Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

William Anthony Amante

Timothy Brian Carr

Arunkumar Koppa Siddalingappa

Joseph Richard Carpenter, Jr

Karl Schroeder

James M McCollough

Jessica Arlie Revere

Darpan Bansal

Kip Gregory Campbell

Joseph Daniel Leachman

Steve Michael Loveland

Troy S Caudill

Jeffery S Greenwood

Jeffery W Erwin

Brian John Cox

Jedediah Bryce Goodell

Adrienne Ruth Sullivan

Michael Reaugh Smith

Steven Ray Ivans

George Ryan Decker

George Matthew Thompson

Jonathan Andrew Knoll

David Gordon Carlson

Carl A May

Andrew James Zahasky

Grant Michael Beall

Nicholas Ralph Carlson

Steven Loveland

Danielle Lynn Moore

Steven R Schafer

Robert W Roe

Bradley Paul Regnier

Christopher Marion Johnson

Mathew Chapdelaine

Robert Glenn Vaughn

William D Dennison, Ii

Darrell W Wilkerson

James Mccollough

Jerry Allen Pongratz

Steve R Schafer

Dale W Springer

Jeffrey B Cloud

Nicholas Hou

Sarah Hoover

Douglas H Hamelwright, Jr

Carey Andrew Cross

Franklin J Holik

Kevin Stump

Jerry A Pongratz

Bradley Paul Reigner

Joseph Richard Carpenter Jr

Richard Joseph Carpenter Jr

Jerry A Pongrantz

One embodiment is an apparatus for inhibiting accidental contact by a human with a tail rotor connected to an empennage of an aircraft. The apparatus includes an inverted V-tail connected to an empennage of the aircraft forward of the tail rotor, the inverted V-tail stabilizer comprising a first V-tail stabilizer on a side of the empennage to which the tail rotor is connected and a second V-tail stabilizer on a side of the empennage opposite the side of the empennage to which the tail rotor is connected; and a shroud bar having a first end connected to an outboard end of the first V-tail stabilizer and a second end opposite the first end connected to the empennage aft of the tail rotor, wherein a horizontal distance from the shroud bar to the tail rotor is greater than a length of an arm of the human.

Protective shroud for aircraft tail rotor

A rotor system is provided in one example embodiment and may include a rotor duct; at least one rotor blade, wherein the at least one rotor blade comprises a tip end; and a multi-material tip extension affixed at the tip end of the at least one rotor blade, wherein the multi-material tip extension comprises an inboard portion fabricated from a first material and an outboard portion fabricated from a second material, wherein the second material is different than the first material.

Multi-material ducted rotor blade tip extension

A cold plate is couplable with a component for dissipating heat from a component. The cold plate includes a top plate coupled with a bottom plate to receive a cooling medium therebetween. The top plate includes a body and a plurality of walls extending from the body, wherein each wall of the plurality of walls includes a recess extending within the wall. The bottom plate includes a body and a plurality of walls extending from the body such that an end portion of each wall of the bottom plate is inserted within the recess of each wall of the top plate to form an interlocking joint.

Battery cold plate and chassis with interlocking joints

An aircraft includes a fuselage and an airframe supporting the fuselage. The airframe includes a pair of longitudinally-extending beams. The aircraft further includes a battery assembly including a cold plate secured to the pair of longitudinally-extending beams, and a battery mounted to the cold plate.

Battery structural assembly

A nonintegral cold plate is described for providing cooling of battery charging. The nonintegrated cold plate can receive and circulate coolant against a surface of a battery or of a vehicle. After charging the nonintegrated cold plate can be removed to save weight on the vehicle's payload.

Non-integral battery cold plate

A handle assembly for an access panel is described and includes a support structure attached to the access panel; a handle engaging with the support structure, the handle comprising a grip portion and upper and lower flanges extending perpendicularly from the grip portion; and a retention/extension mechanism for retaining the handle in a first position and for transitioning the handle to a second position after pressure is applied to and subsequently released from the handle.

Two position door handle with push-push mechanism

A handle assembly for an access panel is described and includes a handle connected to a support structure integrated into and covered by a skin of the access panel, the handle comprising a grip portion and upper and lower flanges extending perpendicularly from the grip portion and having first ends connected to the grip portion and second ends connected to the support structure; and a cover disposed over an opening in the access panel skin and selectively transitionable between a closed position and an open position, the opening situated relative to the handle such that the handle is concealed when the cover is in a closed position and accessible via the opening when the cover is in an open position.

Integrated door handle with hinged access cover

A resolver assembly for a ducted-rotor aircraft is configured to detect and measure rotation of a spindle of the aircraft. The resolver assembly includes first and second gear-driven resolvers. The first and second resolvers are coupled about a shared pivot axis and are independently pivotable about the pivot axis to maintain engagement of the first and second resolvers with the spindle of the aircraft. The resolver assembly is configured such that the first and second resolvers are biased toward the spindle. The input shafts of the first and second resolvers are spaced from the pivot axis through respective first and second distances that extend outward from the pivot axis along respective first and second radial directions. The first distance is equal to the second distance and the first radial direction is not coincident with the second radial direction.

Dual-mount for spring-loaded gear-driven resolvers

A battery assembly for an aircraft includes a cold plate having an upper planar member, a lower planar member, and at least one fluid channel positioned between the upper and lower planar members and configured to receive a cooling fluid. The battery assembly also includes an upper battery mounted to the upper planar member for transferring heat from the upper battery to the cooling fluid through the upper planar member. The battery assembly further includes a lower battery mounted to the lower planar member for transferring heat from the lower battery to the cooling fluid through the lower planar member.

Double sided battery mounting apparatus

A handle assembly for an access panel is described and includes a support structure including upper and lower supports attached to the access panel, each of the upper and lower supports comprising a top face and a bottom face; a handle for selectively engaging with the support structure, the handle comprising a grip portion and upper and lower flanges extending perpendicularly from the grip portion, each of the upper and lower flanges comprising a top face; and a retention mechanism for retaining the handle in contact with the support structure with a combination of magnetic and mechanical force.

Removable magnetic door handle

Embodiments are directed to an aircraft fuselage comprises two keel beams and two roof beams. Each keel beam is formed as a single component having no joints. Each keel beam comprises a first portion that is configured to define a floor of an aircraft and a second portion that is configured to define a tail section of an aircraft. The second portion is positioned at an angle relative to the first portion. Each roof beam is coupled to the second portion of a corresponding keel beam at a point remote from the first portion. Each roof beam and a corresponding keel beam are positioned along a single butt line relative to an aircraft fuselage centerline. Frame members are coupled to both keel beams and both roof beams.

Single butt line keel and roof beam

A replaceable web structure for an aircraft frame is described and includes a plurality of structural members fabricated from a first type of material, the replaceable web structure comprising a plurality of web members fabricated from thin sheets of a second type of material, wherein each of the web members is fastened to a web frame of one of the structural members to replace a web portion of the one of the structural members; wherein the second type of material is stronger than the first type of material such that one of the sheets of the second type of material is lighter weight than a sheet of equal strength of the first type of material.

Modular hybrid airframe structure for battery thermal event protection and repair

A ducted fan assembly has a central axis, a duct having an outer wall and an inner wall, a fan hub at least partially disposed on the central axis, a plurality of fan blades coupled to the fan hub, and a first stator. The first stator has a first end coupled to the inner wall, a second end coupled to the inner wall, and a hub interface disposed between the first end and the second end, wherein the hub interface is coupled to the fan hub.

Ducted fan assembly with curved stators

A duct for a ducted-rotor aircraft may include internal structural components such as a spindle that is supported by a fuselage of the aircraft, first and second annular spars that are attached to an end of the spindle, a central hub that supports a motor of the aircraft, a plurality of stators that extend from the central hub to the second spar, and a plurality of ribs that are attached to the first spar and the second spar at respective opposed ends. The spindle may include an attachment interface to which the first and second spars are attached. The attachment interface may be disposed at the second end of the spindle. The attachment interface may define first and second arc-shaped planar surfaces to which the first and second spars, respectively, are attached.

Duct for ducted-rotor aircraft

In an embodiment, a ducted fan assembly includes a housing that further includes a rotor. The ducted fan assembly also includes a plurality of stators that extend outward from the housing. The ducted fan assembly also includes a control vane pivotally attached to at least one of the plurality of stators. The ducted fan assembly also includes a rim that extends around at least a portion of a perimeter of the ducted fan assembly and is supported by the plurality of stators and the control vane, where the rim defines an opening surrounding at least a portion of the housing.

Ducted fan assembly for an aircraft

Growing community of inventors

Grapevine, TX, United States of America

William Anthony Amante