VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING AIRCRAFT

• US 20150102157A1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swift Engineering, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Swift Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Streett, Andrew, Godlasky, Robert, Ogawa, Nate
• Granted Patent: US 9,567,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/02 having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded
• 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: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers

Abstract

A VTOL aircraft includes at least one puller rotor and at least one pusher rotor. The VTOL aircraft, for example, may include three puller rotors and one pusher rotor. The combination of static puller and pusher rotors allows the rotors to remain in a fixed orientation (i.e., no moving mechanical axes are required) relative to the wings and fuselage of the VTOL aircraft, while being able to transition the aircraft from a substantially vertical flight path to a substantially horizontal flight path.

Claims

1. An unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage;

at least one wing extending from the fuselage;

at least one puller rotor positioned on the wing or the fuselage; and

at least one pusher rotor positioned on the wing or the fuselage.

2. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1 wherein the fuselage includes a payload bay positioned underneath the wing when the aircraft is in a horizontal flight orientation.

3. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 2 wherein the payload bay houses at least one of electrical components or batteries.

4. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1 wherein a first puller rotor is positioned on the at least one wing on a first side of the fuselage, and a second puller rotor is positioned on the at least one wing on a second side of the fuselage.

5. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 4 wherein the at least one pusher rotor is positioned on the at least one wing and is aligned with a central plane of the aircraft.

6. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 5 further comprising a third puller rotor longitudinally aligned with the pusher rotor along the central plane of the aircraft, wherein either:

the pusher rotor is positioned above the wing and the third puller rotor is positioned below the wing, or

the pusher rotor is located below the wing and the third puller rotor is positioned above the wing.

7. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 6 wherein either:

the first, second, and third puller rotors are positioned below the wing, and the pusher rotor is positioned above the wing, or

the first, second, and third puller rotors are positioned above the wing, and the pusher rotor is positioned below the wing.

8. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1 wherein the at least one wing includes a first foldable portion and a second foldable portion that are each foldable between substantially horizontal and substantially vertical positions.

9. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 8 wherein the at least one wing comprises a first wing and a second wing, and wherein the first foldable portion is located on the first wing, and the second foldable portion is located on the second wing.

10. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1 wherein at least one of the puller rotors includes a propeller that is foldable between an operational position and a stowed position.

11. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1 wherein the at least one puller rotor and the at least one pusher rotor are fixed such that they are not tiltable.

12. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1 further comprising at least two ailerons in combination with at least two corresponding elevators, or at least two elevons, positioned on a back edge of the at least one wing.

13. An unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage;

at least one wing extending from the fuselage;

a plurality of rotors positioned on at least one of the wing or the fuselage; and

a payload bay in the fuselage positioned underneath the wing and housing at least one of electrical components or batteries.

14. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 13 wherein the plurality of rotors comprises at least three puller rotors and at least one pusher rotor.

15. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 14 wherein a first one of the puller rotors is longitudinally aligned with the pusher rotor along a central plane of the aircraft, wherein either:

the pusher rotor is positioned above the wing and the first one of the puller rotors is positioned below the wing, or

the pusher rotor is positioned below the wing and the first one of the puller rotors is positioned above the wing.

16. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 15 wherein the first one of the puller rotors is positioned on the fuselage, and the pusher rotor is positioned on the wing.

17. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 13 wherein the at least one wing includes a first foldable portion and a second foldable portion that are each foldable between substantially horizontal and substantially vertical positions.

18. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 17 wherein the at least one wing comprises a first wing and a second wing, and wherein a first puller rotor is positioned underneath the first wing, and a second puller rotor is positioned underneath the second wing, and wherein the first wing is foldable in an upward direction above the first puller rotor, and the second wing is foldable in an upward direction above the second puller rotor.

19. An unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage;

at least one wing extending from the fuselage; and

means for transitioning the aircraft from vertical flight to horizontal flight without tilting rotors on the aircraft.

20. The unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 19 wherein the means for transitioning comprises a combination of at least one puller rotor and at least one pusher rotor, wherein the rotors are separately actuatable.