MODULAR MINIATURE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT WITH VECTORED-THRUST CONTROL

• US 20130175390A1
• Filed: 08/04/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Woodworth, Adam, Peverill, James, Vulikh, Greg, Hollman, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 8,500,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/54
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/001 Making or assembling thereof, e.g. by folding
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/02 Model aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/30 Parts of fuselage relatively movable to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 15/00 Attitude, flight direction, or altitude control by jet reaction
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/028 Micro-sized aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/14 Absorbing landing shocks
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/40 Arrangements for mounting power plants in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/80 UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• 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 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/60 Take-off or landing of UAVs from a runway using their own power
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence

Abstract

An aircraft for unmanned aviation is described. The aircraft includes an airframe, a pair of fins attached to a rear portion of the airframe, a pair of dihedral braces attached to a bottom portion of the airframe, a first thrust-vectoring (“T/V”) module and a second T/V module, and an electronics module. The electronics module provides commands to the two T/V modules. The two T/V modules are configured to provide lateral and longitudinal control to the aircraft by directly controlling a thrust vector for each of the pitch, the roll, and the yaw of the aircraft. The use of directly articulated electrical motors as T/V modules enables the aircraft to execute tight-radius turns over a wide range of airspeeds.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. An aerial vehicle for reducing impact loads, the aerial vehicle comprising:

an airframe;

a payload module coupled to the airframe via one or more passive engagement tabs;

a ramp interface (i) disposed between the airframe and the payload module, and (ii) angled approximately 45 degrees to a typical impact load direction;

,

a plurality of contact pins interconnecting parallel conductive surfaces between the airframe and the payload module; and

a battery module configured to interface with the airframe and the payload module,

wherein the payload module and the battery module are configured to eject from the airframe during impact.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the battery module is configured to eject from the airframe along an ejection path that does not intersect with another aircraft component.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the payload module comprises avionics and sensor payloads.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, further comprising two or more thrust-vectoring modules for providing propulsion forces in an aerial vehicle, each thrust vectoring module comprising a propeller, an electric motor and a positioning device configured to position the electric motor.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the at least two thrust vectoring modules are further configured to independently control a pitch, a roll, and a yaw of the aircraft.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the aerial system is configured for executing a turn having a radius of less than or equal to one wing span over a range of airspeeds from zero to a maximum speed of the aircraft.

15. The aerial vehicle of claim 14, wherein the aerial system is further configured for executing a turn having a radius of less than or equal to one wing span while in a post-stall condition.

10. (canceled)

16-33. -33. (canceled)