Rotating wing assemblies for tailsitter aircraft
First Claim
1. A vertical take-off or landing aircraft comprising:
- a plurality of wing segments, each wing segment of the plurality of wing segments being rotatable relative to each other wing segment of the plurality of wing segments between a first arrangement in which a first wing segment is generally parallel to a second wing segment and a third wing segment is generally parallel to a fourth wing segment, wherein the plurality of wing segments forms a biplane, and a second arrangement in which the first wing segment is not parallel to the second wing segment and the third wing segment is not parallel to the fourth wing segment; and
a plurality of propulsion rotors, each propulsion rotor configured to provide vertical thrust and horizontal thrust;
wherein each wing segment of the plurality of wing segments is configured to rotate during flight.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tailsitter aircraft includes one or more rotatable wings. The tailsitter aircraft optionally includes a fuselage from which wing supports extend. Each rotatable wing optionally includes a rotatable wing section having an inboard portion proximate to the fuselage, and an outboard portion distal from the fuselage. The rotatable wing section may be rotatably attached to the wing support and configured to rotate between a vertical flight configuration in which the inboard portion is positioned on an opposing side of the wing support relative to the outboard portion, and a horizontal flight configuration different from the vertical flight configuration. The wings may be rotated during flight to transition between horizontal and vertical flight configurations, and they may be rotated about multiple axes.
60 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A vertical take-off or landing aircraft comprising:
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a plurality of wing segments, each wing segment of the plurality of wing segments being rotatable relative to each other wing segment of the plurality of wing segments between a first arrangement in which a first wing segment is generally parallel to a second wing segment and a third wing segment is generally parallel to a fourth wing segment, wherein the plurality of wing segments forms a biplane, and a second arrangement in which the first wing segment is not parallel to the second wing segment and the third wing segment is not parallel to the fourth wing segment; and a plurality of propulsion rotors, each propulsion rotor configured to provide vertical thrust and horizontal thrust; wherein each wing segment of the plurality of wing segments is configured to rotate during flight. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A vertical take-off or landing aircraft comprising:
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a first wing having a first inboard portion proximate to an inboard region of the aircraft and a first outboard portion distal from the inboard region; and a second wing having a second inboard portion proximate to the inboard region and a second outboard portion distal from the inboard region; wherein the first wing and the second wing are configured to rotate between a first flight configuration in which the first inboard portion is positioned at a first distance from the second inboard portion, and a second flight configuration in which the first inboard portion is positioned at a second distance from the second inboard portion, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance; and wherein the aircraft is configured to take off or land in a tail-down orientation. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vertical take-off or landing aircraft comprising:
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a plurality of wing segments, each wing segment of the plurality of wing segments being rotatable relative to each other wing segment of the plurality of wing segments between a first arrangement in which a first wing segment is generally parallel to a second wing segment and a third wing segment is generally parallel to a fourth wing segment, and a second arrangement in which the first wing segment is not parallel to the second wing segment, and the third wing segment is not parallel to the fourth wing segment, and in which each wing segment of the plurality of wing segments is spaced apart from every other wing segment of the plurality of wing segments; and a plurality of propulsion systems, each propulsion system configured to provide vertical thrust and horizontal thrust, wherein at least one propulsion system of the plurality of propulsion systems is configured to provide vertical thrust when at least one wing segment of the plurality of wing segments is in the second arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A vertical take-off or landing aircraft comprising:
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a plurality of wing segments, each wing segment of the plurality of wing segments being rotatable relative to each other wing segment of the plurality of wing segments between a first arrangement in which a first wing segment is generally parallel to a second wing segment and a third wing segment is generally parallel to a fourth wing segment, wherein the plurality of wing segments forms a biplane, and a second arrangement in which the first wing segment is not parallel to the second wing segment and the third wing segment is not parallel to the fourth wing segment; and a plurality of propulsion rotors, each propulsion rotor configured to provide vertical thrust and horizontal thrust; wherein each wing segment of the plurality of wing segments is rotatable about a pivot axis positioned away from free ends of the wing segment.
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Specification