LEONARDO S.P.A.

A control device for controlling the variation of the angle of attack of the blades of the anti-torque rotor for an aircraft capable of hovering is described, comprising a control element sliding along a first axis with respect to a shaft of the rotor and rotatable integrally therewith; the control element is operatively connected to a plurality of blades articulated on the shaft in order to vary the angle of attack thereof following a translation of the element itself along the axis; a control rod axially sliding along the axis with respect to the shaft and angularly fixed with respect to the axis; and a rolling bearing interposed between the control rod and the control element, sliding along the axis with respect to the shaft and integrally with the control rod; the control device comprises a threaded element screwed onto the control rod and cooperating with the bearing to constrain it axially with respect to the control rod and a bushing coupled in an angularly and axially fixed manner to the threaded element, and in an angularly fixed manner to the control rod.

The coherent beam recombination system provides an output recombined beam and comprises: a laser source providing a source beam with linewidth; a beam broadener providing a broadened beam from the source beam; a splitter splitting the broadened beam into a plurality of secondary beams; a plurality of channels coupled to the splitter. Each channel receives a respective secondary beam and provides a respective intermediate beam. Each channel has an optical amplifier, a phase modulator, an optical delay line, and an opto-mechanical element. The CBC system further comprises an optical sensor that provides a detection signal indicative of an intensity of a received optical beam; a focusing optics that receives the intermediate beams, provides the output recombined beam from a first portion of each intermediate beam, and provides a sampled recombined beam to the optical sensor from a second portion of each intermediate beam. The CBC system further comprises a control unit coupled to the optical sensor and the plurality of channels. The control unit comprises a phase-locking module configured to: provide a plurality of phase control signals to the phase modulators; receive the detection signal from the optical sensor, indicative of an intensity of the sampled recombined beam; calculate a cost function from the detection signal, wherein the cost function is a function of the intensity of the sampled recombined beam; perform an optimization algorithm of the cost function, configured to maximise the intensity of the sample recombined beam; and provide a plurality of updated phase control signals, based on a result of the optimization algorithm.

The illumination optical device comprises a collimator, a light source, and an aperture. The collimator comprises a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, a tertiary mirror and a quaternary mirror mutually tilted so as to form a collimator optical path extending between the light source and the aperture and formed, in succession, by the light source, the quaternary mirror, the tertiary mirror, the secondary mirror, the primary mirror and the aperture. The light source is configured to emit light rays, along respective directions, which form a main beam propagating along directions intercepting the quaternary mirror so as to follow the collimator optical path; and a secondary beam propagating along directions not intercepting the quaternary mirror. The illumination optical device is characterised in that the collimator comprises a shielding structure configured to prevent illumination of the aperture by the secondary light beam.

A method for estimating rotor torques of an aircraft capable of hovering and comprising a plurality of rotors, which are rotatable under the action of respective rotor torques; and an engine, which is operatively connected to the rotors to provide them with an engine torque. Each rotor comprises a hub and a plurality of blades articulated on the respective hub in such a way that respective collective pitch angles are adjustable. The method comprises the steps of i) calculating a symmetric component on the basis of the engine torque; ii) receiving a signal associated with collective pitch angles; iii) calculating an asymmetric component on the basis of a pitch angle difference between the collective pitch angles; and iv) calculating each rotor torque as the algebraic sum of the symmetric component and the respective asymmetric component.

An aircraft is provided that has a moving system for moving, during flight, sensors of the aircraft between a rest position in which the sensors are arranged within the aircraft, and a work position in which the sensors face directly, along a sensing direction, towards outside of the aircraft and towards the ground when the aircraft is in flight. The moving system has a frame arranged inside the aircraft, a slide supporting the sensors, and a pair of guides, each guide having a rail part supported on the frame, and at least one draw part arranged telescopically slidable relative to the relevant rail part along a direction of movement perpendicular to the sensing direction. The slide, mounted integrally with the draw parts of the pair of guides, slides along the direction of movement internally within the aircraft to move the sensors between the rest and work positions.

There is described an aircraft configured to be able to hover, comprising a fuselage; and a support element adapted to support a load, made of elastically deformable material and constrained to said fuselage; the support element being movable in an operating position in which it is arranged at least partially outside said fuselage and supports said load; the aircraft comprises a sock surrounding the support element arranged in said operating position; the sock is configured to contain the elastic return of the support element, in case the support element arranged in said operating position is sheared off.

A method of joining a first element in composite material with a second element in composite material to define a structural component of an aircraft comprising arranging the first element in contact on the second element; applying a non-rigid heating layer on the first element; applying a layer of shape memory thermoplastic polymer, pre-loaded in a compressed non-equilibrium condition, onto the heating layer; applying a vacuum bag to the assembly thus obtained; sealing the vacuum bag to define a vacuum chamber housing the first element, at least part of the second element, the heating layer and the shape memory layer; applying vacuum inside the vacuum chamber; applying heat to the first element, to the second element and to the shape memory layer by activating the heating layer; expanding the shape memory layer from the compressed non-equilibrium condition to an expanded equilibrium condition by means of the step of applying heat.

Display system for a vehicle operable by a user, the display system comprising: a graphics generator configured to acquire input safety critical data indicative of one or more operative parameters of the vehicle and generate, based on the input safety critical data, an intermediate video frame signal indicative of an intermediate video frame, wherein the intermediate video frame comprises a first frame region that is a visual representation of monitoring safety critical data and that includes encoding markers uniquely associated to the monitoring safety critical data, wherein the monitoring safety critical data and the input safety critical data reciprocally correspond in a condition of correct working of the graphics generator and do not reciprocally correspond in a condition of incorrect working of the graphics generator; a display control unit coupled to the graphics generator and configured to receive the intermediate video frame signal and determine the monitoring safety critical data based on the encoding markers; a display monitoring unit coupled to the display control unit and configured to receive both the input safety critical data and the monitoring safety critical data determined from the encoding markers, reciprocally compare the input safety critical data and the monitoring safety critical data and generate a command signal based on said comparison, the command signal being indicative of the correspondence, or of the lack of correspondence, between the input safety critical data and the monitoring safety critical data, wherein the display control unit is further configured to receive the command signal and, based on the command signal and the intermediate video frame and if the input safety critical data and the monitoring safety critical data correspond, generate a confirmed video frame signal indicative of a confirmed video frame that is configured to be displayed to the user and that is a visual representation of the monitoring safety critical data.

A method is described for manufacturing a structural element in composite material extending along a straight or curvilinear longitudinal direction, having a Z-shaped cross section and comprising, in its final configuration, a central web and two flanges extending at a given final angle from opposite end portions of the web in respective directions opposite to one another; the method including the steps of: arranging a plurality of layers of composite material on a shaped portion of a forming mold; laminating the layers on the shaped portion so that the web is arranged, at least partially, in its final configuration, that a first flange is arranged in its final configuration at the final angle with respect to the portion of the web arranged in its final configuration, and that a second flange is arranged in its initial configuration at an initial angle distinct from, and greater than, said final angle with respect to the portion of the web arranged in its final configuration; moving a movable portion of the forming mold, which is movable with respect to a fixed portion of the forming mold, from a rest position to a bending position; displacing the second flange from the initial configuration into a final configuration in which it is at said final angle with respect to the portion of the web arranged in its final configuration; the step d) of displacing being carried out by means of the step c) of moving.