Air-launchable aircraft and method of use

• US 20050218260A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Corder, David A., Koessler, Jeffrey H., Webb, George R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,338,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/49
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/56 Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• 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 70/20 for releasing or capturing UAVs in flight by another aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence

Abstract

An air-launched aircraft includes deployable wings, elevons, and vertical fins that deploy from a fuselage during flight. The aircraft may include a control system for operating the elevons, a communication system, and batteries for powering the systems. In addition, the aircraft may include a payload module that mates with an interface in the fuselage. The payload module may include any of a variety of payloads, including cameras, sensors, and/or radar emitters. The aircraft may be powered or unpowered, and may be very small, for example, less than on the order of 10 kg (22 pounds). The aircraft may be employed at a low cost for any of a wide variety of functions, such as surveillance, or as a decoy. The deployable surfaces of the aircraft may be configured to deploy in a pre-determined order, allowing the aircraft automatically to enter controlled flight after being launched in a tumbling mode.

Claims

1. An air-launched aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;

deployable wings that are coupled to the fuselage; and

deployable control surfaces that are coupled to the fuselage;

wherein the aircraft has a total weight of less than about 20 kg (44 pounds).

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the deployable control surfaces include elevons.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the elevons are aft of the wings.

4. The aircraft of claim 3, further including a pair of deployable vertical fins that are coupled to the fuselage.

5. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the elevons deploy from slots in the fuselage.

6. The aircraft of claim 2, further comprising springs within the fuselage that rotate the elevons from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration.

7. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the wings are upwardly canted.

8. The aircraft of claim 7, wherein the wings are configured to deploy from a stowed position by single-axis rotation about respective shafts of the wings.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising vertical fins hingedly coupled to the fuselage.

10. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is an unpowered glider.

11. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is configured for powered flight, with the aircraft having a battery-powered propeller coupled to the fuselage.

12. The aircraft of claim 11, wherein the propeller is mounted to an aft end of the fuselage.

13. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft has a total weight of less than about 5 kg (11 pounds).

14. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft has a total weight of less than about 2 kg (4.4 pounds).

15. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the control surfaces are operatively coupled to a control system that is in the fuselage.

16. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a payload module coupled to the fuselage.

17. The aircraft of claim 16,

wherein the fuselage includes a payload interface for coupling the payload to the fuselage;

and

wherein the payload interface includes a data interface and an electrical interface.

18. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the payload module includes a radar emitter.

19. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the payload module includes a sensor.

20. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the payload module includes a camera.

21. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the fuselage includes:

a power supply;

a control system that is operatively coupled to the power supply and the control surfaces; and

a communication system that is coupled to the power supply.

22. The aircraft of claim 21, wherein the power supply includes at least one battery.

23. A method of deploying an air-launched aircraft, the method comprising:

launching the aircraft in a tumbling flight regime; and

bringing the aircraft into a controlled-flight regime by deploying control surfaces and lift-producing surfaces of the aircraft in a predetermined order.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the bringing includes;

causing the aircraft to transition from a tumbling flight regime to a nose-down orientation; and

transitioning the aircraft from the nose-down orientation to the controlled-flight regime.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the causing includes deploying tail surfaces of the aircraft.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the deploying tail surfaces includes deploying elevons.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the deploying tail surfaces includes deploying vertical fins.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the transitioning includes deploying wings of the aircraft.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the aircraft is launched from a missile.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the aircraft is launched from an airplane.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the aircraft is launched at an air speed of at least about 0.8 Mach.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the aircraft has a total weight of less than about 20 kg (44 pounds).