Kitty Hawk Corporation

X Development LLC

Makani Technologies LLC

Campbell McLaren

Pranay Sinha

Damon Vander Lind

Thomas Van Alsenoy

Gregory Mainland Horn

Nathan Treat

Jérôme Sicard

A pylon portion includes a first surface that attaches to an upper surface of a spar in a wing, where the pylon portion and a rotor portion protrude aft of the wing. A second surface attaches to a lower surface of the spar in the wing. The pylon portion also includes an intake air vent; a horizontal mounting surface; a rotor controller that is coupled to the horizontal mounting surface; and a heat sink that couples to the horizontal mounting surface and dissipates heat from at least the rotor controller. The rotor portion is moveably coupled to the pylon portion such that one or more rotor blades included in the rotor portion are able to move between: (1) a first position below the wing that is associated with a vertical flight mode and (2) a second position aft of the wing that is associated with a forward flight mode.

Pylon mounted tilt rotor

A tilt rotor system, comprising: a pylon portion that includes: an upper protrusion that is configured to be in contact with an upper surface of a wing and a lower protrusion that is configured to be in contact with a lower surface of the wing; and a rotor portion that includes a rotor, wherein the rotor portion is able to move between: (1) a first position that is associated with a vertical flight mode and (2) a second position that is associated with a forward flight mode. The pylon portion further includes an air intake vent, a horizontal surface, a rotor controller, and a heat sink.

Fixed wing aircraft with tilt rotors

The present disclosure relates to an aerial vehicle with a horizontal tailplane disposed along a bottom edge of a vertical tailfin. Namely, the aerial vehicle includes an empennage attached to the fuselage via a tail boom and a tail coupling. The empennage includes a vertical tailfin that extends below the tail coupling. The empennage also includes a tube arranged along a leading edge of the vertical tailfin and below the tail coupling of the aerial vehicle. The empennage additionally includes one or more rotating actuators and a horizontal tailplane. The horizontal tailplane is coupled to the tail via the tube and includes a continuous leading edge and a cutout. The one or more rotating actuators are configured rotate the horizontal tailplane about an axis of the tube. At least a portion of the vertical tailfin is configured to pass through the cutout.

Wind energy kite tail

An aircraft includes a tiltwing where the tiltwing is a single wing to which starboard-side and non-foldable outer propeller, a port-side and non-foldable outer propeller, a starboard-side and foldable inner propeller, and a port-side and foldable inner propeller are coupled to. Those rotors rotate at least some of the time when the tiltwing is in a vertical takeoff and landing position. The starboard-side and foldable inner propeller and the port-side and foldable inner propeller are stowed at least some of the time when the tiltwing is in a forward flight position. The tiltwing rotates about an axis of rotation, when rotating between the vertical takeoff and landing position and the forward flight position, that is higher than the aircraft's center of mass.

Tiltwing multicopter with foldable and non-foldable propellers

An aircraft includes a front tiltwing which in turn includes two non-foldable outer propellers and four foldable inner propellers. The four foldable inner propellers are rotating at least some of the time while the front tiltwing is held in a vertical takeoff and landing position. The four foldable inner propellers are stowed at least some of the time while the front tiltwing is held in a forward flight position. The aircraft also includes a back tiltwing which includes two non-foldable back propellers.

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Alameda, CA, United States of America

Campbell McLaren