Tri-Rotor Aircraft Capable of Vertical Takeoff and Landing and Transitioning to Forward Flight

• US 20160200436A1
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: U.S.A. as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Inventors: Aull, Mark J., Fredericks, William J., Moore, Mark D., Rothhaar, Paul M., Hodges, WILLIAM T., Johns, Zachary R., North, David D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,071,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/52 Skis or runners
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• 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: B64D 27/026 comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• 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 20/50 Foldable or collapsible UAVs with frangible components B64U20/30
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/293 Foldable or collapsible rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/40 Empennages, e.g. V-tails foldable or collapsible UAVs B64U20/50
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/11 using internal combustion piston engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/33 generated by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices provide a vehicle, such as an aircraft, with rotors configured to function as a tri-copter for vertical takeoff and landing (“VTOL”) and a fixed-wing vehicle for forward flight. One rotor may be mounted at a front of the vehicle fuselage on a hinged structure controlled by an actuator to tilt from horizontal to vertical positions. Two additional rotors may be mounted on the horizontal surface of the vehicle tail structure with rotor axes oriented vertically to the fuselage. For forward flight of the vehicle, the front rotor may be rotated down such that the front rotor axis may be oriented horizontally along the fuselage and the front rotor may act as a propeller. For vertical flight, the front rotor may be rotated up such that the front rotor axis may be oriented vertically to the fuselage, while the tail rotors may be activated.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a wing;

a tail;

two tail rotors coupled to the tail; and

a front rotor configured to tilt through a range of motion.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is configured to transition between a wing born flight phase and a VTOL flight phase by the front rotor tilting through the range of motion.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising:

a fuselage,

wherein the front rotor is coupled to a front hinged portion of the fuselage controlled by an actuator to tilt through the range of motion.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein at least one tail rotor is configured to tilt through a range of motion.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the two tail rotors are coupled to the tail such that their rotor axes are oriented vertically relative to the fuselage during the VTOL flight phase and horizontally during the wing born flight phase.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the two tail rotors are activated in the VTOL flight phase and deactivated in the wing born flight phase.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the two tail rotors are Samara type VTOL rotors.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the two tail rotors weathervane during the wing born flight phase.

9. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the two tail rotors are stowed in pods on the tail during the wing born flight phase.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the tail rotors are held in place by one or more magnets such that a long axis of each of the two tail rotors is aligned with airflow over the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the front rotor and two tail rotors are not pitch controlled rotors.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the two tail rotors are coupled to the tail at a canted angle.

13. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the front rotor and two tail rotors are pitch controlled rotors.

14. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the tail is a v-tail.

15. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the wing is swept.

16. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

17. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising retractable landing skids, wherein the tail is configured to act as a rear landing skid.

18. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the motor driving the front rotor is selected from the group consisting of a fuel burning engine and an electric motor and the motors driving the two tail rotors are selected from the group consisting of a fuel burning engine and an electric motor.

19. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein:

the tail rotors are coupled to the tail such that the tail rotors tilt forward, aft, starboard, and port; and

during the wing born flight phase;

the front rotor is tilted up and is deactivated while the tail rotors are activated and tilted forward;

the front rotor is tilted down and activated while the tail rotors are tilted such that their rotor axes are oriented vertically relative to the fuselage and the tail rotors are deactivated;

or

the front rotor is tilted down, the tail rotors are tilted forward and the front rotor and the tail rotors are activated.