Aircraft having split wing and monoplane configurations

A multi-aircraft system including at least first and second aircraft connectable wingtip-to-wingtip during flight, each aircraft having a thrust-borne vertical lift mode and a wing-borne forward flight mode and each aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage;
• a wing coupled to the fuselage, the wing having a root section with first and second outboard ends, a first outboard section having first and second wing layers pivotably coupled to the first outboard end of the root section and a second outboard section having first and second wing layers pivotably coupled to the second outboard end of the root section, the first wing layer of each outboard section including an inboard nacelle and an outboard nesting slot, the second wing layer of each outboard section including an outboard nacelle and an inboard nesting slot;
• a thrust array coupled to the wing, the thrust array including an inboard propulsion assembly extending from each of the inboard nacelles and an outboard propulsion assembly extending from each of the outboard nacelles;
• a power system operably associated with the thrust array and operable to provide power to each of the propulsion assemblies;
• a female wingtip coupling assembly at the outboard end of the first outboard section;
• a male wingtip coupling assembly at the outboard end of the second outboard section;
• and
• a flight control system operably associated with the thrust array, the wing and the wingtip coupling assemblies, the flight control system operable to control thrust output from each of the propulsion assemblies, wing configuration and wingtip coupling;
• wherein, in the thrust-borne vertical lift mode, the wing has a split wing configuration with the wing layers of the first and second outboard sections separated such that the thrust array forms a two dimensional thrust array;
• wherein, in the wing-borne forward flight mode, the wing has a monoplane configuration with the first and second wing layers of the first outboard section forming upper and lower portions of the first outboard section of the wing and with the first and second wing layers of the second outboard section forming upper and lower portions of the second outboard section of the wing such that the thrust array forms a one dimensional thrust array with the inboard nacelles of the first wing layers respectively received within the inboard nesting slots of the second wing layers and the outboard nacelles of the second wing layers respectively received within the outboard nesting slots of the first wing layers;
• and
• wherein, in a connected flight mode, the female wingtip coupling assembly of the first aircraft is coupled to the male wingtip coupling assembly of the second aircraft.