CARGO AIRCRAFT

• US 20090026314A1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosphere Aerospace, LLC
• Original Assignee: Elie Helou Jr.
• Inventors: HELOU, ELIE JR.
• Granted Patent: US 7,699,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/118.100
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/00 Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/061 Frames
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/065 Spars
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/10 Bulkheads
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• 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 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/12 using turbine engines, e.g. turbojets or turbofans
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/15 using combustion exhausts other than turbojets or turbofans, e.g. using rockets, ramjets, scramjets or pulse-reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/60 Take-off or landing of UAVs from a runway using their own power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

An aircraft for carrying at least one rigid cargo container includes a beam structure with a forward fuselage attached to the forward end of the beam structure and an empennage attached to the rearward end of the beam structure. Wings and engines are mounted relative to the beam structure and a fairing creates a cargo bay able to receive standard sized intermodal cargo containers. Intermodal cargo containers of light construction and rigid structure are positioned within the cargo bay and securely mounted therein. The beam structure is designed to support flight, takeoffs and landings when the aircraft is empty but requires the added strength of the containers securely mounted to the beam structure when the aircraft is loaded. The aircraft is contemplated to be a drone.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for providing low-cost and efficient transportation of intermodal cargo containers to a desired destination, the method comprising:

providing a drone aircraft;

loading the intermodal cargo containers onto the drone aircraft; and

causing the drone aircraft to fly at efficient low speeds to the desired destination.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the drone aircraft comprises a forward fuselage, an empennage, wings, and a beam structure including a first end to which the forward fuselage is attached and a second end to which the empennage is attached.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of detachably mounting at least one intermodal cargo container to the beam structure before the step of causing the aircraft to fly.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of attaching adjacent intermodal cargo containers to structurally engage one another before the step of causing the aircraft to fly.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the intermodal cargo containers have sufficient structure and rigidity that bending and torsional forces experienced by the beam structure are in part borne by the intermodal cargo containers when the drone aircraft is in flight.

27. An aircraft for carrying at least one rigid cargo container, comprising:

a forward fuselage;

an empennage;

wings;

a beam structure including a first end to which the forward fuselage is attached, a second end to which the empennage is attached, and mounts to structurally engage the at least one rigid cargo container in juxtaposition with the beam structure between the first and second ends, the wings being mounted to the beam structure,

wherein the beam structure has sufficient rigidity to support the aircraft in flight when the beam structure is unloaded;

wherein the beam structure has insufficient rigidity to support the aircraft in flight when the beam structure is loaded with the at least one rigid cargo container;

wherein the mounts detachably integrate the at least one rigid cargo container as part of the beam structure to provide additional structural rigidity to the beam structure sufficient to support the aircraft in flight; and

engines fixed relative to the beam structure.

28. The aircraft of claim 27, the mounts being on the underside of the beam structure to detachably suspend the at least one rigid cargo container therefrom.

29. The aircraft of claim 27, the mounts being on the top side of the beam structure to detachably support the at least one rigid cargo container thereon.

30. The aircraft of claim 27, the engines being mounted to the upper side of the wings.

31. The aircraft of claim 27 further comprising at least one rigid container attached to the mounts.

32. The aircraft of claim 31, the rigid container further including four columns and eight beams forming the edges and corners of a structurally unitary parallelepiped with at least two side panels, a top panel and a bottom panel.

40. The aircraft of claim 27, wherein the at least one rigid container being at least four containers, two of the at least four rigid containers each extending longitudinally on top of the beam structure and arranged side by side, and two of the at least four rigid containers each extending longitudinally and depending from the beam structure and arranged side by side, the at least four rigid containers being engaged by the mounts.

41. The aircraft of claim 27, wherein the at least one rigid container being at least four containers, a first two of the at least four rigid containers each extending longitudinally on top of and engaging the beam structure and arranged side by side, and a second two of the at least four rigid containers each extending longitudinally on top of the first two rigid containers, the at least four containers including attachments, the second two of the at least four rigid containers being arranged side by side and being attached by the attachments to the first two of the at least four rigid containers.

42. The aircraft of claim 27, the empennage including a ramp extending substantially level with the upper surface of the beam structure, horizontal stabilizers extending outwardly from the ramp and twin vertical stabilizers displaced laterally from the ramp.

43. The aircraft of claim 42, the empennage further including doors extending in an aerodynamic form rearwardly over the ramp and being mounted to selectively provide full access to the ramp.

44. The aircraft of claim 27, the forward fuselage being that of a drone.

45. The aircraft of claim 27, the forward fuselage being pivotally mounted relative to the beam to selectively provide full access to the beam.

46. The aircraft of claim 27, the forward fuselage, the empennage, the wings and the engines each being removable as a unit from association with the beam.

33. An aircraft comprising:

at least one rigid container including four columns and eight beams forming the edges and corners of a structurally unitary parallelepiped with at least two side panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel, the side panels being a composite with thin skin surfaces with a honeycomb structure therebetween and periodic longerons extending thereacross;

a forward fuselage;

an empennage;

wings;

a beam structure including a first end to which the forward fuselage is attached, a second end to which the empennage is attached, and mounts rigidly on the beam structure and structurally engaging the at least one rigid cargo container in juxtaposition with the beam structure between the first and second ends, the wings being mounted to the beam structure, the mounts detachably integrating the at least one rigid cargo container as part of the beam structure; and

engines fixed relative to the beam structure.

34. An aircraft comprising:

a forward fuselage;

an empennage;

wings;

a beam structure including a first end to which the forward fuselage is attached, a second end to which the empennage is attached, and mounts, wherein the beam structure has sufficient rigidity to support the aircraft in flight when the beam structure is unloaded;

rigid cargo containers in juxtaposition with the beam structure between the first and second ends, the wings being mounted to the beam structure, wherein the beam structure has insufficient rigidity to support the aircraft in flight when the beam structure is loaded with the rigid cargo containers;

wherein the mounts detachably integrate the rigid cargo containers as part of the beam structure to provide additional structural rigidity to the beam structure needed to support the aircraft in flight, the containers including attachments to structurally engage one another at least at each of the adjacent corners thereof, the attachments being rigidly and directly fixed to the corners; and

engines fixed relative to the beam structure.

35. The aircraft of claim 34, the containers being the size of intermodal containers of one or more incremental lengths.

36. The aircraft of claim 34, the attachments on the ends of the containers being universally engageable with one another.

37. The aircraft of claim 36, the attachments and mounts universally engageable with one another including undercut slots and locking pins having opposed engaging surfaces engageable with the undercut slots in adjacent attachments.

38. The aircraft of claim 34, the containers each extending longitudinally on the beam structure, arranged side by side and engaging the mounts.

39. The aircraft of claim 34, the containers arranged end to end extending longitudinally on the beam structure.