Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) air vehicle

• US 10,259,577 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2018
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Taylor, Dana J., Tokumaru, Phillip T., Hibbs, Bart Dean, Parks, William Martin, Ganzer, David Wayne, King, Joseph Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Benedik, Justin M
• Application Number:
  US15/974,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20180290741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/32 mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/26 characterised by provision of fixed wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/54 Mechanisms for controlling blade adjustment or movement relative to rotor head, e.g. lag-lead movement
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/605 including swash plate, spider or cam mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/00 Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft rotorcraft B64C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/02 having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/70 Constructional aspects of the UAV body
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

A flight control apparatus for fixed-wing aircraft includes a first port wing and first starboard wing, a first port swash plate coupled between a first port rotor and first port electric motor, the first port electric motor coupled to the first port wing, and a first starboard swash plate coupled between a first starboard rotor and first starboard electric motor, the first starboard electric motor coupled to the first starboard wing.

Claims

1. A flight control apparatus for a fixed-wing aircraft, comprising:

a first port wing and a first starboard wing;

a first port electric motor coupled to the first port wing;

a first port swash plate coupled between a first port rotor and the first port electric motor, wherein the first port swash plate provides single-axis cyclic pitch control of the first port rotor;

a first starboard electric motor coupled to the first starboard wing; and

a first starboard swash plate coupled between a first starboard rotor and the first starboard electric motor, wherein the first starboard swash plate provides single-axis cyclic pitch control of the first starboard rotor;

wherein a fuselage is coupled between the first port wing and the first starboard wing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein first starboard and first port rotor pitch, yaw and roll moments are accomplished without the benefit of control surfaces on a wing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second port wing and a second starboard wing;

a second port swash plate coupled between a second port rotor and second port electric motor, the second port electric motor coupled to the second port wing;

a second starboard swash plate coupled between a second starboard rotor and second starboard electric motor, the second starboard electric motor coupled to the second starboard wing; and

a horizontal stabilizer coupled to the fuselage.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first port wing and the first starboard wing are coupled to the fuselage at a first end of the fuselage, wherein the second port wing and the second starboard wing are coupled to the fuselage at a second end of the fuselage, and wherein the first end of the fuselage is distal from the second end of the fuselage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

first landing gear attached to an aft portion of the first port wing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

second landing gear attached to an aft portion of the first starboard wing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a port aileron rotatably disposed on a trailing edge of the first port wing; and

a starboard aileron rotatably disposed on a trailing edge of the first starboard wing.

8. A method of flight control for fixed-wing aircraft, comprising:

inducing a left roll of a fuselage coupled between a first port wing and a first starboard wing, in response to;

generating in a first port rotor a negative rotational moment in response to actuation of a first port swash plate, wherein the first port swash plate provides single-axis cyclic pitch control of the first port rotor; and

generating in a first starboard rotor a positive rotational moment in response to actuation of a first starboard swash plate, wherein the first starboard swash plate provides single-axis cyclic pitch control of the first starboard rotor;

wherein a left roll of a fuselage is accomplished without the benefit of control surfaces on the first port wing and first starboard wing.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

inducing a yaw moment about the fuselage, in response to;

generating asymmetric collective control between the first port rotor and the first starboard rotor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating an asymmetric collective control, the generating in the first port rotor the positive rotational moment and the generating in the first starboard rotor the negative rotational moment collectively accomplish a coordinated turn of the port and starboard wings.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

inducing a right roll of the fuselage in response to;

generating in the first port rotor a positive rotational moment in response to actuation of the first port swash plate; and

generating in the first starboard rotor a negative rotational moment in response to actuation of the first starboard swash plate;

wherein a right roll of a fuselage is accomplished without the benefit of control surfaces on the first port wing and first starboard wing.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing pitch control of the fuselage in response to;

providing asymmetric collective control between at least the first port rotor and a second port rotor that is rotatably coupled to a second port wing, the second port wing coupled to the fuselage.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing pitch control of the fuselage in response to;

providing differential motor RPM control between at least the first port rotor and a second port rotor rotatably coupled to a second port wing, the second port wing coupled to the fuselage.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing pitch control of the fuselage in response to;

providing differential motor RPM control between the first starboard rotor and a second starboard rotor rotatably coupled to a second starboard wing.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing elevator control complementary to the providing pitch control to supplement the pitching moment with an additional pitching moment.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing pitch control of the fuselage in response to actuating an elevator.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

inducing a right roll of the fuselage in response to;

generating in a second port rotor a negative rotational moment in response to actuation of a second port swash plate, the second port rotor rotatably coupled to a second port wing; and

generating in a second starboard rotor a positive rotational moment in response to actuation of a second starboard swash plate, the second starboard rotor rotatably coupled to a second starboard wing;

wherein the positive and negative moments of force generated in the second port rotor and second starboard rotor induce a right roll of the second port and second starboard wings without the benefit of wing control surfaces.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

supplementing the right roll of the fuselage in response to actuating port and starboard ailerons rotatably coupled to the second port wing and second starboard wing, respectively.

19. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing pitch-up control of the fuselage in response to;

generating in the first starboard rotor a positive rotational moment in response to actuation of a first starboard swash plate; and

generating in the first port rotor a positive rotational moment in response to actuation of the first starboard swash plate.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein a left roll of a fuselage is accomplished without the benefit of control surfaces on the first starboard wing.