Bizarre Patents
An aircraft having vertical takeoff and landing capability provided with at least first and second laterally extending paddle wheels rotatable on a central axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft fuselage and between its nose and tail.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8136757 | Wing and method for reducing effects of propeller airflow on lift distribution A wing for an aircraft includes a non-balanced lift gradient because as a result of at least one propeller slipstream flowing onto the wing the induced drag of the wing is increased. To reduce the increased induced drag, the wing comprises a first region with a redu... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8033500 | Actuator load path monitoring system An actuator load path monitoring system for an aircraft having an aircraft structure, a control surface, and, an actuator connected between the aircraft structure and the control surface to support and position the control surface as desired relative to the aircraft... | 10/11/2011 |
| 7997528 | Reducing runway requirement for aircraft Runway length requirement for take-off and landing of an aircraft is reduced by taking advantage of dynamic lift overshoot, and in some cases, dynamic stall. In take-off and landing, the angle of attack is rapidly increased so that the lift coefficient exceeds the m... | 08/16/2011 |
| 7896288 | Method for improving roll steering of an aircraft and aircraft using same A roll steering method subdivides the direction of an aircraft control surface into two elements and, during a roll control operation using ailerons, steers an upper element of the control surface in the roll direction and a lower element in the opposite direction. | 03/01/2011 |
| 7837143 | Method and apparatus for disabling pilot control of a hijacked aircraft A method and apparatus are disclosed for disabling on-board pilot operation of an aircraft and transferring aircraft operation to an alternate source of control. The aircraft has at least one manually actuated control device for controlling at least one mechanical a... | 11/23/2010 |
| 7770842 | Aircraft flight control surface actuation system communication architecture A flight control surface actuation system includes a plurality of smart actuators to move aircraft flight control surfaces between extended and retracted positions. The system includes a high availability network between the flight control avionics and the smart act... | 08/10/2010 |
| 7597285 | Fluid dynamically effective surface for minimizing induced resistance A fluid dynamically effective surface of a device moving in a fluid, especially a lifting surface of a flying machine, has an elastic axis extending in the span direction of the surface, and an adjustable control surface. The lifting surface is elastically deformabl... | 10/06/2009 |
| 7549605 | Electric flight control surface actuation system for aircraft flaps and slats An aircraft flight control surface actuation system includes a plurality of electric motors-driven flap actuators, and a plurality of electric motor-driven slat actuators. The motor-driven actuators receive activation signals from flap and slat actuator controllers ... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7440825 | Constant vertical state maintaining cueing system This invention relates to the concept of managing the rate of change of energy in a helicopter or other aeronautical vehicle. The invention uses energy management calculations to determine the maximum longitudinal and lateral inputs that can be made while still enab... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7431243 | Guidance and control for an autonomous soaring UAV The present invention provides a practical method for UAVs to take advantage of thermals in a manner similar to piloted aircrafts and soaring birds. In general, the invention is a method for a UAV to autonomously locate a thermal and be guided to the thermal to grea... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7428450 | Method and system for using a database and GPS position data to generate bearing data A method and system for providing a bearing from a vehicle to a transmitting station are described. The method includes accessing a database to obtain transmitter position information for the transmitter, obtaining vehicle position information based on a GPS signal,... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7421319 | Systems and methods for preflight planning and inflight execution using portable electronic data storage and display devices This invention provide systems and methods for cockpit flight crew preflight planning and subsequent, systematic recall and execution of procedures, ground/inflight navigation, and communications using portable electronic data storage and display devices. A capabili... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7415330 | Aircraft standby display device and system The device (1) comprises a set (3) of information sources, an information processing unit (4), a display means (6) comprising a display screen (8), and a configuration means (9) allowing an operator to configure said device ... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7398182 | Method and device for detecting degradation of performance of an aircraft An aircraft performance degradation detection system may include information sources, a central unit connected to the information sources, and a warning device that is connected to the central unit. Using information received from the information sources, the centra... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7367530 | Aerospace vehicle yaw generating systems and associated methods Aerospace vehicle yaw generating systems and associated methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a yaw generating system that can include an aerospace vehicle having a fuselage with a first portion and a second portion. The system... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7367532 | High lift longitudinal axis control system A bipartite, full span airplane flap system having an inboard flap portion and an outboard flap portion, wherein the outboard flap portion includes an integrated aileron mounted on its substantially equivalent spanwise length. ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7366592 | System for automatically controlling lift-enhancing devices of an aircraft, in particular wing leading edge slats A control system for an aircraft includes an actuation section that moves lift-enhancing devices as a function of received control orders, a control member operable by a pilot of the aircraft, and a control unit that includes a control section that produces control ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7366590 | Impending failure and failure annunciation systems for actuators and drive train components A method of determining variations in operating characteristics of a mechanical system having a rotatory mode of operation. There are provided the steps of first monitoring operating impulses generated by the mechanical system during a first interval of operation; f... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7359777 | System and method of analyzing aircraft removal data for preventative maintenance A system includes a computer server for receiving an aircraft dataset; a database operably coupled to the computer server for storing the aircraft dataset into data fields; a web portal operably coupled to the computer server and the database for providing real-time... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7346437 | Secure interactive 3d navigation method and device A safe interactive navigation apparatus and method allows the crew of an aircraft to prepare and follow a safe flight plan without relying on instrument flying infrastructure. An aircraft navigation assistance method calculates a continuous, three-dimensional projec... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7343232 | Vehicle control system including related methods and components Embodiments are disclosed for a vehicle control system and related sub-components that together provide an operator with a plurality of specific modes of operation, wherein various modes of operation incorporate different levels of autonomous control. Through a cont... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7338018 | Systems and methods for controlling aircraft flaps and spoilers Systems and methods for controlling aircraft flaps and spoilers. Systems in accordance with some embodiments include a wing having a trailing edge, and a flap positioned proximate to the wing trailing edge and being deployable relative to the wing between a first fl... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7316370 | Missile fin locking method and assembly A fin locking mechanism for locking in place, and subsequently unlocking fins for installation on a missile having a plurality of otherwise moveable fins. Where the fins are mounted to a crank arm, there is a locking detent, with a locking notch, integral to the cra... | 01/08/2008 |
| H2206 | Tactile side-slip corrective yaw control for aircraft Side-slip of an aircraft during flight is detected through a pair of pressure sensors fixedly mounted on opposite lateral sides of the aircraft fuselage. Pressure measurement signals at said sensors are fed to electronic circuitry within the aircraft for generating ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7302316 | Programmable autopilot system for autonomous flight of unmanned aerial vehicles A system and method for providing autonomous control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is disclosed. The system includes a ground station in communication with an unmanned aerial vehicle. The method for providing autonomous control of a UAV includes methods for pro... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7281683 | Process for aiding the takeoff of an aircraft An aircraft takeoff process may include applying a pitch command deflecting an adjustable horizontal tailplane of the aircraft by a predetermined angle. Thereafter, the pitch command is corrected in accordance with the deviation between a takeoff rotation speed and ... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7264201 | Process for reducing the aerodynamic loads applied to the elevators of an aircraft during takeoff Process for reducing the aerodynamic loads applied to the elevators of an aircraft during takeoff wherein, prior to the rotation, the adjustable horizontal tailplane (2) is nose-up overdeflected and the elevators (4) are nose-down deflected. ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7263414 | Method and device for controlling the attitude of an aircraft A method and device for controlling the attitude of an aircraft may employ spoilers that are arranged on the wings of the aircraft and whose respective angular positions can be adjusted by controllable actuators. A command attitude determining section determines a c... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7243881 | Multi-function trailing edge devices and associated methods Trailing edge devices configured to carry out multiple functions, and associated methods of use and manufacture are disclosed. An external fluid flow body (e.g., an airfoil) configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes a first portion and a ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7226020 | Apparatus for driving and adjusting flaps hinged to an aircraft Flaps, for example leading edge flaps and/or trailing edge flaps of an aircraft wing, are driven and adjusted by respective drive units. Drive shafts of neighboring flaps are coupled to each other by a differential gear. The differential gear is thus coupled to a ma... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7225061 | Method and device for detecting pilot induced oscillations in an aircraft A method and device for detecting pilot induced oscillations in an aircraft may detect signals having frequencies of between 0.3 Hz and 0.6 Hz within commands signals generated by a pilot for controlling an aerodynamic surface of the aircraft. The energy of the dete... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7191985 | Aircraft multi-axis modal suppression system Vibrations due to excitation of the natural modes of an aircraft's body are suppressed by an active multi-axis modal suppression system. Dedicated sensors are positioned in the aircraft at optimal locations for sensing modal induced vibrations. The sensor produced s... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7188007 | Apparatuses and methods for displaying and receiving tactical and strategic flight guidance information Methods and apparatuses for displaying and receiving tactical and strategic flight guidance information. A method in accordance with one aspect of the invention includes displaying at least one first indicator to an operator of the aircraft, with a first indicator c... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7165744 | Turbine engine arrangements A fan turbine engine arrangement is provided in which a core engine is aligned such that an input of a nacelle is aligned with the upwash of a wing to which the arrangement is secured. The engine drives a fan such that bypass flows produced by the fan are guided by ... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7130741 | Navigating a UAV with a remote control device Navigating a UAV, including receiving in a remote control device a user's selection of a GUI map pixel that represents a waypoint for UAV navigation, the pixel having a location on the GUI; mapping the pixel's location on the GUI to Earth coordinates of the waypoint... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7125058 | Locking device with solenoid release pin A locking device with a solenoid release actuator includes a housing, a plunger axially slidable within the housing, a biasing member for biasing the plunger in a first direction, one or more locking balls, and the locking balls disposed in an aperture in the housin... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7121505 | Method of control for toy aircraft The invention described here offers a low-cost method of remote flight control suitable for use in toy airplanes and ornithopters (flapping-wing aircraft). To accomplish this, the aircraft is powered by a reversible electric motor. The propeller or flapping wing pro... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7118071 | Methods and systems for controlling lower surface shocks Methods and systems for controlling shocks on airfoil lower surfaces are disclosed. An airfoil in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes an upper surface portion having an upper surface positioned to face generally upwardly during the level flight,... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7063292 | Actuation apparatus for a control flap arranged on a trailing edge of an aircraft airfoil An actuation apparatus for a control flap which is disposed on the trailing edge of the wing of an aircraft and which can be displaced between a stowed position and an extended position, in which it is displaced rearwardly relative to the trailing edge of the wing a... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7051976 | Process for improving the maneuverability of an aircraft during a resource Process for improving the maneuverability of an aircraft during a resource. According to the invention, prior to the resource, the adjustable horizontal tailplane (2) is nose-up deflected and the elevators (4) are nose-down deflected. ... | 05/30/2006 |
