Abstract:
An aircraft is provided with a gas turbine engine having a plurality of shafts. A first shaft provides power to an electrical generator and a propeller, while a second shaft provides power to a refrigeration system. The refrigeration system may be integrated to the propeller, like a ducted fan, or on the outer skin of the aircraft.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an aircraft comprising a fuselage (100) comprising a fuselage axis (101), a first wing arrangement (110) and a second wing arrangement (120). The first wing arrangement (110) is mounted to the fuselage (100) such that the first wing arrangement (110) is tiltable around a first rotary wing axis (111) of the first wing arrangement (110) and such that the first wing arrangement (110) is rotatable around the fuselage axis (101). The first wing arrangement (110) is adapted in such a way that, in a fixed-wing flight mode, the first wing arrangement (110) do not rotate around the fuselage axis (101). The first wing arrangement (110) is further adapted in such a way that, in a hover flight mode, the first wing arrangement (110) is tilted around the respective first rotary wing axis (111) with respect to its orientation in the fixed-wing flight mode and that the first wing arrangement (110) rotates around the fuselage axis (101). The aircraft further comprises an extendible lift increasing system which is arranged to the first wing arrangement (110) for selectively amending a lift area of the first wing arrangement (110) in the fixed-wing flight mode and the hover flight mode.
Abstract:
An aerial vehicle is described which comprises: a first compartment (13) for holding a lighter than air gas; a second compartment (6, 4) for holding atmospheric air and having an inlet and an outlet; a solar panel (41) for converting sunlight into electricity; a compressor (242) for pumping atmospheric air through the inlet into the second compartment; control means (1,3) for controlling the pitch and yaw of the vehicle; and a controller (209) for controlling the buoyancy of the vehicle via the compressor and the outlet such that the vehicle is either lighter than the surrounding air and rising or heavier than the surrounding air and falling, and for controlling the control means such that the rising and falling motion includes a horizontal component. In another embodiment the solar panel is replaced by an engine and a fuel tank for storing fuel for the engine is also provided. The aerial vehicle can remain airborne for extended periods by using buoyancy propulsion. In the embodiments including a solar panel, a system including a light transmission station may be provided to supply energy to the solar panel from the light transmission station rather than relying on the incident sunlight alone. A method of flight using buoyancy propulsion is also described.
Abstract:
The new method used with the new aircraft for forest fire extinguishing is a concept which consists of a new means by which the new method of fire extinction, especially forested areas, will be applied and consists of an aircraft that will fly with the help of 4 turbine engines of vertical reaction and with the support of propellers it will transport to the fire front water and materials for extinguishment and due to its peculiar shape it will be able to remain close to the fire and combat it with water, with an impulsive force of large amounts of gas that exit from its turbine engines, amounts that will contain oxygen, as well as be enriched with carbon monoxide or other extinguishing material that it possesses and will lower the temperature locally with the air currents that will be produced. This construction allows small speeds, and even idling in the air, which benefits the purpose of the fire extinction and allows the aircraft to land in small areas or close to the fire without danger but also to escape immediately if the direction of the wind changes etc. It can constructed in small, medium, or large sizes.
Abstract:
A system for launching, refuelling and recovering in flight an aircraft (10) such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a larger carrier aircraft (16) comprising a holder (22) on the carrier aircraft (16) to which the UAV (10) is detachably connectable and an extendable and retractable refuelling device (23, 24) on the carrier aircraft (16) detachably connectable to the UAV (10) whereby to launch the UAV it is disconnected from the holder (22), the refuelling device (23, 24) is extended with the UAV connected thereto to cause the UAV to trail behind the carrier aircraft and the UAV is then disconnected from the refuelling device.
Abstract:
The present invention relates; - to a drone comprising a fuselage (1) provided with carrying means (11, 12) capable of allowing a belly-to-ground flight position and an inverted flight position, at least one propulsion means (2), autonomous navigation instruments and an axial compartment (10) forming a recess incorporated into an upper part of the fuselage in order to receive a parachutist (h) in the lying position, avionics provided with programmable control means coupled to the autonomous navigation instruments and means for releasing said parachutist controlled by said avionics, characterised in that said release means are designed and intended to ensure the release of said parachutist in the inverted flight position, and, - to a piece of airborne intervention equipment.
Abstract:
An aircraft is provided with a gas turbine engine having a plurality of shafts. A first shaft provides power to an electrical generator and a propeller, while a second shaft provides power to a refrigeration system. The refrigeration system may be integrated to the propeller, like a ducted fan, or on the outer skin of the aircraft.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, an aircraft for transporting at least one cargo container is disclosed. The aircraft comprises a forward fuselage, an empennage, a beam structure, and mounts to detachably and structurally engage the at least one cargo container with the beam structure. The beam structure is disposed between the forward fuselage and the empennage and the beam structure configured to receive the at least one cargo container. The beam structure and structurally engaged cargo container provide sufficient structural rigidity to support the aircraft in flight.
Abstract:
A pod (240) for an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided that may be removed and reattached to the vehicle. The pod comprises an outer shell, within which a variety of payloads may be carried. A first surface on the vehicle frame comprises a plurality of connects or electrical traces. The plurality of attachments are used to removably attach the pods to the first surface. Thus, a wide variety of payloads may be delivered using the same unmanned aerial vehicle, simply by removing and attaching different pods to a fixed vehicle core. These pods may be shaped so as to form part of the vehicle exterior, and when the pods are attached to the frame, they enhance the aerodynamics of the vehicle.