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

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Cycon, James P., Scott, Mark Winfield, DeWitt, Christopher W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, TIEN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/296,624
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 244/12.13, 244/225, 244/122, 244/17.19, 244/12.2, 244/23.C, 244/12.1, 244/36, 244/23.A, 244/23.R
• US Class Current: 244/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/14 detachable
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/294 Rotors arranged in the UAV body
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle that includes a fuselage with a partial toroidal forward portion, and an aft portion. A duct is formed through the fuselage and extends from the top to the bottom of the fuselage. Two counter-rotating rotor assemblies are mounted within the duct for providing downward thrust through the duct. The rotor assemblies are supported by a plurality of support struts. At least one engine is mounted within the fuselage and engages with the rotor assemblies. A pusher prop assembly is mounted to the aft portion of the fuselage. The pusher prop assembly is designed to provide forward thrust along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. The pusher prop assembly includes a drive shaft that is engaged with the engine. A plurality of propellers are attached to and rotated by the drive shaft. A shroud is mounted to the aft portion of the fuselage around the propellers and is operative for channeling the air passing through the propellers in a substantially aft direction. A pair of wings is removably attached to the sides of the fuselage. Each wing preferably includes a fixed portion and a pivotal flaperon portion hinged to the fixed portion. Directional vanes are preferably mounted to the shroud downstream from the propellers and control flow out of the shroud. Deflectors may be mounted to the bottom of the fuselage across a portion of the duct to control flow of air into the duct.

Claims

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.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the wings include a fixed portion, and wherein the pivotable portion is a flaperon which is hingedly attached to the aft of the fixed portion and is pivotable with respect to it.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2 further comprising a servo actuator mounted within the fixed portion and engaged with the flaperon for controlling its actuation.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the flaperon extends along substantially the entire trailing edge of the pivotal portion of the wing and wherein the pivotable portion further includes a tip portion located on the lateral ends of the wing, the tip portion providing mass balance for the pivotable portion, the tip portion configured such that when the pivotal portion is pivoted a section of the tip portion projects above the fixed portion and a section of the tip portion projects below the fixed portion.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising at least one directional vane mounted to and within the shroud downstream from the blades, the directional vane being pivotable with respect to the shroud for providing directional control over the flow exiting the shroud.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 5 wherein there are a plurality of directional vanes mounted downstream from the blades, and wherein the vanes can be controlled to provide pitch control for the aircraft during high speed flight.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 further comprising at least one deflector mounted on the bottom surface of the fuselage underneath the rotor assemblies, the deflector adapted to inhibit air from flowing into the duct from the bottom of the fuselage during forward flight.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 7 wherein there are a plurality of deflectors hingedly attached to the bottom of the fuselage across the opening of the duct the deflectors being freely pivotable with respect to the fuselage.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the aft fuselage is tapered to facilitate air flow into the shroud.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising a gearbox located between the counter-rotating rotor assemblies, and wherein there are two engines, each engine having a primary drive shaft which engages with the gearbox, and wherein the propeller drive shaft engages with the engines through the gearbox.

11. 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 one rotor assembly being positioned vertically above the other;

a gearbox mounted between the rotor assemblies;

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

at least one engine mounted to the fuselage and adapted to rotate the rotor assemblies, the engine including a drive shaft which is engaged with the gearbox, the drive shaft extending through a support strut;

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 drive shaft engaged with the at least one engine, and a plurality of blades attached to the drive shaft, the blades rotating about an axis that extends between the two rotor assemblies;

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

a pair of wings removably attached to the fuselage, each wing including a fixed stub portion and a flaperon hinged to the fixed portion, the flaperon being movable with respect to the fixed portion.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11 further comprising a servo actuator mounted within the fixed portion and engaged with the flaperon for controlling the flaperon'"'"'s actuation.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12 wherein the flaperon extends along substantially the entire trailing edge of the pivotal portion of the wing and further includes a tip portion located on the lateral ends of the wings, the tip portion providing mass balance for the flaperon, the tip portion configured such that when the flaperon is pivoted a section of the tip portion projects above the fixed portion and a section of the tip portion projects below the fixed portion.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11 further comprising at least one directional vane mounted to and within the shroud downstream from the blades, the directional vane being pivotable with respect to the shroud for providing directional control over the flow exiting the shroud.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 14 wherein there are a plurality of directional vanes mounted downstream from the blades, and wherein the vanes can be controlled to provide pitch control for the aircraft during high speed flight.

16. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 11 further comprising at least one deflector mounted on the bottom surface of the fuselage underneath the rotor assemblies, the deflector adapted to inhibit air from flowing into the duct from the bottom of the fuselage during forward flight.

17. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 16 wherein there are a plurality of deflectors hingedly attached to the bottom of the fuselage across the opening of the duct, the deflectors being freely pivotable with respect to the fuselage.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11 wherein the aft fuselage is tapered to facilitate air flow into the shroud.

19. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11 wherein there are two engines, each engine having a primary drive shaft which engages with the gearbox, the drive shafts each extending though a separate support strut, and wherein the propeller drive shaft-engages with the engines through the gearbox.

20. 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, one rotor assembly being located above the longitudinal axis and the other rotor assembly being located below the longitudinal axis;

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

a gearbox located between the counter-rotating rotor assemblies, the gearbox being engaged with the rotor assemblies for transmitting rotary motion thereto;

at least one engine having a drive shaft which engages with the gearbox;

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 drive shaft engaged with the gearbox, and a plurality of blades attached to the drive shaft, and adapted to rotate about an axis that is substantially co-linear with the longitudinal axis; and

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.