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Unmanned aerial vehicle with counter-rotating ducted rotors and shrouded pusher-prop

  • US 6,270,038 B1
  • Filed: 04/22/1999
  • Issued: 08/07/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

  • a fuselage having a partial toroidal forward portion, an aft portion, a top surface, a bottom surface and a duct extending between the top and bottom surfaces, the fuselage having a longitudinal axis;

    two counter-rotating rotor assemblies mounted within the duct;

    a plurality of support struts for supporting the rotor assemblies within the duct;

    at least one engine for rotating the rotor assemblies;

    a pusher prop assembly mounted to the aft portion of the fuselage in longitudinal alignment with the two counter-rotating rotor assemblies, the aft portion of the fuselage having a top surface and a bottom surface, at least a portion of the top surface angling downward toward the pusher prop assembly, at least a portion of the bottom surface angling upward toward the pusher prop assembly, the pusher prop assembly adapted to provide thrust along the longitudinal axis, the pusher prop assembly including a propeller drive shaft engaged with the at least one engine, and a plurality of blades attached to the drive shaft;

    a shroud mounted to the aft portion of the fuselage about the blades and operative for channeling the air passing through the blades in a substantially aft direction; and

    a pair of wings removably attached to the fuselage, at least a portion of the wings being pivotable with respect to the fuselage.

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