Kitty Hawk Corporation

A configuration instruction associated with configuring a plurality of batteries which supply power to a plurality of motors in a vehicle is received. The batteries are configuring as specified by the configuration instruction, where the batteries are able to be configured in a plurality of configurations, including: a first configuration where at least some of the batteries are electrically connected together in parallel and a second configuration where at least some of the batteries are electrically connected together in series.

A vertical takeoff and landing vehicle which includes an allocation block that receives a set of desired forces or desired moments and a health metric associated with at least one of: (1) a motor controller or (2) a rotor that operates in a vertical takeoff and landing mode at least some of the time. A command signal is determined per a first manner that attempts to satisfy both the set of desired forces or desired moments and the health metric. If the command signal is unable to be determined in the first manner, a second manner is used that prioritizes flight control associated with one or more of a roll axis or a pitch axis over flight control associated with a yaw axis where the axes are mutually orthogonal. The command signal is output to the motor controller that controls the rotor using the command signal.

An aircraft that includes a canard having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a forward swept and fixed wing having a trailing edge, and a plurality of tilt rotor submodules, a dovetail, and a T-tail. The plurality of tilt rotor submodules are coupled to the trailing edge of the forward swept and fixed wing. The dovetail is attached to an underside of a fuselage. The T-tail is located above the dovetail. A horizontal plane of the T-tail is at a height that is higher than a horizonal plane of the forward swept and fixed wing.

A plurality of vertically-stacked multicopters detachably couples to a vertical connector to transport a load that is detachably coupled to the vertical connector. In the event an indication signal of a beam break sensor indicates the vertical connector has broken the beam, the movable gate is configured to close so that the vertical connector is enclosed at least in part by the movable gate. An opening in a frame provides access for the vertical connector to access the beam of the beam break sensor.

An aircraft that includes a canard having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a forward swept and fixed wing having a trailing edge, and a plurality of tilt rotor submodules, a dovetail, and a T-tail. The plurality of tilt rotor submodules are coupled to the trailing edge of the forward swept and fixed wing. The dovetail is attached to an underside of a fuselage. The T-tail is located above the dovetail. A horizontal plane of the T-tail is at a height that is higher than a horizonal plane of the forward swept and fixed wing.

Boundary information for a three-dimensional (3D) flying space is obtained. An input associated with steering a vehicle is received from an input device and location information associated with the vehicle is received from a location sensor. A control signal for the vehicle is generated based at least in part on the boundary information, the input, and the location information. In the event the input would cause the vehicle to cross the boundary of the 3D flying space if obeyed, the control signal for the vehicle is generated so that the vehicle is prevented from crossing the boundary of the 3D flying space. In response to receiving an indication associated with the vehicle landing, the boundary information is modified so that the 3D flying space includes a landing pathway.

A flight-time variable associated with an aircraft is determined including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying. It is determined whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable. In response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, the aircraft is automatically landed.

An aircraft that includes a canard having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a forward swept and fixed wing having a trailing edge, and a plurality of tilt rotor submodules, a dovetail, and a T-tail. The plurality of tilt rotor submodules are coupled to the trailing edge of the forward swept and fixed wing. The dovetail is attached to an underside of a fuselage. The T-tail is located above the dovetail. A horizontal plane of the T-tail is at a height that is higher than a horizonal plane of the forward swept and fixed wing.

A forward velocity and a roll angle associated with an aircraft is received, where the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane. A yaw rate offset is determined based at least in part on the forward velocity and the roll angle, where the yaw rate offset increases over a first forward velocity range and decreases over a second forward velocity range and the yaw rate offset changes monotonically with the roll angle. A desired yaw rate is determined based at least in part on the yaw rate offset and a yaw rate specified via a hand control. A plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors is determined based at least in part on the desired yaw rate.

A first power source includes a high discharge rate battery and a second power source includes a high energy battery. An electronically activated switch switches between the first power source and the second power source in response to a control signal from a power controller. If the electronically activated switch fails, it fails with one of the first power source and the second power source in an open circuit position and with the other one of the first power source and the second power source in a closed circuit position. The power controller generates the control signal, including by: during a vertical landing associated with a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle, generating the control signal to switch from the high energy battery to the high discharge rate battery independent of a measured current.