The Boeing Company

Sean R Wakayama

Blaine Knight Rawdon

Ryan L Hupp

Jennifer Phillips Whitlock

Richard C Odle

An unmanned aerial system (UAS) includes a body and a lift and propulsion system coupled to the body. The UAS includes a weapon coupled to the body. The weapon has an aiming axis oriented in a fixed direction relative to the body. The UAS includes a control system operatively coupled to the lift and propulsion system and the weapon. The control system is configured to determine a roll angle and a flight path such that the aiming axis is directed at a target when the UAS moves according to at least a portion of the flight path at the roll angle. The control system is further configured to control the lift and propulsion system such that the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path at the roll angle.

Unmanned aerial system targeting

An exemplary embodiment provides an air transport that has a scalloped aerodynamic underside that includes at least one depression. The depression is configured to receive at least an upper portion of a cargo pod to preclude an air passage way between an upper surface of a pod and the scalloped underside of the transport. Certain embodiments provide conformal pods that nest into the depressions so that pod under surfaces blend smoothly with the scalloped underside of the transport to provide a smooth aerodynamic underside. The scalloped underside may be retrofitted to existing aircraft or supplied as original equipment on new transports, and may be of composite, plastic or other light weight materials.

Air transport with scalloped underbody

An aircraft having a cabin within a wing of the aircraft includes an access opening in an aft end of the cabin adjacent a trailing edge of the wing, and a trailing edge portion of the wing juxtaposed with the access opening and including at least one pivotable panel which is pivotable into an open position so as to form a passage in the trailing edge portion for entry therethrough and through the access opening into the cabin. The trailing edge portion in one embodiment comprises upper and lower panels which are normally in converging relation such that the passage to the access opening of the cabin is normally closed, but which are pivotable relative to each other for creating the passage. The lower panel preferably is pivotable into a generally horizontal position so that it serves as a ramp for loading and unloading persons and cargo into and from the cabin. The upper and/or lower panel in another embodiment may be pivoted during flight so as to serve as a control surface for the aircraft. The lower panel in still another embodiment is pivotable into a downwardly angled position extending down from the wing so as to serve as a slide for emergency evacuation of the cabin.

Growing community of inventors

Stanton, CA, United States of America

Sean R Wakayama