PERSONAL AIR VEHICLE WITH DUCTED FANS

• US 20180362160A1
• Filed: 06/14/2017
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Groninga, Kirk L., Lloyd, John, Robertson, Daniel B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,730,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/04 actuated personally
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/10 retractable, foldable, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/026 for use as personal propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/00 Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10

Abstract

In a first aspect, there is a personal air vehicle including a body having a forward portion, a central portion and an aft portion; a first ducted fan supported by the forward portion of the body; a second ducted fan supported by the aft portion of the body; and third and fourth ducted fans supported by the left and right sides of the body and pivotable relative to the body. An aspect provides a method of flying the personal air vehicle.

Claims

1. A personal air vehicle comprising:

a body having a forward portion, a central portion and an aft portion;

a first ducted fan supported by the forward portion of the body;

a second ducted fan supported by the aft portion of the body; and

third and fourth ducted fans supported by the left and right sides of the body and pivotable relative to the body.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the third and fourth ducted fans are pivotable relative to the body in a horizontal orientation for a hover mode.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the third and fourth ducted fans are pivotable relative to the body in a non-horizontal orientation.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the non-horizontal orientation is in a forward mode.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the non-horizontal orientation is in a reverse mode.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the third and fourth ducted fans are disposed on the central portion of the body.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the third ducted fan and the fourth ducted fan is adjacent to a bottom surface of the body.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the third ducted fan and the fourth ducted fan are foldable.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is configured to generate roll control by selectively differentiating a collective power in the third and fourth ducted fans, in any combination so as to produce a desired differential in thrust angle between the right side and the left side of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first ducted fan, the second ducted fan, the third ducted fan, and the fourth ducted fan generates a variable thrust.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first ducted fan and the second ducted fan are each rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal axis.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the axes of rotation of the third ducted fan and the fourth ducted fan are each pivotable about a pivot axis.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is wingless.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is configured to generate pitch and yaw control by selectively differentiating a collective power in the first ducted fan and the second ducted fan, in any combination so as to produce a desired differential in thrust angle between the forward and aft portions of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first ducted fan and the second ducted fan further comprising a pair of air directing slats for providing yaw control of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a flight control system operable to change at least one operating condition of at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth ducted fans; and

an operator control device in communication with the flight control system and operable to receive a command from an operator.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the operator control device is a pair of handle bar assemblies.

18. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the flight control system further comprising a hover hold mode.

19. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the body further comprising an operator area and a secondary area.

20. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the secondary area supports at least one of the following:

a passenger, cargo, a weapon, equipment, and combinations thereof.

21. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the secondary area is adjacent to the operator area.

22. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the secondary area is reachable by the operator.

23. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the operator area comprises a straddle seat for the operator.

24. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a retractable landing gear assembly.

25. The vehicle according to claim 24, wherein the landing gear assembly comprising a base and a pair of retractable arms extending from the base for contacting the ground.

26. A method of flying a personal air vehicle, the method comprising:

providing the vehicle of claim 1; and

producing using at least the first ducted fan and the second ducted fan a vertical thrust to cause the vehicle to ascend.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

pivoting a pair of air directing slats on at least one of the first ducted fan and the second ducted fan to provide yaw control of the vehicle.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

producing using the third ducted fan and the fourth ducted fan a vertical thrust to cause the vehicle to ascend.

29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

producing using the third ducted fan and the fourth ducted fan a forward thrust to cause the vehicle to move forward.

30. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

producing using the third ducted fan and the fourth ducted fan a reverse thrust to cause the vehicle to move rearward.

31. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

pivoting at least one of the third and fourth ducted fans to control at least one of the roll and yaw of the vehicle.