UAV With Control and Stability System

• US 20070262195A1
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bulaga, Timothy Worley
• Original Assignee: Robert Bulaga, Timothy Worley
• Inventors: Worley, Timothy, Bulaga, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/746,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20070262195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/12.400
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/52 Tilting of rotor bodily relative to fuselage of see-saw type construction B64C27/43
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs

Abstract

Disclosed is a remotely controlled aircraft configured to vertically take-off and land. The aircraft includes a pair of propulsion devices that are mounted on an airframe above the level of the center of gravity. A set of control devices are mechanically linked to the propulsion devices for varying the orientation of the propulsion devices during flight. Roll right-left fan speeds up, right fan slows down; Roll left-left fan slows down, right fan speeds up; Pitch forward/aft both fans move forward or aft; Yaw-one fan moves forward one fan moves back depending on the direction CW or CCW; Change altitude—both fans speed up or slow down.

Claims

1. A remotely controlled, vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising:

An airframe configured to support on board electronics, batteries, and control actuators, the airframe being symmetric about a medial;

a pair of propellers mounted on an upper end of the airframe, the propellers each being tiltable about a common axis, wherein the propellers are positioned symmetrically with respect to the medial plane and wherein each of the propellers are rotatably mounted within a shroud;

a motor mounted within the centerbody of each shroud, each motor drivingly coupled to the propeller within that shroud;

and a movable control on the airframe, the control coupled to the pair of propellers so that the propellers tilt about the axis in response to movement of the control.

2. The aircraft as in claim 1 wherein the propellers rotate in opposite directions.

3. The aircraft as in claim 1 wherein each of the propellers comprises fixed pitch rotor blades.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein a pair of propellers may be tilted about the axis in the same direction in response to the control.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the pair of the propellers maybe tilted about the axis in opposite directions in response to movement of the control.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the speed of the propellers varied together to control vertical movement.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the speed of the propellers maybe varied individually to control roll movement.

8. A vertical take-off aircraft comprising:

an airframe;

a pair of shrouded propeller assemblies movably mounted on opposite sides of the airframe, each shrouded propeller assembly comprising a shroud, a propeller with a plurality of propeller blades disposed within the shroud;

a pair of actuators mounted between the airframe and each of the pair of shrouded propeller assemblies, the actuators configured to rotate each of the pair of shrouded propeller assemblies about a lateral axis through each of the pair of shrouded propeller assemblies; and

a control system connected to the pair of actuators, the control system configured to drive the actuators to produce changes in the direction of the airflow out of the bottom of each of the pair of shrouded propeller assemblies, such changes in airflow direction being used to control the attitude of the aircraft.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 further comprising a pair of actuators mounted on the airframe and attached to each of the pair of shrouded propeller assemblies, the actuators configured to rotate each of the pair of shrouded propeller assemblies about a lateral axis through each of the pair of shrouded propeller assemblies.

10. The control system of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured to drive the actuators in the same direction to control the pitch of the aircraft.

11. The control system of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured to drive the actuators in opposite directions to control the yaw of the aircraft.

12. The control system of claim 8 where in the controller is further configured to alter motor speed in unison to control the altitude of the aircraft.

13. The control system of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured to alter the motor speed differentially to control the roll of the aircraft.

14. A vertical take-off aircraft comprising:

an airframe;

a pair of shrouded propeller means for producing thrust disposed upon opposite sides of the airframe;

tilting means for altering the orientation of the pair of shrouded propeller means relative to the airframe; and

control system means for driving the control tilting means.