An aircraft, comprising: an airframe; a plurality of articulated electric rotors attached to the airframe, at least some of the rotors being variable-position rotors having a plurality of operating configurations and transitions therebetween based on rotor position signals supplied thereto, the rotors generating respective magnitudes and directions of vectored thrust in respective operating configurations as the result of the coordinated actuation of one or more degrees-of-freedom relative to the aircraft, wherein each of the variable-position rotors includes a respective arrangement having a blade pitch actuator coupled to a variable-pitch mechanism, the variable-pitch mechanism configured and operative to translate a rotational output of the blade pitch actuator to corresponding variable-pitch rotation of the rotor blade, wherein the variable-pitch mechanism includes a rotational interface, push rod and cross arm, the rotational interface translating between the rotational output of the blade pitch actuator and corresponding linear movement of the push rod, the cross arm being coupled between the push rod and a flange of the rotor blade to translate the linear movement of the push rod to the variable-pitch rotation of the rotor blade, wherein the variable-position rotors have an outrunner configuration in which an outer motor portion rotates about an inner motor portion fixed to the airframe, and the push rod extends axially through the outer motor portion and does not rotate with the rotor, and the variable-position rotors being further configured for variable pitch of respective rotor blades in response to blade pitch signals supplied thereto; a source of electrical power for powering the rotors; and control circuitry configured and operative to generate the rotor position signals and blade pitch signals to independently control rotor thrust, rotor orientation and rotor blade pitch of each of the variable-position rotors in a manner providing the transitions among the operating configurations for corresponding flight modes of the aircraft, and commanded thrust-vectoring maneuvering of the aircraft in the different configurations. an airframe; a plurality of articulated electric rotors attached to the airframe, at least some of the rotors being variable-position rotors having a plurality of operating configurations and transitions therebetween based on rotor position signals supplied thereto, the rotors generating respective magnitudes and directions of vectored thrust in respective operating configurations as the result of the coordinated actuation of one or more degrees-of-freedom relative to the aircraft, wherein each of the variable-position rotors includes a respective arrangement having a blade pitch actuator coupled to a variable-pitch mechanism, the variable-pitch mechanism configured and operative to translate a rotational output of the blade pitch actuator to corresponding variable-pitch rotation of the rotor blade, wherein the variable-pitch mechanism includes a rotational interface, push rod and cross arm, the rotational interface translating between the rotational output of the blade pitch actuator and corresponding linear movement of the push rod, the cross arm being coupled between the push rod and a flange of the rotor blade to translate the linear movement of the push rod to the variable-pitch rotation of the rotor blade, wherein the variable-position rotors have an outrunner configuration in which an outer motor portion rotates about an inner motor portion fixed to the airframe, and the push rod extends axially through the outer motor portion and does not rotate with the rotor, and the variable-position rotors being further configured for variable pitch of respective rotor blades in response to blade pitch signals supplied thereto; a source of electrical power for powering the rotors; and control circuitry configured and operative to generate the rotor position signals and blade pitch signals to independently control rotor thrust, rotor orientation and rotor blade pitch of each of the variable-position rotors in a manner providing the transitions among the operating configurations for corresponding flight modes of the aircraft, and commanded thrust-vectoring maneuvering of the aircraft in the different configurations.