Apparatus, system, and method for flying an aircraft

• US 10,279,902 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Childress, Jamie J., Perron, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Richard R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fabula, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US14/500,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20160090179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0091 Accessories not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/83 using parachutes, balloons or the like

Abstract

An aircraft launch system includes a riser coupleable to an aircraft. The riser includes an actuator and a tether coupled to the actuator. The aircraft launch system further includes a sky crane coupled to the tether. The actuator is operable to retract the tether and draw together the sky crane and the aircraft.

Claims

1. An aircraft launch system, comprising:

a riser coupleable to an aircraft, the aircraft comprising at least one first thrust generator configured to generate a first upward lift on the aircraft and the riser comprising;

an actuator; and

a tether coupled to the actuator; and

a sky crane coupled to the tether, wherein the sky crane is configured to generate a second upward lift on the sky crane to lift the sky crane above the aircraft and to provide a downward drag to resist downward motion of the sky crane when lifted above the aircraft, wherein the sky crane comprises one of a rigid wing, a parafoil, or a lighter-than-air flotation device;

wherein the actuator is operable to retract the tether and draw together the sky crane and the aircraft during a take-off while the at least one first thrust generator generates the first upward lift on the aircraft and while at least one of the second upward lift is generated or the downward drag is provided;

wherein the first upward lift is less than a total weight of the aircraft and the second upward lift is less than the total weight of the aircraft; and

wherein a sum of the first upward lift and at least one of the second upward lift or the downward drag is greater than a combined weight of the aircraft, the riser, and the sky crane.

2. The aircraft launch system of claim 1, wherein the sky crane comprises the rigid wing.

3. The aircraft launch system of claim 2, wherein the sky crane further comprises a plurality of second thrust generators coupled to the rigid wing, the plurality of second thrust generators being configured to generate the second upward lift.

4. The aircraft launch system of claim 1, wherein the sky crane comprises the parafoil.

5. The aircraft launch system of claim 1, wherein the actuator retracts the tether at a rate between about 5 ft/s and about 15 ft/s.

6. The aircraft launch system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a pneumatically-powered rack-and-pinion system.

7. The aircraft launch system of claim 1, wherein the tether comprises a plurality of wires.

8. An aircraft launch system, comprising:

an aircraft comprising at least one first thrust generator configured to generate a first upward lift on the aircraft;

a riser coupled to the aircraft, the riser comprising;

an actuator; and

a tether coupled to the actuator; and

a sky crane coupled to the tether, wherein the sky crane is configured to generate a second upward lift on the sky crane to lift the sky crane above the aircraft and to provide a downward drag to resist downward motion of the sky crane when lifted above the aircraft, and wherein the sky crane comprises one of a rigid wing, a parafoil, or a lighter-than-air flotation device;

wherein the actuator is operable to retract the tether and draw together the sky crane and the aircraft during a take-off while the at least one first thrust generator generates the first upward lift on the aircraft and while at least one of the second upward lift is generated or the downward drag is provided;

wherein the first upward lift is less than a total weight of the aircraft and the second upward lift is less than the total weight of the aircraft; and

wherein a sum of the first upward lift and at least one of the second upward lift or the downward drag is greater than a combined weight of the aircraft, the riser, and the sky crane.

9. The aircraft launch system of claim 8, wherein the aircraft further comprises:

a power supply; and

a controller, the controller operably coupled to the at least one first thrust generator.

10. The aircraft launch system of claim 8, wherein the aircraft comprises:

a fuselage; and

landing gear rotatably coupled to the fuselage via a lazy susan bearing.

11. The aircraft launch system of claim 8, wherein the sky crane comprises the rigid wing and a plurality of second thrust generators coupled to the rigid wing, the plurality of second thrust generators being configured to generate the second upward lift.

12. The aircraft launch system of claim 11, wherein the aircraft comprises a wing lock operable to lock the rigid wing to the aircraft.

13. The aircraft launch system of claim 11, wherein the second upward lift is greater than a weight of the rigid wing.

14. The aircraft launch system of claim 13, wherein the second upward lift is between about 110% and about 130% of the weight of the rigid wing and between about 15% and about 20% of the total weight of the aircraft.

15. The aircraft launch system of claim 8, wherein the actuator retracts the tether at a rate above a threshold rate, the threshold rate corresponding with a combined weight of the aircraft, riser, and sky crane being equal to a sum of the first upward lift and at least one of the second upward lift and the downward drag.

16. The aircraft launch system of claim 8, wherein the sky crane comprises the parafoil.

17. The aircraft launch system of claim 8, wherein the at least one first thrust generator of the aircraft is positionable to direct a wash of the at least one first thrust generator vertically into the sky crane, and is positionable to horizontally propel the aircraft.

18. A method for flying an aircraft, comprising:

tethering a sky crane to the aircraft via a tether, wherein the sky crane comprises one of a rigid wing, a parafoil, or a lighter-than-air flotation device;

positioning the sky crane in the air vertically above the aircraft while the aircraft is on a ground surface;

at least one of upwardly lifting the sky crane, with a first upward lift that is less than a total weight of the aircraft, or downwardly dragging the sky crane;

upwardly lifting the aircraft with a combination of the first upward lift and a second upward lift generated by the aircraft, wherein the second upward lift is less than the total weight of the aircraft; and

while or after upwardly lifting the aircraft and at least one of while or after upwardly lifting the sky crane or while downwardly dragging the sky crane, retracting the tether to draw the sky crane and aircraft together.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein positioning the sky crane in the air comprises extending the tether to allow the sky crane to lift upwardly away from the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein positioning the sky crane in the air comprises directing a wash from at least one first thrust generator of the aircraft into the sky crane.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein positioning the sky crane in the air comprises generating thrust from at least one second thrust generator coupled directly to the sky crane.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein positioning the sky crane in the air comprises lifting the sky crane with wind.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein retracting the tether comprises retracting the tether faster than a downward decent rate of the sky crane.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising, with the sky crane retracted to the aircraft, propelling the aircraft horizontally above the ground surface.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising, with the aircraft vertically above the ground surface, extending the tether to separate the sky crane from the aircraft and lower the aircraft to the ground surface.