Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Textron Inc.

Other

Woodward Hrt, Inc.

Carlos Alexander Fenny

Rohn Lee Olson

Andrew James Zahasky

Charles Eric Covington

Erik John Oltheten

Eric Albert Sinusas

Joseph Scott Drennan

Brady Garrett Atkins

Ryan Thomas Ehinger

David P Schultz

Troy Cyril Schank

Thomas Dewey Parsons

Dudley E Smith

Charles J Kilmain

Daniel Bryan Robertson

John Richard Mccullough

Jouyoung Jason Choi

John Robert Wittmaak, Jr

Bryan W Marshall

Brett Rodney Zimmerman

Michael John Ryan

Robert Paul Reynolds

Cory M Hitte

Nicholas Brodeur

Kevin Morris

Pasquale Spina

James E Sobel

Kevin Worrell

Frank B Stamps

Kirk Landon Groninga

Gilberto Morales

Peter M Shultz

Mike John Ryan

Jean-Sebastian Plante

Brent Chadwick Ross

Sung Kyun Kim

Marc Denninger

Kip Gregory Campbell

Kenneth E Builta

Todd Walker

Sam Arjunan

Eric Stephen Olson

Andrew Ryan Maresh

David Russell Bockmiller

Andrew G Baines

James M McCollough

Guy Bernard

Brian Stanley Modrzejewski

Patrick Chouinard

Walter West Riley

Ken Shundo

Cody C Anderson

Robert Michael Laramee

Jean-Sébastien Plante

Chyau-Song Tzeng

Paul Eugene Darden

Carl T Elving

Gary Cope

John R Barber

Kim Lige Coakley

David Alan Hawthorne

Geoffrey C Latham

Guifré Julio

John Lauffer

Louis Charron

Yves St-Amant

David Sembritzky

Paul M Wilson

Brandon Anthony Magalhaes

Jean-Philippe Lucking Bigué

Marc W Kinard

Brian Suisse

George Alagozian

Duane Hicks

Darrel B Bryan

Ian L Price

David A Curd

Arthur G Short

Carl Theodore Elving

Darrel Bill Bryan

Jonathan Toth

Rodney Cahoon

Rodney M Cahoon

Simon Rodrigue

Corey Dickman

Kevin Kell

Gary John Coleman, Jr

Jayme Gonzalez

Corey J Dickman

Gary A Cope

John R Wittmaak

Kim Coakley

Charles Eric Convington

Brent C Ross

Eric A Sinusas

Brian S Modrzejewski

One embodiment is an aircraft comprising a fuselage; a rotor system connected to the fuselage and comprising at least one rotor blade; a pilot input device; a single hydraulic servo actuator in mechanical communication with the pilot input device and the rotor system for providing force assistance in connection with the pilot input device; and a magnetorheological (MR) actuator in mechanical communication with the pilot input device and the rotor system for providing auto pilot assistance in connection with the pilot input device; wherein subsequent to detection of a failure of the single hydraulic servo actuator, the MR actuator is caused to provide force assistance to the pilot input device.

Single boost hydraulic control system with magnetorheological actuator

A hybrid propulsion system for an aircraft comprising: an engine disposed within a fuselage of the aircraft, two electrical generators disposed within the fuselage and connected to the engine, and two nacelles. Each nacelle comprises a proprotor, and two electric motors connected to the proprotor. Each electrical generator is connected to the two electric motors in each nacelle. The proprotors provide lift for vertical takeoff and landing in a helicopter mode. A fan is coupled to the fuselage and connected to two additional electric motors. Each additional electric motor is connected to one of the two electric generators.

Hybrid propulsion drive train system for tiltrotor aircraft

The present invention includes a distributed propulsion system for a craft that comprises a frame, a plurality of hydraulic or electric motors disposed within or attached to the frame in a distributed configuration; a propeller operably connected to each of the hydraulic or electric motors, a source of hydraulic or electric power disposed within or attached to the frame and coupled to each of the disposed within or attached to the frame, wherein the source of hydraulic or electric power provides sufficient energy density for the craft to attain and maintain operations of the craft, a controller coupled to each of the hydraulic or electric motors, and one or more processors communicably coupled to each controller that control an operation and speed of the plurality of hydraulic or electric motors.

Distributed propulsion system

An aircraft comprises a fuselage, first and second wing segments each having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a plurality of spokes coupling the fuselage to the first and second wing segments, one or more motors disposed within or attached to the plurality of spokes, and three or more propellers proximate to a leading edge of the plurality of spokes, distributed along the plurality of spokes, and operably connected to the motors to provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight and provide thrust whenever the aircraft is in forward flight. When the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, the fuselage is approximately vertical. When the aircraft is in forward flight, the fuselage is approximately in the direction of the forward flight and extends forward beyond the leading edges of the first wing segment and the second wing segment.

Distributed propulsion system for vertical take off and landing closed wing aircraft

An aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system includes an active thermal-warming valve interoperably coupled between a hydraulic pressure line and a hydraulic low-pressure return line and a hydraulic actuator arranged in parallel with the active thermal-warming valve between the hydraulic pressure line and the hydraulic low-pressure return line.

Thermal hydraulic active warming system

An aircraft includes a closed wing, a fuselage at least partially disposed within a perimeter of the closed wing, and one or more spokes coupling the closed wing to the fuselage. A source of electric power is disposed within or attached to the closed wing, fuselage or one or more spokes. A plurality of electric motors are disposed within or attached to the one or more spokes in a distributed configuration. Each electric motor is connected to the source of electric power. A propeller is operably connected to each of the electric motors and proximate to a leading edge of the one or more spokes. One or more processors are communicably coupled to the plurality of electric motors. A longitudinal axis of the fuselage is substantially vertical in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, and substantially in a direction of a forward flight in a forward flight mode.

A rotor-regulation system includes a rotor that includes a plurality of rotor blades, a rotor mast operable to drive the rotor, and a rotor disc-brake system operable to modulate rotation of the rotor mast.

Method and system for regulation of speed and position of a rotor in wing-borne flight

Vertical take off and landing closed wing aircraft

Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a direct drive dual-concentric valve (D3V) having a body, an outer secondary spool coaxially located within a bore of the body and linearly displaceable relative to the body, an inner primary spool coaxially located within a bore of the secondary spool and linearly displaceable relative to the secondary spool and the body. A plurality of piezo stacks is coupled to a first end of the primary spool, and applying a voltage to at least one of the piezo stacks causes an output stroke of the plurality of the piezo strokes for displacing the primary spool. The secondary spool is displaced together with the primary spool relative to the body if displacement of the primary spool relative to the secondary spool cannot occur.

Dual-concentric control valve with direct drive control and failed motor protection

The present invention includes a hybrid propulsion system for an aircraft comprising: an engine disposed within a fuselage of the aircraft, two electrical generators disposed within the fuselage and connected to the engine, and two nacelles. Each nacelle comprises a proprotor, and each nacelle houses two electric motors connected to the proprotor. Each electrical generator is connected to the two electric motors in each nacelle. The proprotors provide lift for vertical takeoff and landing in a helicopter mode. A fan is coupled to the fuselage and connected to two additional electric motors. Each additional electric motor is connected to one of the two electric generators. The fan provides thrust for forward flight during an airplane mode. The airplane mode includes increasing power to the fan while decreasing power to the proprotors to zero.

A system includes a driver monitor system configured to receive information about driver operation, a relationship table comprising information about an expected relationship between driver operation and a preload force, and a driver controller configured to control a driver in response to the information about driver operation and according to the relationship table. A method of managing a preload force includes providing a first component, providing a second component for compression against the first component, operating a driver to move the first component into contact with the second component, monitoring an operation of the driver, and determining an expected preload force in response to the operation of the driver.

Preload control system

An autonomous thrust vectoring ring wing pod is disclosed. A plurality of distributed propulsion element (thruster) layout within a self-articulating ring wing pod allows the pod to selectively control its thrust vector by controlling each propulsion element in the pod. This arrangement allows autonomous and independent control of the tilting of the ring wing relative to the aircraft. The ring wing pod acts as both a nacelle to house the propulsion elements as well as a lifting surface when in wing-borne flight. The autonomous thrust vectoring ring wing pod also provides superior aircraft attitude control in wing-borne flight, thus negating the need for conventional surface controls.

Autonomous thrust vectoring ring wing pod

The present invention includes a hybrid propulsion system for an aircraft comprising: one or more turboshaft engines that provide shaft power and are capable of providing thrust; at least one of: one or more electrical generators or one or more hydraulic pumps connected to a shaft of the one or more turboshaft engines; and at least two rotatable nacelles, each nacelle housing at least one of: one or more electric motors or one or more hydraulic motors each connected to a proprotor, wherein the electric motor is electrically connected to the electric generator, or the hydraulic motor is connected to the hydraulic pump, respectively, wherein the proprotors provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, and provide thrust whenever the aircraft is in forward flight.

A propulsion system for a rotorcraft includes a first fan assembly including a plurality of first fan blades, a second fan assembly including a plurality of second fan blades and a drive system adapted to provide torque to the first and second fan blades. The first fan blades have a larger rotational inertia than the second fan blades. The second fan blades are adapted to experience a larger angular acceleration than the first fan blades in response to torque from the drive system, thereby providing responsive thrust control for the rotorcraft.

Propulsion systems for rotorcraft

Growing community of inventors

Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Carlos Alexander Fenny