Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Jeffrey Mark Bosworth

Frank B Stamps

Paul K Oldroyd

Christopher Edward Foskey

Michael Scott Seifert

Michael Reaugh Smith

Gary Michael Miller

Kyle Thomas Cravener

Richard Erler Rauber

Jared Mark Paulson

Jouyoung Jason Choi

Michael Christopher Burnett

Thomas Clement Parham, Jr

Mithat Yuce

Peter Quinn Romano

Joel J McIntyre

Robert Veltre

Systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable storage media for airspace management within an airspace region at a node of a peer to peer network having a plurality of nodes and maintaining a blockchain containing a current deconflicted flight schedule for the airspace region. One method includes receiving requests for airspace reservations, each including flight plan data, from other nodes over the peer to peer network, compiling the flight plan data to identify conflicts between the requests and the current deconflicted flight schedule, validating the flight plan data of the requests that do not conflict with the current deconflicted flight schedule to generate validated airspace reservations, creating a block containing the validated airspace reservations and interlinking the block with the blockchain such that the blockchain contains a new deconflicted flight schedule for the airspace region for broadcast to the other nodes over the peer to peer network.

Node of a decentralized airspace management system

Airspace management system for an airspace region

Embodiments are directed to systems and methods for deploying an outboard rotor blade of proprotor pylon to act as an extended lifting surface. Blade control actuators may provide primary rotor flight control as well as providing fold linkage actuation when fold locks are disengaged. During cruise flight, the blade control actuator may provide feathering inputs to the extended rotor blade, wherein the amplitude and frequency of feathering inputs are tuned to mitigate undesirable wing and fuselage dynamic modes thereby enhancing aircraft stability. The deployed rotor blades also improve the total lifting area of the aircraft, which may increase aircraft range and efficiency.

Active sail blade

An aircraft comprises an aircraft component, a sensor, and a multiple frequency vibration absorber (absorber). The sensor is operable to detect a frequency of a vibration of the aircraft component. The absorber is coupled to the aircraft component and configured to absorb the vibration. The absorber comprises a beam element, a fluidic flexible matrix composite (FFMC) tube, a valve, and a controller. The beam element is attached to the aircraft component. The fluidic flexible matrix composite (FFMC) tube is coupled to the beam element and is operable to absorb the vibration based on a stiffness of the FFMC tube. The valve is fluidically coupled to the FFMC tube and is to control the stiffness of the FFMC tube based on regulating a flow of a liquid through the FFMC tube. The controller can actively control absorption of the vibration via the FFMC tube based on opening and/or closing the valve.

Fluidic flexible matrix composite (FFMC) tube vibration control system

Node of a blockchain airspace management system

An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft includes a fuselage carrying a wing, a pylon assembly coupled to the wing such that the pylon assembly is rotatable to selectively operate the tiltrotor aircraft between a helicopter mode and an airplane mode, a vibration isolator assembly connected to the pylon assembly and the wing including a first vibration isolator configured to isolate vibration in a vertical plane a second vibration isolator configured to isolate vibration in a lateral plane.

Dynamically isolated pylon

Blockchain airspace management system

In one embodiment, a method is performed by a control computer. The method includes receiving a time series of control inputs in relation to a control axis of an aircraft, where the control computer causes actuation in response to each control input in the time series as the control input is received. The method also includes determining aircraft oscillation over a sample period corresponding to the time series. The method also includes evaluating information related to the determined aircraft oscillation using engagement settings associated with a control filter. The method also includes engaging the control filter responsive to the information satisfying the engagement settings, where the engaged control filter systematically attenuates future control inputs in relation to the control axis prior to actuation responsive thereto.

Systems and methods for controlled filtering of aircraft control input

A wing airframe for a wing of a tiltrotor aircraft includes a wing airframe core assembly and a wing skin assembly disposed on the wing airframe core assembly. The wing skin assembly includes an outer skin and a damping sublayer, the damping sublayer interposed between the outer skin and the wing airframe core assembly. The tiltrotor aircraft includes a pylon assembly subject to aeroelastic movement during forward flight. The wing is subject to deflection in response to the aeroelastic movement of the pylon assembly. The damping sublayer reduces the deflection of the wing, thereby stabilizing the wing during forward flight.

Damping structures for tiltrotor aircraft wings

Aircraft node of a decentralized airspace management system

Blockchain airspace management for air taxi services

A pitch horn assembly for an aircraft including a blade attachment member having a first end, a second end configured to be coupled to a rotor blade; and a blade attachment axis extending between the first end and the second end of the blade attachment member; a moveable arm configured to be coupled to the blade attachment member at a pitch horn axis, the moveable arm having a first end configured to be coupled to a pitch link; a second end; and a moveable arm axis extending between the first end and the second end of the moveable arm; an extendable member configured to be coupled to the blade attachment member and the moveable arm of the pitch horn, wherein the extendable member moves the moveable arm about the pitch horn axis. An embodiment provides a method of adjusting a pitch-flap coupling in an aircraft.

Pitch horn assembly

A tiltrotor aircraft includes a fuselage supporting first and second wings each having an outboard end. First and second nacelles are respectively coupled to the outboard ends of the first and second wings. The first and second nacelles each have an outboard end. First and second wing extensions are rotatably coupled, respectively, to the outboard ends of the first and second nacelles. First and second actuators are operable to respectively move the first and second wing extensions to dampen a mode of the first and second wings, thereby stabilizing the tiltrotor aircraft.

Tiltrotor aircraft having active wing extensions

A tiltrotor aircraft includes a fuselage, a wing member extending from the fuselage, an engine disposed relative to the wing member and a proprotor mechanically coupled to the engine. The proprotor includes a plurality of proprotor blade assemblies each including a spar and a sheath extending spanwise along the spar forming the leading edge of the proprotor blade assembly. The spar has a root section, a main section and a tip section. The spar has a generally oval cross section at radial stations along the main section and a first edge having a structural bias relative to a generally oppositely disposed second edge at the radial stations along the main section.

Structurally biased proprotor blade assembly

A temperature adaptive fluid damping system is provided. One embodiment of the temperature adaptive fluid damping system comprises two fluid chambers, a piston in fluid communication with the fluid chambers, and a fluid path between the fluid chambers. An elastomeric retaining element adjacent to the fluid path is constrained to deform substantially perpendicular to the fluid path, so that the retaining element is operable to vary the cross-sectional area of the fluid path inversely to a change in temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Flower Mound, TX, United States of America

Jeffrey Mark Bosworth