unit disposed in only one of the first and second nacelles to generate power to drive the propellers of both the first and second nacelles.
Abstract:
A rotor head is provided and includes a non-rotating frame, a rotating frame rotatable relative to the non-rotating frame and configured to impart motion to the rotating frame, a rotor hub assembly rotatable about a rotation axis and including a hub and blades extending outwardly from the hub and being pivotable about respective pitch axes thereof and rocker assemblies respectively associated with corresponding ones of the blades. Each rocker assembly is interconnected between the rotating frame and the corresponding one of the blades and configured to convert the motion imparted to the rotating frame into a pitching of one of the blades about the respective pitch axes and amplify the motion such that an angle of the pitching exceeds an angle that would be achieved if the corresponding one of the blades were connected directly to the rotating frame.
Abstract:
A rotor system of a tail-sitter aerial vehicle configured to rotate about an axis of rotation is provided including a rotor hub which rotates about the axis of rotation and at least one rotor blade operably coupled to the rotor hub. The at least one rotor blade is configured to rotate about a folding axis between an extended position where the at least one rotor blade is substantially within a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation and a stowed position where the rotor blade is arranged out of the plane of at an angle less than ninety degrees to the axis of rotation.
Abstract:
An aircraft is provided and includes a fuselage from which a tilt-wing respectively extends, first prop-rotors, which are formed to define first rotor disks and which are respectively disposed on first portions of each side of the tilt-wing, second prop-rotors, which are formed to define second rotor disks and which are respectively disposed on second portions of each side of the tilt-wing such that the corresponding pairs of first and second rotor disks overlap, and a drive shaft system. The drive shaft system is configured to synchronize respective operations of the first and second prop-rotors.
Abstract:
A vehicle is provided and includes a wing having opposite surfaces and opposite sides and first and second engines disposed to drive wing movement and being respectively supported asymmetrically on the opposite surfaces and at the opposite sides of the wing.
Abstract:
A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is provided and includes a fuselage, inboard wings extending from opposite sides of the fuselage to define a support plane and engine nacelles disposed along the wings. Each of the wings includes ground alighting elements and a variable geometry such that a portion of the ground alighting elements are alignable with the support plane during in-flight conditions and displaceable from the support plane.
Abstract:
A yaw control system of an aircraft includes an aircraft having an airframe extending along a longitudinal axis, a coaxial contra-rotating main rotor system rotatable about a first axis, and a rotor system rotatable about a second axis to move air between a first side of the airframe and a second, opposite side of the airframe. The first side and the second side are disposed on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis. The yaw control provided by operation of the rotor system is supplemental to the yaw control provided by the coaxial contra-rotating main rotor system.
Abstract:
An aircraft includes an airframe having an extending tail and a longitudinal axis extending from a nose of the airframe defining a length of the airframe. A counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly is located at the airframe and includes an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. The upper rotor assembly and the lower rotor assembly rotate about an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation intersects the longitudinal axis forward of a midpoint of the longitudinal axis.