SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LONG ENDURANCE VERTICAL TAKEOFF AND LANDING VEHICLE

• US 20130206921A1
• Filed: 02/15/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Paduano, James Donald, Dahlstrand, Paul Nils, Wissler, John Brooke
• Application Number:
  US13/397,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20130206921A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/7.C
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/16 actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/10 retractable, foldable, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/52 Tilting of rotor bodily relative to fuselage of see-saw type construction B64C27/43
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/00 Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft rotorcraft B64C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0091 Accessories not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/02 having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/04 characterised by jet-reaction propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/42 Adjusting about chordwise axes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/02 Tailplanes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/00 Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/02 Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants fuselages specially adapted for mounting power plants B64C1/16; wings specially adapted for power plants B64C3/32
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/295 Rotors arranged in the wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 : Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 : ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/60 : Take-off or landing of UAVs from a runway using their own power
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 : Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20

Abstract

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a fuselage, an empennage having an all-moving horizontal stabilizer located at a tail end of the fuselage, a wing having the fuselage positioned approximately halfway between the distal ends of the wing, wherein the wing is configured to transform between a substantially straight wing configuration and a canted wing configuration using a canted hinge located on each side of the fuselage. The VTOL aircraft may further includes one or more retractable pogo supports, wherein a retractable pogo support is configured to deploy from each of the wing'"'"'s distal ends.

Claims

1. A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage, wherein the fuselage has a nose end and a tail end;

an empennage located at the tail end of the fuselage, wherein the empennage comprises a stabilizer configuration;

two counter-rotating engines that are arranged such that one engine is mounted on the wing at each side of the fuselage; and

a wing;

wherein the fuselage is positioned approximately halfway between the distal ends of the wing;

wherein the wing is configured to transform between a vertical configuration and a horizontal configuration using at least one pivotal connector positioned on each side of the fuselage;

wherein, during a first phase of takeoff, the wing is in the vertical configuration thereby causing the nose end of the fuselage to lift off the ground while the tail end remains on the ground;

wherein, during a second phase of takeoff, the wing transitions from the vertical configuration to the horizontal configuration until the fuselage achieves a predetermined stand-up angle; and

wherein, during a third phase of takeoff, the wing is in the horizontal configuration and the aircraft is capable of wingborne flight.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the stabilizer configuration comprises a vertical stabilizer and an all-moving horizontal stabilizer

3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the wing has a high aspect ratio.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each engine is wing-mounted and located at a point between the pivotal connector and the wing'"'"'s distal ends.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft comprises a payload for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

6. A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage, wherein the fuselage has a nose end and a tail end;

an empennage located at the tail end of the fuselage, wherein the empennage comprises a stabilizer configuration;

one or more engines;

a wing; and

a retractable pogo support;

wherein the retractable pogo support is configured to deploy from the fuselage to form a tripod launch and recovery configuration with the empennage.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the retractable pogo support is deployed using a spring.

8. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the fuselage is positioned at a predetermined stand-up angle while in the tripod launch and recovery configuration.

9. The aircraft of claim 8, wherein the predetermined stand-up angle is between 45 and 90 degrees.

10. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein the predetermined stand-up angle is between 65 and 75 degrees.

11. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the wing has a high aspect ratio.

12. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the aircraft comprises two wing-mounted counter-rotating engines, wherein the two counter-rotating engines are arranged such that an engine is mounted on each side of the fuselage.

13. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the aircraft comprises a payload for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

14. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the stabilizer configuration comprises a vertical stabilizer and an all-moving horizontal stabilizer

15. A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage, wherein the fuselage has a nose end and a tail end;

an empennage located at the tail end of the fuselage, wherein the empennage comprises a stabilizer configuration;

one or more engines;

a wing;

wherein the fuselage is positioned approximately halfway between the distal ends of the wing;

wherein the wing is configured to transform between a substantially straight wing configuration and a canted wing configuration using a canted hinge located on the wing at each side of the fuselage; and

two or more retractable pogo supports;

wherein a retractable pogo support is configured to deploy from each of the wing'"'"'s distal ends.

16. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the wings are configured such that, when in the canted wing configuration, the distal ends of the canted wing form a tripod launch and recovery configuration with the empennage.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the retractable pogo supports are configured to deploy from the distal ends of the canted wings to form a tripod launch and recovery configuration with the empennage, such that the fuselage is positioned at a predetermined stand-up angle.

18. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the wing has a high aspect ratio.

19. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the predetermined stand-up angle is between 45 and 90 degrees.

20. The aircraft of claim 19, wherein the predetermined stand-up angle is between 65 and 75 degrees.

21. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the aircraft comprises a payload for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

22. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the aircraft comprises two wing-mounted counter-rotating engines, wherein the two counter-rotating engines are arranged such that one engine is mounted on each side of the fuselage.

23. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the counter-rotating engine is positioned on each side of the fuselage at a point between the fuselage and the canted hinge.

24. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the stabilizer configuration comprises a vertical stabilizer and an all-moving horizontal stabilizer