Abstract:
Autonomous micro air vehicles surveillance systems are provided. A MAV system of one embodiment includes an MAV and a launch pad. The MAV has an engine that is adapted to power the MAV. The launch pad has a starter that is adapted to start the engine in the MAV when the MAV is resting on a launching surface of the launch pad. The launch pad further has a battery to power the starter.
Abstract:
A system and method for moving an aerial vehicle along a flight path includes rotatable hubs mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle. Elongated airfoils are mounted on the hubs parallel to a common hub axis for rotation about the hub axis on a blade path. Each airfoil defines a chord line and the system includes a gear assembly changeable, during hub rotation, between a first modality wherein airfoil chord lines remain tangential to the blade path (curtate flight), and a second modality wherein airfoil chord lines remain parallel to the flight path of the vehicle (prolate flight). Also, rotation of the hub can be stopped and the airfoils used for fixed wing flight.
Abstract:
A modular component set is configurable to form a plurality of flight capable platforms. A plurality of end pieces each has contiguously connected curved outer portions each longitudinally expanding from a tip to terminate at a blunt attachment face. Body members have opposed ends to receive the end piece blunt attachment face, and a rectangular shaped mid-portion having opposed walls. A plurality of task specific panels are each releasably connectable to one of the opposed walls. At least one of the body members with the end pieces joined at the opposed ends, and at least one of the task specific panels connected to one of the opposed walls form a minimum component set for each of the flight capable platforms.
Abstract:
VTOL micro-aircraft comprising a first and a second ducted rotor mutually aligned and distanced according to a common axis and whose propellers are driven in rotation in mutually opposite directions. Between the two ducted rotors are positioned a fuselage and a wing system formed by wing profiles forming an X or an H configuration and provided with control flaps.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a remote-controlled flying machine, in particular for surveillance and inspection, capable of hovering and comprising a spherical open-worked resistant shroud integral with a cylindrical fairing wherein rotates a propeller powered by an engine housed in a fuselage secured to the fairing with radial arms and straightening vanes.
Abstract:
A vehicle refueling system includes an aero vehicle and a fuel bladder system. The fuel bladder system includes a fuel bladder, a pickup loop of a predetermined loop size, a reel mechanism to retract at least one side of the pickup loop to reduce the loop size, a snag sensor to sense when the pickup loop has been hooked by the retractable hook, the snag sensor initiating the reel mechanism, a compass to sense the random orientation of the loop, a radio navigation receiver to sense a location of the loop, and a transmitter to transmit the random orientation and the location. The vehicle includes a fuselage, a retractable hook with a hook sensor to detect when a fuel bladder is hooked and the loop size has been reduced by the reel mechanism, a fuel bladder stowage chamber within the fuselage, a fuel intake tube capable of drawing fuel from the fuel bladder stowed in the stowage chamber, a retraction mechanism to retract the retractable hook, a fuel transfer mechanism to transfer fuel from the fuel bladder into an internal fuel tank, and a fuel bladder discard mechanism to discard the fuel bladder after the fuel has been drawn from the fuel bladder.
Abstract:
It works like a helicopter in vertical flight or like an airplane in horizontal flight, being able to land accurately on a small area. It is equipped with a rotor, a couple of wings fitted with ailerons and other control surfaces actuated differentially, with support wheels at their ends. It has a vertical stabilizer at the end of which there is a wheel. It has a horizontal stabilizer with elevators that are actuated simultaneously or differentially. It incorporates a propeller ahead of the rotor.
Abstract:
A tail sitter airplane will take off and land on its tail section, with its fuselage and nose pointed up. The airplane has a single driven propeller mounted to the nose section. Wings extend outward from the fuselage. Four airfoils locate in the tail section, two horizontal and two vertical. Each has a control surface. Four additional airfoils locate in a forward section, behind the propeller and in front of the wings. Two of the airfoils in the forward section are horizontal and two vertical. Movable control surfaces on these airfoils control the flight during takeoff and landing. The airfoils have chord lengths selected to remove the twist from the slip-stream from the propeller, thereby balancing the torque from the propeller.
Abstract:
A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is configured so as to provide, when landing tail-first with its fuselage (1) in a generally vertical attitude, a touchdown area (21) at the tail of the aircraft at a position offset from a line extending along the length of the fuselage through the centre of gravity (23) of the aircraft such that after the touchdown area contacts a landing surface the aircraft topples under the action of gravity to bring an undercarriage (11, 13) of the aircraft into contact with the landing surface, thereby to attain a stable landed position.