Lockheed Martin

Transient engine limiting is provided. An aerial vehicle can include a turboshaft engine and a controller. The controller can receive a continuous engine limit for the turboshaft engine. The controller can receive a transient engine limit for the turboshaft engine. The controller can generate, using the continuous engine limit and the transient engine limit, a target operating state greater than the continuous engine limit and less than the transient engine limit. The controller can generate control signals to operate the turboshaft engine at the target operating state.

A variable pitch propeller (130; 200) includes a ball spline shaft (230), a ball spline bearing (240) configured to slide along the ball spline shaft (230), and a thrust spring (220) installed around the ball spline shaft (230). The variable pitch propeller (130; 200) further includes a hub (250) coupled to or integrated with the ball spline bearing (240), a plurality of control arms (260) coupled to the hub (250), a plurality of blade holders (270) coupled to the control arms (260), and a plurality of propeller blades (275). Each propeller blade (275) is coupled to one of the blade holders (270) and can rotate between a high-pitch position and a low-pitch position as the ball spline bearing (240) slides along the ball spline shaft (230). The thrust spring (220) controls the sliding of the ball spline bearing (240) along the ball spline shaft (230) based on an amount of thrust provided by the variable pitch propeller (130; 200), thereby automatically adjusting the pitch positions of the propeller blades (275) based on the amount of thrust.

Ganged control signals for VTOL vehicles are provided. An aerial vehicle can include various airfoil assemblies. The aerial vehicle can include various actuators, each coupled with a corresponding one of the airfoil assemblies, configured to tilt a thrust generated by each of the plurality of airfoil assemblies away from a vertical axis of the aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle can include one or more processors, coupled with memory, to determine a roll attitude of the aerial vehicle relative to a landing surface. The one or more processors can generate a ganged control signal, for each of the plurality of airfoil assemblies, to cause the corresponding actuator of the plurality of actuators to tilt the airfoil assemblies away from the vertical axis to reduce the roll attitude of the aerial vehicle.

A transmission gear includes a central hub defining a rotation axis. A transmission gear may include an outer ring including a plurality of gear teeth spaced circumferentially around the outer ring. A transmission gear may include a web interconnecting the central hub to the outer ring, wherein a portion of either the outer ring or the web defines a lattice structure having a density that is less than a density of a remining portion of the gear, the density of the lattice structure having a density gradient that is continuous in a radial direction from the rotation axis.

A monolithic transmission gear produced through additive manufacturing. The transmission gear includes a central hub defining a rotation axis, an outer ring including a plurality of gear teeth spaced circumferentially about the outer ring, and a web interconnecting the central hub to the outer ring. The web including a plurality of radial springs extending between the central hub and the outer ring. The radial springs being radially stiff to center the outer ring about the central hub and being torsionally resilient to permit relative rotation between the outer ring and the central hub.

A convertible aircraft includes a fuselage defining a flight axis, and a wing assembly including a pair of wings. Each wing includes a first panel coupled to the fuselage and extending along a wing axis, transverse to the flight axis, a second panel including a thruster having a blade assembly configured to rotate about a thruster axis, a first hinge configured to couple the second panel to the first panel for pivoting about a first hinge axis, a third panel, and a second hinge configured to couple the third panel to the second panel for pivoting about a second hinge axis, parallel to the first hinge axis.

An aircraft vehicle (100) includes an elongated spine element (140) with a first and second end (142, 143), and an elongated lift boom (130) at the first end (142), extending perpendicular to the spine (140). The vehicle (100) features a left coaxial counterrotating rotor assembly (120) with a front rotor blade (121) and motor (123), an aft rotor blade (122) and motor (124) rotating in the opposite direction to the front rotor blade (121), and a servo motor for tilting the assembly. Similarly, it has a right coaxial counterrotating rotor assembly with a front rotor blade and motor, an aft rotor blade and motor, and a servo motor (125) for tilting the assembly (120). Additionally, a tail coaxial counterrotating rotor assembly (150) is situated along the spine (140), with top and bottom rotor blades (151, 152) and motors (153, 154) rotating in opposite directions to each other. The aircraft (100) includes a power supply (180) for the rotor assemblies (120, 150) and a controller (190) to manage the power supplied to the motors (123, 124, 153, 154).

A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, includes a main rotor system, a gearbox mechanically connected to the main rotor system, a first gas turbine engine mechanically connected to the gearbox, a first electrical motor-generator mechanically connected to the first gas turbine engine and mechanically connected to the gearbox, a second electrical motor-generator mechanically connected to the gearbox, a third electrical motor electrically connected to the second electrical motor-generator and mechanically connected to an anti-torque device, the third electrical motor configured to provide mechanical power to the anti-torque device, and a plurality of power-controller interface units. The plurality of power-controller interface units are configured to, during a first phase of flight, control the first gas turbine engine and the first electrical motor-generator to provide mechanical power to the gearbox, and control the second electrical motor-generator to provide electrical power to the third electrical motor.

A gear for transmitting motion and torque between components includes a first gear portion having a first material and which is formed by a first additive manufacturing process. The gear also includes a second gear portion having a second material and which is formed on the first gear portion. The second gear portion is formed by a second additive manufacturing process that is different from the first additive manufacturing process. At least one of the first gear portion or the second gear portion defines a plurality of teeth.

A temporary fastener actuation tool (120) includes a protrusion (122), multiple spring clips (124), and a bearing shaft (127). The protrusion (122) includes a groove (230) that matches a shape of an indentation (301) of a temporary fastener (130). Each spring clip (124) includes an end (240) that is aligned with an end (250) of the protrusion (122). The spring clips (124) are configured to hold the indentation (301) of the temporary fastener (130) secure against the protrusion (122). The temporary fastener actuation tool (120) further includes a first bearing (125) that is coupled to the bearing shaft (127) and is configured to contact a cylindrical body (300) of the temporary fastener (130) and rotate the cylindrical body (300) of the temporary fastener (130) in a first direction. The temporary fastener actuation tool (120) further includes a second bearing (126) coupled to the bearing shaft (127) that is configured to contact a stem (302) of the temporary fastener (130) and to rotate the stem (302) in a second direction. A motor shaft (121) is coupled to the bearing shaft (127).