A motor (200) includes a stator (210) and a rotor (250) coupled via the center hub (270) of the rotor. The stator includes a support ring, the support ring (220) comprising a plurality of windings (230) arranged circumferentially. The rotor is configured to operate as a rotating propeller and includes a center hub, a rotor support ring, and a plurality of blades (260). The rotor support ring comprises a plurality of magnetic poles arranged circumferentially. Each particular blade is individually coupled to the rotor support ring.

A lift fan (100) for use in short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft is disclosed and claimed. The lift fan (100) is driven by bleed air from a main engine of the aircraft being directed through an inlet (20) to fan tips (28) within a slot (48) in a housing (12), and may be stabilised in rotation by an electromagnet (50) or a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating (92) within the slot (48). This eliminates the drag and torque on the main engine and reduces fuel cost and engine wear.

An aircraft (10) comprises trailing edge flaps (17), a wing mounted propulsor (26) positioned such that the flaps (17) are located in a slipstream of the first propulsor in use when deployed. The aircraft (10) further comprises a thrust vectorable propulsor configured to selectively vary the exhaust efflux vector of the propulsor in at least one plane. The thrust vectorable propulsor comprises a ducted fan (30) configurable between a first mode, in which the fan (30) provides net forward thrust to the aircraft (10), and a second mode in which the fan (30) provides net drag to the aircraft. (10). The fan (30) is positioned to ingest a boundary layer airflow in use when operating in the first mode.

The invention provides a fluid propulsion augmentation arrangement and method, capable of also generating control moments, providing increased thrust at reduced speed, reduced drag at increased speed, under conditions in which traditional approach cannot provide sufficient performance. It consists of a wing located in a propulsion system fluid intake region, having a slanted trailing edge coinciding with a fraction of the propulsion intake, pivotally connected, allowing position adjustments. At reduced speed, the wing and the propulsion system intake are placed adjacently, the intake low pressure determines wing fluid-dynamic force generation. Increasing speed, wing position varies, following fluid stream convergence change, maintaining an angle of attack for increased L/D, ensuring increased performance, and also varying control moments.

Some examples of a convertible helicopter ring member include a ring member (112) and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism orients the ring member (112) substantially in-plane with a tail rotor (110) of a helicopter (100) during a first mode of helicopter (100) operation and orients the ring member (112) substantially off-plane with the tail rotor (110) of the helicopter (100) during a second mode of helicopter operation that is different from the first mode.

A vertical take-off and landing aircraft including a propulsion mechanism 2 that generates lift and thrust, a main frame 4 that supports seating 41 and a landing undercarriage 42, a subframe 5 which supports the propulsion mechanism 2 and which is arranged so as to be swingable back and forth relative to the main frame 4, motive power supply means 3 supported by the main frame 4 and supplying motive power to the propulsion mechanism 2, and a control stick 6 connected to the subframe 5, in which the propulsion mechanism 2 includes a pair of ducted fans 21L, 21R arranged on a left side and a right side, respectively, of the main frame 4, swing shafts 22 arranged in the ducted fans 21L, 21R and extending in a horizontal direction, and control vanes 23 connected to the swing shafts 22, and swinging the control vane 23 enables the subframe 5 to move relative to the main frame 4. Maneuverability can be improved with addition of control mechanisms restrained.

An aircraft lift transducer may include a vane, actuator, an LC circuit, and a processor. The vane may be positioned on the leading edge of a wing of the aircraft, where the angle defined by the chord of the wing and the vane changes when the aircraft angle of attack changes. The actuator may be associated with the vane and change position when the angle defined by the vane and the chord changes. The LC circuit may include an induction coil spaced from the actuator and an oscillator. The oscillation frequency of the LC circuit may change when the position of the actuator changes. The processor may receive the change in the oscillation frequency and may determine a corresponding change in an available lift of the aircraft.

A vertical lift fan has a switchable transmission system. The fan includes a lift fan unit having one or more fan rotors. The fan further includes a differential gearbox having an input gear connectable to a transmission shaft for providing power to the fan, and first and second output gears. The first output gear drives the fan rotors. The fan further includes a first brake unit for braking the first output gear, and a second brake unit for braking the second output gear. When the second brake unit is activated and the first brake unit is deactivated, rotational action provided by the transmission shaft is diverted to the first output gear to turn the fan rotors, and when the first brake unit is activated and the second brake unit is deactivated, rotational action provided by the transmission shaft is diverted to the second output gear away from the fan rotors.

Autonomous propulsion apparatus and methods are disclosed. An example autonomous propulsion unit (106) includes a flight controller (112) capable of executing flight control instructions stored in a memory of the autonomous propulsion unit; and a propulsor to generate propulsion in accordance with the instructions for a payload carrier to which the autonomous propulsion unit is coupled, wherein the flight controller (112) is to provide flight control for the propulsor (106) in an absence of flight control instructions from the payload carrier.

A gas turbine engine (10) having an axial flow direction (X) therethrough in use. The gas turbine engine (10) comprises one or more rotor stages each comprising at least one rotor blade (120) having a root portion (122). The gas turbine engine (10) comprises a shroud (126) located upstream of one or more of the rotor stages relative to the axial flow direction (X). The shroud (126) defines a through passageway (128) extending between an inlet (130) and an outlet (132) which comprises a diffuser region (138). The diffuser region (138) is configured to reduce the axial velocity of air exiting the outlet (132) relative to air entering the diffuser portion (138) in use, wherein the outlet (132) is located such that air exiting the outlet (132) is directed substantially to the root portion (122) only of the rotor blades (120).

There is described a convertiplane (1) comprising: a pair of semi-wings (3); at least two rotors (4) which may rotate about relative first axes (B) and tilt about relative second axes (C) together with first axis (B) with respect to semi-wings (3) between a helicopter mode and an aeroplane mode; first axis (B) being, in use, transversal to a longitudinal direction (A) of convertiplane (1) in helicopter mode, and being, in use, substantially parallel to longitudinal direction (A) in aeroplane mode; convertiplane (1) further comprises at least two through openings (8) within which said rotor (4) may tilt, when said convertiplane (1) moves, in use, between said helicopter and said aeroplane mode.

A morphing duct of a ducted fan for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle is configured to change shape as function of the flight mode of the vehicle to improve the thrust per unit energy input for the ducted fan. Additionally, the morphing duct may be configured to change shape to change the flight path of the VTOL vehicle.

A conformal antenna (162) for an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided that may be applied to a surface (164) of the vehicle. The conformal antenna may be integrated with a surface on the vehicle, and is used to effectively transmit and receive video, command and/or control signals. The conformal antenna allows for the transmission and reception of signals from any direction, and may work with signals greater than a quarter wavelength. A protective layer may be placed over the conformal antenna.