In-flight reconfigurable hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle
First Claim
1. An aircraft, comprising:
- a fuselage;
opposed wings extending from opposed sides of the fuselage;
a plurality of engines, wherein at least one engine is mounted to each of the opposed wings;
wherein at least a portion of each opposed wing including at least one of the engines rotates relative to the fuselage around a rotation axis that is non-perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage between a first configuration adapted for vertical take-off and landing, and a second configuration adapted for horizontal flight,wherein the plurality of engines provide lift to the aircraft in the first configuration.
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Abstract
This disclosure is directed to an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) that transitions in-flight between vertical flight configuration and horizontal flight configuration by changing an orientation of the UAV by approximately ninety degrees. The UAV may include propulsion units that are coupled to a wing. The wing may include wing segments rotatably coupled together by pivots that rotate to position the propulsion units around a center of mass of the UAV when the fuselage is oriented perpendicular with the horizon. In this vertical flight configuration, the UAV may perform vertical flight or hover. During the vertical flight, the UAV may cause the wing to extend outward via the pivots such that the wing segments become positioned substantially parallel to one another and the wing resembles a conventional fixed wing. With the wing extended, the UAV assumes a horizontal flight configuration that provides upward lift generated from the wing.
82 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An aircraft, comprising:
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a fuselage; opposed wings extending from opposed sides of the fuselage; a plurality of engines, wherein at least one engine is mounted to each of the opposed wings; wherein at least a portion of each opposed wing including at least one of the engines rotates relative to the fuselage around a rotation axis that is non-perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage between a first configuration adapted for vertical take-off and landing, and a second configuration adapted for horizontal flight, wherein the plurality of engines provide lift to the aircraft in the first configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An aircraft, comprising:
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a fuselage; opposed wings extending from opposed sides of the fuselage; a plurality of engines, wherein at least one engine is mounted to each of the opposed wings; wherein at least a portion of each opposed wing including at least one of a plurality of engines rotates relative to the fuselage around a rotation axis that is non-perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage between a first configuration adapted for vertical take-off and landing, and a second configuration adapted for horizontal flight, and wherein the wings do not produce lift in the first configuration.
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17. A vertical take-off or landing method, comprising:
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rotating at least a portion of a wing having an engine mounted thereto relative to a fuselage around a rotation axis that is non-perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage to orient the engine and a leading edge of the wing vertically for hovering; actuating the engine to produce vertical lift; and rotating the at least portion of the wing having the engine mounted thereto to orient the engine and a leading edge of the wing horizontally for forward flight. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification