Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Bell Textron Inc.

Other

Paul K Oldroyd

John Richard Mccullough

John R McCullough

James Donn Hethcock, Jr

Frank B Stamps

Paul Branson Sherrill

Phillip Anthony Kendrick

David Gordon Carlson

Levi H Armstrong

Patrick R Tisdale

Drew Alan Sutton

Ronald J Measom

Christopher Edward Foskey

Dave Carlson

Russell S Cole

Jared Mark Paulson

Andrew Ryan Maresh

Robert Patrick Wardlaw

Carl A May

James Braswell, Jr

Robert Alan Self

Wei-Yueh Lee

Elizabeth Oberle

Tricia Hiros

James R Stamper, Jr

Neil Edward Morrow

James Donn Hethcock

George Ryan Decker

Jouyoung Jason Choi

Mark Adam Wiinikka

Bryan W Marshall

Jeffrey Mark Bosworth

Timothy Kent Ledbetter

Tom Campbell

Ron Measom

Scott Wolthuis

Werner Idler

Doug K Wolfe

James D Hethcock

Gary Michael Miller

Steven Ray Ivans

James Everett Kooiman

Brent Chadwick Ross

Richard Erler Rauber

Bryan Kenneth Baskin

Andrew Paul Haldeman

Michael Scott Seifert

Tyler Wayne Baldwin

Michael Christopher Burnett

Amarjit Olenchery Kizhakkepat

Thomas Clement Parham, Jr

Michael Dean Dearman

Dalton T Hampton

Brett Rodney Zimmerman

Matthew John Hill

Daniel C Burns

Cody C Anderson

David Allen Haynie

David B Mcneill

Robert Arnold Brack

Jonathan Alexander Freeman

Jason Paul Hurst

Joseph J Zierer

Stanley G Sadler

Pat Tisdale

Joel J McIntyre

Kenneth E Nunn, Jr

Michael J Southerland

Ronnie Lee Martin

Kathleen Oldham

Robert Clive Fews

J Donn Hethcock

Charles L Baskin

James L Braswell

D J Reddy

Jim Harse

Bob Mullins

Glenn Edward Isbell, Jr

Gilbert Morales

Dan Reller

Robert G Pierce

David B McNeill

Mark E Tohlen

Jim Braswell

Richard Barbour

Glenn Edward Isbell

Frank Bradley Stamps

Paul Sherril

Bryan Marhsall

Ronnie L Martin

Stanley Gene Sadler

Jeffrey Bosworth

Joel Mcintyre

Timothy K Ledbetter

Robert Brack

James E Kooiman

Jr Hethcock James D

A method for forming composite components includes disposing composite laminate over a mandrel. The method further includes infusing the composite laminate with a resin. A gelation of the infused resin is caused by applying a first environmental condition to the composite laminate and mandrel. At least a portion of the mandrel is deformed by applying a second environmental condition to the composite laminate and mandrel. The method further includes forming a composite structure by curing the composite laminate infused with resin. The deformed mandrel is removed from the composite structure after forming the composite structure.

Methods and systems for manufacturing composite components

An aircraft includes an airframe having at least one wing. A distributed propulsion system is attached to the airframe and includes first and second pluralities of propulsion assemblies. In a vertical takeoff and landing flight mode, each of the propulsion assemblies generates vertical thrust with rotor assemblies of the first plurality of propulsion assemblies rotating in a horizontal plane and rotor assemblies of the second plurality of propulsion assemblies rotating in a parallel horizontal plane. In a forward flight mode, each of the propulsion assemblies generates forward thrust with the rotor assemblies of the first plurality of propulsion assemblies rotating in a vertical plane and the rotor assemblies of the second plurality of propulsion assemblies rotating in a parallel vertical plane. In both the vertical takeoff and landing flight mode and the forward flight mode, a pod assembly coupled to the airframe remains in a generally horizontal attitude.

Aircraft having rotor assemblies rotating in parallel planes

A method of preparing a composite article including providing a first bias assembly with a first bias roll; providing a first non-bias assembly with a first non-bias roll; positioning the first bias assembly to a dispensing position; dispensing a bias ply from the first bias roll along a bias path on a mold; cutting the bias ply; positioning the first non-bias assembly to a dispensing position; dispensing a non-bias ply from the first non-bias roll; and cutting the non-bias ply; wherein the bias path and the non-bias path are substantially parallel.

Material dispensing systems

An aircraft is configured for thrust-borne lift in a vertical takeoff and landing flight mode and wing-borne lift in a forward flight mode. The aircraft includes an airframe having a first wing and a first payload station. A distributed propulsion system that is coupled to the airframe includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies configured to provide vertical thrust in the vertical takeoff and landing flight mode and forward thrust in the forward flight mode. A control system is operably associated with the distributed propulsion system and is operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. A payload module is configured to be transported by the airframe from a pickup location to a delivery location. The payload module is magnetically coupled to the first payload station during transportation and, responsive to a command from the control system, is magnetically decoupled from the first payload station at the delivery location.

Aircraft having a magnetically couplable payload module

A rotor assembly for generating thrust for a vehicle. The rotor assembly includes a rotor hub and a plurality of rotor blade assemblies coupled to the rotor hub. Each rotor blade assembly includes a metallic bearing race, a composite rotor blade and a metallic coupling assembly. The composite rotor blade has a root section with a radially outwardly tapered outer surface. The metallic coupling assembly has a radially inwardly tapered inner surface that receives the radially outwardly tapered outer surface of the root section of the rotor blade therein to provide a centrifugal force seat for the rotor blade. The coupling assembly includes at least two circumferentially distributed coupling members. The coupling assembly is configured to couple the rotor blade to the bearing race and to provide a centrifugal force load path therebetween.

Rotor assemblies for vehicle propulsion

An aircraft has multiple independent yaw authority mechanisms. The aircraft includes an airframe having first and second wings with at least first and second pylons extending therebetween and with a plurality of tail members extending therefrom each having an active control surface. A two-dimensional distributed thrust array is coupled to the airframe that includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies each having a rotor assembly and each operable for thrust vectoring. A flight control system is operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. A first yaw authority mechanism includes differential speed control of rotor assemblies rotating clockwise compared to rotor assemblies rotating counterclockwise. A second yaw authority mechanism includes differential longitudinal control surface maneuvers of control surfaces of two symmetrically disposed tail members. A third yaw authority mechanism includes differential thrust vectoring of propulsion assemblies.

Aircraft having multiple independent yaw authority mechanisms

A package delivery system uses unmanned aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL configuration and wing-borne lift in a forward flight configuration. Each of the aircraft includes an airframe having at least one wing with a distributed thrust array coupled to the airframe. The distributed thrust array includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies configured to provide vertical thrust in the VTOL configuration and a plurality of propulsion assemblies configured to provide forward thrust in the forward flight configuration. A package delivery module is coupled to the airframe. A control system is operably associated with the distributed thrust array and the package delivery module. The control system is configured to individually control each of the propulsion assemblies and control package release operations of the package delivery module. The system includes a ground station configured to remotely communicate with the control systems of the aircraft during package delivery missions.

Aerial delivery systems using unmanned aircraft

An aircraft having a high efficiency forward flight mode. The aircraft includes an airframe having at least one wing. A distributed propulsion system is attached to the airframe and includes a first plurality of propulsion assemblies and a second plurality of propulsion assemblies. A flight control system is operably associated with the distributed propulsion system and is operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. The aircraft is configured for thrust-borne lift in a vertical takeoff and landing flight mode and wing-borne lift in the forward flight mode. In the vertical takeoff and landing flight mode, each of the propulsion assemblies is configured to generate vertical thrust. In the forward flight mode, the propulsion assemblies of the first plurality of propulsion assemblies are configured to generate forward thrust and the propulsion assemblies of the second plurality of propulsion assemblies are configured to shut down.

Aircraft having a high efficiency forward flight mode

A rotor assembly for an aircraft operable to generate a variable thrust output at a constant rotational speed. The rotor assembly includes a mast rotatable at the constant speed about a mast axis. A rotor hub is coupled to and rotatable with the mast. The rotor hub includes a plurality of spindle grips extending generally radially outwardly. Each of the spindle grips is coupled to one of a plurality of rotor blades and is operable to rotate therewith about a pitch change axis. A collective pitch control mechanism is coupled to and rotatable with the rotor hub. The collective pitch control mechanism is operably associated with each spindle grip such that actuation of the collective pitch control mechanism rotates each spindle grip about the respective pitch change axis to collectively control the pitch of the rotor blades, thereby generating the variable thrust output.

Rotor assembly having collective pitch control

An aircraft has a vertical takeoff and landing fight mode and a forward flight mode. The aircraft includes an airframe with first and second M-wings having first and second pylons extending therebetween, each M-wing forming a pair of leading apexes with swept forward and swept back portions extending therefrom at a swept angle. A propulsion system includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies each attached to the airframe proximate one of the leading apexes. Each of the propulsion assemblies includes a rotor assembly having a tilting degree of freedom. A flight control system is operable to control the propulsion assemblies including tilting the rotor assemblies to generate variable thrust vectors. In the vertical takeoff and landing fight mode, the aircraft operates responsive to thrust-borne lift from the propulsion system. In the forward flight mode, the aircraft operates responsive to wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation.

M-wing aircraft having VTOL and biplane orientations

An aircraft has an airframe with a distributed thrust array attached thereto that includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies each of which is independently controlled by a flight control system. Each propulsion assembly includes a housing with a single axis gimbal coupled thereto and operable to tilt about a single axis. A propulsion system is coupled to and operable to tilt with the gimbal. The propulsion system includes an electric motor having an output drive and a rotor assembly having a plurality of rotor blades that rotate in a rotational plane to generate thrust having a thrust vector with a direction. Actuation of each gimbal is operable to tilt the respective propulsion system including the electric motor and the rotor assembly relative to the airframe to change the rotational plane of the respective rotor assembly relative to the airframe, thereby controlling the direction of the respective thrust vector.

Single-axis gimbal mounted propulsion systems for aircraft

An aircraft has an airframe with first and second wings having first and second pylons extending therebetween. A distributed propulsion system attached to the airframe includes at least first, second, third and fourth propulsion assemblies that are independently controlled by a flight control system. A pod assembly is coupled to the airframe. In a VTOL flight mode, the first and second propulsion assemblies are forward of the pod assembly and the third and fourth propulsion assemblies are aft of the pod assembly. In a forward flight mode, the first and second propulsion assemblies are below the pod assembly and the third and fourth propulsion assemblies are above the pod assembly. In both the VTOL and forward flight modes, the first and fourth propulsion assemblies generate thrust having a first direction while the second and third propulsion assemblies generate thrust having a second direction that is different from the first direction.

Aircraft generating thrust in multiple directions

A method of constructing a cured composite assembly includes positioning a composite assembly within a bonding tool, wherein the composite assembly comprises an uncured composite spar and a skin and performing a curing cycle on the composite assembly to simultaneously cure the uncured composite spar and bond the skin to the cured composite spar.

Systems and methods of constructing composite assemblies

A composite core with non-traditional geometries includes multiple elongate tubes arranged in a two-dimensional array. Each tube is made of a composite material. Each tube includes multiple curved sides. Each curved side inwardly curves toward a longitudinal axis passing through a geometric center of the tube to form a valley on an outer surface of the tube. An end of a first curved side connects to an end of a second curved side to form a crest on the outer surface of the tube. At least one crest formed on an outer surface of a first tube in the two-dimensional array contacts at least one valley formed on an outer surface of an adjacent second tube in the two-dimensional array.

Composite core with non-traditional geometries

A material dispensing system including a first frame and a first application head. The first application head supported by the first frame including a first bias ply assembly comprising a bias ply roll supported on a bias ply dispenser unit, the first bias ply assembly configured to pass bias ply material along a bias path; and a first non-bias ply assembly comprising a non-bias ply roll supported by a non-bias ply dispenser unit, the non-bias ply assembly configured to pass non-bias ply material along a non-bias path; wherein the bias path and the non-bias path are substantially parallel. Another aspect provides a material dispensing system including a first frame and a first application head supported thereby; and a second frame and a second application head supported thereby; wherein the first frame and the second frame move in an X direction during operation. Another aspect includes preparing a composite article.

Growing community of inventors

Azle, TX, United States of America

Paul K Oldroyd