Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Kevin Morris

Nicholas Brodeur

Carlos Alexander Fenny

Pascal Flynn-Robitaille

Rohn Lee Olson

Martin Landry

Mathieu Beland

Guillaume Noiseux Boucher

Louis Charron

Francis Beaucaire

Francois Landry

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

A method of pitching rotor blades by interrupting torque applied to the hub.

Pitch-change apparatus and method of pitching rotor blades

An autonomous cargo delivery aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft includes a fuselage having an aerodynamic shape with a leading edge, a trailing edge and first and second sides. First and second wings are coupled to the fuselage proximate the first and second sides, respectively. A distributed thrust array includes a first pair of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first wing and a second pair of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second wing. A flight control system is operably associated with the distributed thrust array and configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. The first side of the fuselage includes a door configured to provide access to a cargo bay disposed within the fuselage from an exterior of the aircraft with a predetermined clearance relative to the first pair of propulsion assemblies.

Convertible biplane aircraft for autonomous cargo delivery

An aircraft that is convertible between a helicopter mode and an airplane mode. The aircraft includes a fuselage with a longitudinal axis and a vertical axis and distributed propulsion array that surrounds the vertical axis when the aircraft is operating the helicopter mode and surrounds the longitudinal axis when the aircraft is operating in the airplane mode.

Tilting closed-wing aircraft

A damping landing gear assembly for a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft includes a spring housing forming a spring chamber, a spring disposed in the spring chamber and a plunger slidably coupled to the spring housing and movable between a compressed position and an extended position. The spring biases the plunger into the extended position during flight. The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft experiences a landing force during landing. The landing force compresses the plunger into the compressed position against the bias of the spring, thereby absorbing at least a portion of the landing force.

Damping landing gear systems for vtol aircraft

An apparatus is described and in one embodiment includes a first portion comprising an inner diameter, a first outer diameter, and a first length and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are integrally connected together, the second portion comprising the inner diameter, at least one second outer diameter, and a second length. The embodiment further includes a flange comprising a contact surface, wherein the inner diameter of the first portion and the second portion provides a hollow pathway through the apparatus.

Pressure tap support for tube holding during wind tunnel testing

In one embodiment, a horizontal stabilizer spar is held on the empennage of a rotorcraft by saddle fittings clamping the stabilizer spar at positions spaced apart along a longitudinal direction of the stabilizer spar. Stabilizer mounts are connected at respective ends to the saddle fittings and to vertical spars on the empennage. At least one of the stabilizer mounts is constructed to allow movement of the saddle fittings with respect to the vertical spars with at least four directions of freedom. The movable stabilizer mount is floatingly attached to a vertical spar, while the saddle fittings are connected to the respective stabilizer mounts by way of spherical bearings.

Growing community of inventors

Hawkesbury, Canada

Kevin Morris