AERIAL RECOVERY OF SMALL AND MICRO AIR VEHICLES

• US 20110006151A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brigham Young University (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
• Original Assignee: Brigham Young University (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
• Inventors: Beard, Randal W.
• Application Number:
  US12/487,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20110006151A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/028 Micro-sized aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 3/00 Aircraft adaptations to facilitate towing or being towed B64D39/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and computer system to facilitate aerial recovery of an air vehicle are disclosed. In various embodiments, a drogue is established in a drogue recovery orbit and an air vehicle is recovered with the drogue. Establishment of the drogue in a drogue recovery orbit may include establishment of a mothership in a mothership recovery orbit or actuating control surfaces on the drogue. Recovering the air vehicle may include maneuvering the drogue and the air vehicle in a cooperative manner to facilitate recovery of the air vehicle or utilizing a homing device on the drogue to guide the air vehicle. The various techniques disclosed may be modified to compensate for wind.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a drogue in a drogue recovery orbit; and

recovering an air vehicle with the drogue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the drogue in a drogue recovery orbit comprises:

establishing a mothership in a mothership recovery orbit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the drogue in a drogue recovery orbit comprises:

actuating one or more control surfaces of the drogue.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the drogue recovery orbit has a radius greater than a minimum turning radius of the air vehicle, and wherein the drogue has an airspeed that is less than an airspeed of the air vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein recovering the air vehicle comprises:

maneuvering the drogue and the air vehicle in a cooperative manner to facilitate recovery of the air vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein recovering the air vehicle comprises:

utilizing a homing device on the drogue to guide the air vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compensating for wind.

8. An apparatus to recover an air vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an aerodynamic main body portion;

at least one control surface located on the main body portion;

a catch mechanism coupled to the main body portion, the catch mechanism to facilitate recovery of an air vehicle; and

a homing device coupled to the main body portion to guide the air vehicle during recovery.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the aerodynamic main body portion comprises:

one or more wings.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the catch mechanism is active.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the catch mechanism is passive.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the catch mechanism comprises:

at least one of an open cavity located within an interior of the main body portion, a closeable cavity located within the interior of the main body portion, and a dragnet coupled to the main body portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the homing device comprises:

at least one of a color marker, an infrared marker, an acoustic beacon, and an electromagnetic beacon.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an attachment mechanism to attach the main body portion to a mothership with a tow cable.

15. A system comprising:

a mothership; and

a drogue coupled to the mothership by a tow cable, the drogue comprising;

an aerodynamic main body portion;

at least one control surface located on the main body portion;

a catch mechanism coupled to the main body portion, the catch mechanism to facilitate recovery of an air vehicle; and

a homing device coupled to the main body portion to guide the air vehicle during recovery.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the aerodynamic main body portion comprises:

one or more wings.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the catch mechanism comprises:

at least one of an open cavity located within an interior of the main body portion, a closeable cavity located within the interior of the main body portion, and a dragnet coupled to the main body portion.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the homing device comprises:

at least one of a color marker, an infrared marker, an acoustic beacon, and an electromagnetic beacon.