Aircraft and a system including aircraft borne apparatus
First Claim
1. An aircraft comprising a first airframe portion including wings, power plant, and control means and systems required for independent flight, and another portion which is a payload carrier and which is supported from said first airframe portion, outside said first airframe portion from which it is spaced, by support means which allow angular movement, at least in roll, of said payload carrier portion relative to said first airframe portion whereby the attitude of said payload carrier portion can be controlled independently of the attitude of said first airframe portion, each said portion having an external surface which is a respective part of the external surface of the aircraft that is exposed to the atmosphere when the aircraft is in flight.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fixed wing aircraft comprises two major components, namely an airframe and a payload carrier which are articulated. The airframe is equipped with all the essentials for independent flight. The attitude of the payload carrier can be controlled independently of the attitude of the airframe.
65 Citations
12 Claims
- 1. An aircraft comprising a first airframe portion including wings, power plant, and control means and systems required for independent flight, and another portion which is a payload carrier and which is supported from said first airframe portion, outside said first airframe portion from which it is spaced, by support means which allow angular movement, at least in roll, of said payload carrier portion relative to said first airframe portion whereby the attitude of said payload carrier portion can be controlled independently of the attitude of said first airframe portion, each said portion having an external surface which is a respective part of the external surface of the aircraft that is exposed to the atmosphere when the aircraft is in flight.
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9. A fixed wing aircraft comprising two major components which are articulated, one of the major components comprising an airframe portion including the wings, power plant, and control means and systems required for independent flight, the other component being a payload carrier portion which is outside said airframe portion, the aircraft having means for articulating the payload carrier portion in relation to said airframe portion so that its attitude can be controlled independently of the attitude of said airframe portion, each said major component having an external surface which is a respective part of the external surface of the aircraft that is exposed to the atmosphere when the aircraft is in flight.
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10. A system including aircraft borne apparatus which, in operation, is in signal communication with the ground through free space, and which has transmitting and/or receiving means on or in open communication with an external surface of structure on which it is mounted, said apparatus being mounted within a portion of a fixed wing aircraft which is articulated to an airframe portion of the fixed wing aircraft by support means which allow angular movement, at least in roll, of the first mentioned portion relative to said airframe portion, said airframe portion including the wings, power plant, control means and systems essential for independent flight, stabilization means being provided so that the attitude of said first mentioned portion is maintained substantially constant relative to the horizontal, at least in roll, regardless of the attitude of said airframe portion, at least within a certain range of movement of said airframe portion relative to said first mentioned portion, each said portion having an external surface which is a respective part of the external surface of the aircraft that is exposed to the atmosphere when the aircraft is in flight.
- 11. An aircraft comprising two major components which are articulated one outside the other, each said major component having an external surface which is a respective part of the external surface of the aircraft that is exposed to the atmosphere when the aircraft is in flight, one of the major components comprising an airframe portion including wings, power plant and control means and systems required for independent flight, the other component being a payload carrier portion which is outside said airframe portion, the aircraft having means for articulating the payload carrier in relation to said airframe portion so that its attitude can be controlled independently of the attitude of said airframe portion and including stabilization means operable to maintain an axis of the payload carrier portion substantially vertical in flight.
Specification