Electra Aero, Inc.

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mark Drela

Oliver Masefield

Robert William Parks

Gregory A Kirkos

Donald C Fyler

Christopher B Courtin

Richard T Martorana

Sean George

Brent Appleby

Jamie M Anderson

Seth Kessler

William W McFarland, Jr

Edward Bergmann

Steven Jacobson

Simon Mark Spearing

John Gundlach

Adam Scott Ehrmantraut

Robert John Hansman

Mark S Spearing

John S Langford, Iii

Jean-Charles Ledé

Thierry Casiez

Carlos Cesnik

Staci N Jenkins

Systems and methods for minimizing an aircraft turn radius are disclosed. For example, a method to minimize an aircraft turn radius may include receiving an activation signal from an activation switch. The activation switch may be configured allow a selected turn. The method may also include receiving a turn command in a direction of the selected turn. The method may also include transmitting a turn signal to an actuator operatively coupled to a nosewheel assembly. The actuator may rotate a shaft in the direction of the selected turn to move at least one nosewheel from a first angle to a second angle with reference to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft. The method may also include transmitting a thrust signal to at least one of a plurality of thrust-producing devices operatively coupled to a first wing and a second wing operatively coupled to the aircraft.

System and method to minimize an aircraft ground turn radius

In some embodiments, a lift augmentation system for a blown lift aircraft includes a blown lift tailplane operatively coupled to the blown lift aircraft. The blown lift tailplane may include a leading edge and a trailing edge, an upper surface and a lower surface, and a first side and a second side. The lift augmentation system may include one or more tailplane thrust-producing devices on the first side and the second side of the blown lift tailplane operatively coupled to the leading edge of the blown lift tailplane. The one or more tailplane thrust-producing devices on the first side and the second side of the blown lift tailplane may produce a plurality of slipstreams corresponding to each of the tailplane thrust-producing devices. The plurality of slipstreams corresponding to each of the tailplane thrust-producing devices may blow over the upper surface and the lower surface of the blown lift tailplane.

System and method for lift augmentation of an aircraft tailplane

A system and method for lift augmentation of an aircraft having a wing with a leading edge and a trailing edge extending along a wingspan, a plurality of thrust-producing devices connected to the bottom of said wing, at least one flap connected to an inboard portion of said wing proximate the trailing edge, and an aircraft roll control device connected to said wing, wherein the improvement comprises a plurality of slipstreams associated with a plurality of thrust producing devices and a flap adaptable to deflect from a chord of the inboard portion of the wing.

System and method for lift augmentation of aircraft wings

A system and method for reducing the noise penalty of a pusher propeller, allowing an aircraft to retain its advantages for UAV configurations, while allowing acoustic performance similar to that of a tractor propeller by reducing, or eliminating, propeller noise emissions. The system and method provide an airfoil-shaped flight surface with (i) a scoop configured to route boundary layer air and associated wake from said flight surface, and (ii) a suction device configured to provide a suction pressure, wherein the scoop routes boundary layer air from the flight surface to the suction device via an opening in the flight surface.

System and method for reducing the noise of pusher type aircraft propellers

An aircraft including a ducted fan and an engine for driving the ducted fan includes a plurality of vanes movably mounted to the aircraft at a substantially rectangular exhaust end of the aircraft. Each of the plurality of vanes is substantially rectangular or square. The plurality of vanes are configured to alter an exit area of the exhaust end. The aircraft includes a sensor circuit for detecting a RPM of the engine and for outputting a RPM signal. The aircraft includes a control circuit coupled to the sensor circuit and the plurality of vanes. The control circuit is configured to actuate the plurality of vanes to alter the exit area of the exhaust end to vary a pressure load on the ducted fan to control the RPM of the engine in response to the RPM signal.

System and method for controlling engine RPM of a ducted fan aircraft

A flyer assembly is adapted for launching with, transit in, and deployment from an artillery shell having a central void region extending along a ballistic shell axis. The flyer assembly includes a jettisonable shroud and a flyer. The shroud extends along a shroud axis, and is positionable within the central void region with the shroud axis substantially parallel to the shell axis. The flyer is adapted to withstand a launch acceleration force along a flyer axis when in a first state, and to effect aerodynamic flight when in a second state. When in the first state, the flyer is positionable within the shroud with the flyer axis parallel to the shroud axis and the shell axis. The flyer includes a body member disposed about the flyer axis, and a foldable wing assembly mounted to the body member. The wing assembly is configurable in a folded state characterized by a plurality of nested wing segments when the flyer is in the first state. The wing assembly is configurable in an unfolded state characterized by a substantially uninterrupted aerodynamic surface when the flyer is in the second state. The flyer assembly is adapted to be launched from a ballistic delivery system such as an artillery cannon, and can thus reach a target quickly, without expending system energy stored within the flyer. During launch, the flyer is coupled to the shroud so as to maintain a portion of the flyer in tension during an acceleration of the flyer along the flyer axis resulting from the launch. The flyer assembly is adapted to withstand the high g-load and high temperature environments of a cannon launch, and can tolerate a set-back g load of about 16,000 g.

Flyer assembly

A compact, aerodynamic wing assembly constructed and arranged so as to withstand a force due to acceleration in at least one direction includes at least two wing segments, each of the wing segments having a span-wise axis, and a airfoil cross section normal to the span axis. The wing segments are preferably disposed mutually adjacent and end to end. For each pair of wing segments, the wing further includes a pivot assembly fixedly attached to the wing segments at an end of each of the wing segments along the span-wise axis. The pivot assembly forms an articulation axis for relative movement between each the pair of wing segments, such that the wing assembly converts, upon a predetermined stimulus, from a stowed configuration characterized by nested wing segments, to a deployed configuration characterized by a substantially uninterrupted aerodynamic surface. The wing assembly is preferably constructed and arranged to withstand forces due to acceleration in at least two directions, including 15,000 g's forward and 4,000 g's rebound accelerations. The invention further comprises a flying structure constructed and arranged so as to withstand an acceleration force directed along a main axis. The flying structure includes a body disposed about the main axis, and at least one wing assembly pivotally mounted to the body. The wing assembly is constructed and arranged so as to convert, upon a predetermined stimulus, from a stowed configuration characterized by nested wing segments, to a deployed configuration characterized by a substantially uninterrupted aerodynamic surface.

High-G compact folding wing

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Mark Drela