Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Sikorksy Aircraft Corporation

Mark R Alber

Timothy Fred Lauder

Jeffrey Parkhurst

Charles Gayagoy

William J Eadie

Alfred Russell Smiley

Brandon L Stille

Benjamin Reed Hein

Jason A Satira

Bryan Kenneth Baskin

Frank Paul D'Anna

Matthew T Luszcz

Stephen T Kubik

Joseph T Driscoll

Cody Fegely

David L Adams

Jonathan Hartman

Jayant Sirohi

Ashley DeVito

Patrick Boyle

Daniel Bazzani

Glenn D Tiongson

Jeffery Parkhurst

Jessica Newman

Bryan Clark Holasek

Panagiotis Koliais

Frank P D'anna

Stephen Kubik

A drive system for a rotorcraft includes at least one engine, the engine including a compressor section, and a turbine section positioned rearward from the compressor section. A main rotor input shaft extends from a rotor power turbine of the turbine section and is connectable to a main rotor assembly of the rotorcraft to transfer rotational energy from the rotor power turbine to the main rotor assembly. An auxiliary input shaft extends from an auxiliary power turbine of the turbine section and is connectible to an auxiliary rotor assembly of the rotorcraft to transfer rotational energy from the auxiliary power turbine to the auxiliary rotor assembly.

Drive system arrangement for rotorcraft

A retractable landing gear system for a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft includes a rotational strut rotatably coupled to a fuselage of the VTOL aircraft. The rotational strut includes a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion extending therebetween. A drag strut includes a first end portion pivotally connected to the rotational strut and a second end portion. A locking link includes a first end section pivotally connected relative to the fuselage, a second end section pivotally connected to the drag strut and an intermediate section having a hinge element. A retraction system is operatively connected to the rotational strut and the locking link. The retraction system is operable to pivot the drag strut about a first axis and rotate the rotational strut about a second axis that is distinct from the first axis.

Retractable landing gear system for a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft

A rotor system of a tail-sitter aerial vehicle configured to rotate about an axis of rotation is provided including a rotor hub which rotates about the axis of rotation and at least one rotor blade operably coupled to the rotor hub. The at least one rotor blade is configured to rotate about a folding axis between an extended position where the at least one rotor blade is substantially within a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation and a stowed position where the rotor blade is arranged out of the plane of at an angle less than ninety degrees to the axis of rotation.

Blade fold system using flap hinge

An adjustable cable attachment system for a VTOL aircraft includes a VTOL airframe. A winch is operatively connected to an underside of the airframe with the aircraft in a horizontal flight mode. An adjustable cable is operatively connected to the winch to adjustably relocate a slung load with respect to the center of gravity of the aircraft to balance the aircraft. A fixed cable is operatively connected to the underside of the airframe with the aircraft in the horizontal flight mode.

Systems and methods for aircraft balance

A propeller blade is provided including a leading edge and a trailing edge. The trailing edge is arranged opposite the leading edge to form an airfoil there between. At least one of the leading edge and the trailing edge include at least one facet.

Propeller rotor for a vertical take off and landing aircraft

An aircraft includes a fuselage and a wing extending from each lateral side of the fuselage. A nacelle is pivotably se cured to each wing. The nacelle has a rotor located thereat, with the rotor having a rotor tip path plane defined by rotation of the rotor about a rotor axis of rotation. When the rotor tip path plane is changed relative to the wing, the nacelle pivots relative to the wing about a nacelle hinge axis to reduce flapping required by the rotor. A method of operating an aircraft includes changing a rotor tip path plane orientation relative to a wing of the aircraft. The rotor disposed at a nacelle, with the nacelle pivotably secured to the wing. The nacelle is pivoted relative to the wing to reduce an overall tip path plane change requirement of the rotor.

Compliant engine nacelle for aircraft

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is provided and includes wings, first and second nacelles supported on each of the wings, each of the first and second nacelles including a propeller drivable to generate aircraft thrust, and an asymmetrical power generation unit. The asymmetrical power generation unit includes a single engine unit disposed in only one of the first and second nacelles to generate power to drive the propellers of both the first and second nacelles.

Single engine, asymmetrical vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft

An aircraft is provided and includes a fuselage from which a tilt-wing respectively extends, first prop-rotors, which are formed to define first rotor disks and which are respectively disposed on first portions of each side of the tilt-wing, second prop-rotors, which are formed to define second rotor disks and which are respectively disposed on second portions of each side of the tilt-wing such that the corresponding pairs of first and second rotor disks overlap, and a drive shaft system. The drive shaft system is configured to synchronize respective operations of the first and second prop-rotors.

Aircraft with overlapped rotors

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is provided. The aircraft includes a wing, nacelles supportively disposed at opposite ends of the wing, proprotors respectively attached to each of the nacelles with each of the proprotors being rotatable to generate lift in vertical flight and thrust in horizontal flight and a delta-wing shaped fuselage disposed along the wing between the nacelles.

Delta fuselage for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft

An aircraft includes an airframe having an extending tail and a longitudinal axis extending from a nose of the airframe defining a length of the airframe. A counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly is located at the airframe and includes an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. The upper rotor assembly and the lower rotor assembly rotate about an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation intersects the longitudinal axis forward of a midpoint of the longitudinal axis.

Rotorcraft footprint

An aircraft includes a fuselage defining an aircraft attitude axis. The fuselage houses an engine fixed relative to the aircraft attitude axis. A rotor assembly is operatively connected to rotate back and forth relative to the aircraft attitude axis from a first position predominately for lift to a second position predominately for thrust. The rotor assembly includes a rotor that is operatively connected to be driven by the engine.

Tiltwing aircraft

A flight control system for an aircraft includes a flight control computer operatively interconnected with a main rotor system and a translational thrust system of the aircraft. A selectively enabled integrated target and flight control system arranged in communication with the flight control computer. The integrated target flight and control system is configured to control pitch attitude and heading of the aircraft. When the integrated target and flight control system is enabled, at least partial operation of the aircraft is controlled in response to a pilot input via the flight control computer.

Attitude-coupled targeting system for rotary wing aircraft

A tiltwing aircraft includes a fuselage, an engine mounted stationary relative to the fuselage, and an opposed pair of wings. The wings are separated from each other with the fuselage therebetween, each wing independently mounted to the fuselage by a respective pivot system for rotation relative to the fuselage. An opposed pair of rotor assemblies is included, each operatively connected to a respective one of the wings for common rotation with the respective wing back and forth between a first position predominantly for lift to a second position predominantly for thrust.

Pivot systems for tiltwing aircraft

A cooling system for a rotorcraft laser system is provided. The cooling system includes at least one laser carrying component operatively coupling a laser turret and a laser generating assembly. The cooling system also includes at least one fuel line fluidly coupled to a fuel tank containing a fuel. The cooling system further includes a heat exchanger containing a portion of the laser carrying component and the fuel line to transfer heat therebetween to cool the laser carrying component.

Cooling system for rotorcraft laser system

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is provided and includes a fuselage, wings extending outwardly from opposite sides of the fuselage, nacelles supportively disposed on the wings and reversely oriented, axial flow engines disposed in each of the nacelles to generate mechanical energy for driving lift and thrust generating prop-rotor rotations.

Growing community of inventors

Milford, CT, United States of America

Mark R Alber