Gyrostabilized self propelled aircraft
First Claim
1. An aircraft for vertical, horizontal or stationary flight, comprising:
- a fuselage;
a plurality of control surfaces attached to the fuselage for controlling the flight of the aircraft;
an engine mounted to the fuselage having an engine shaft that extends longitudinally and is arranged to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the aircraft in a first rotational direction;
a propeller, comprising a plurality of blades, mounted to the engine shaft so as to rotate in the first rotational direction that produces sufficient thrust to thereby induce the aircraft into flight and such that air flow is created over the plurality of control surfaces wherein the engine provides sufficient thrust via the propeller so as to power the aircraft through a flight envelope that includes vertical take off and landing and horizontal flight and transitions therebetween; and
a gyroscopic stabilization member, comprising a ring structure attached circumferentially around the blades of the propeller such that the gyroscopic stabilization member rotates with the rotation of the propeller in the first rotational direction with an angular momentum that is selected, with respect the moment of inertia of the aircraft about the axis of rotation of the gyroscopic stabilization member, such that the aircraft is gyroscopically stabilized during flight as the propeller blades rotate.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An unmanned air vehicle (UAV) having a ducted fan configuration with a propeller mounted inside of an opening that extends longitudinally through a fuselage. A gyroscopic stabilization device is attached to the propeller shaft such that rotation of the propeller shaft also results in rotation of the gyroscopic stabilization device. The gyroscopic stabilization device has sufficient mass and rotates at a sufficient angular velocity such that the aircraft is gyroscopically stabilized during flight. In one embodiment, the gyroscopic stabilization device comprises a ring mounted to the outer tips of the propeller and in another embodiment is comprised of a disc.
160 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. An aircraft for vertical, horizontal or stationary flight, comprising:
-
a fuselage;
a plurality of control surfaces attached to the fuselage for controlling the flight of the aircraft;
an engine mounted to the fuselage having an engine shaft that extends longitudinally and is arranged to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the aircraft in a first rotational direction;
a propeller, comprising a plurality of blades, mounted to the engine shaft so as to rotate in the first rotational direction that produces sufficient thrust to thereby induce the aircraft into flight and such that air flow is created over the plurality of control surfaces wherein the engine provides sufficient thrust via the propeller so as to power the aircraft through a flight envelope that includes vertical take off and landing and horizontal flight and transitions therebetween; and
a gyroscopic stabilization member, comprising a ring structure attached circumferentially around the blades of the propeller such that the gyroscopic stabilization member rotates with the rotation of the propeller in the first rotational direction with an angular momentum that is selected, with respect the moment of inertia of the aircraft about the axis of rotation of the gyroscopic stabilization member, such that the aircraft is gyroscopically stabilized during flight as the propeller blades rotate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An aircraft comprising:
-
a fuselage defining flight surfaces;
a plurality of control surfaces attached to the fuselage for controlling the flight of the aircraft;
an engine mounted to the fuselage having an engine shaft arranged to rotate about a first axis of the aircraft;
a propeller comprising a plurality of blades mounted to the engine shaft that produces thrust such that the aircraft is in flight and such that the air flow is created over the plurality of control surfaces wherein the engine provides sufficient thrust via the propeller so as to power the aircraft through a flight envelope that includes vertical take off and landing and horizontal flight and transitions therebetween;
a gyroscopic stabilization member comprising a ring structure attached circumferentially around the blades of the propeller so as to be engaged with the engine shaft such that the gyroscopic stabilization member rotates with an angular momentum that is selected, with respect to the moment of inertia of the aircraft about the axis of rotation of the gyroscopic stabilization member, such that external forces exerted against the aircraft result in gyroscopic precession of the first axis of the aircraft throughout the flight envelope of the aircraft wherein the first axis changes its angular position at a decreased rate that is dependent, at least in part, on the ratio of angular momentum o the gyroscopic stabilization member and the moment of inertia of the aircraft about the axis of rotation of the gyroscopic stabilization member. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An aircraft comprising:
-
a fuselage defining flight surfaces wherein the fuselage comprises a ducted fan fuselage defining an opening therein;
a plurality of control surfaces attached to the fuselage for controlling the flight of the aircraft;
an engine mounted in the opening of the fuselage having an engine shaft arranged to rotate about a first axis of the aircraft in the opening of the fuselage;
a propeller mounted to the engine shaft in the opening of the fuselage that produces thrust such that the aircraft is in flight and such that the air flow is created over the plurality of control surfaces wherein the engine provides sufficient thrust via the propeller so as to power the aircraft through a flight envelope that includes vertical take off and landing and horizontal flight and transitions therebetween;
a gyroscopic stabilization member comprising a ring structure attached circumferentially around the blades of the propeller so as to be engaged with the engine shaft such that the gyroscopic stabilization member rotates with an angular momentum that is selected, with respect to the moment of inertia of the aircraft about the axis of rotation of the gyroscopic stabilization member, such that external forces exerted against the aircraft result in gyroscopic precession of the first axis of the aircraft throughout the flight envelope of the aircraft wherein the first axis changes its angular position at a decreased rate that is dependent, at least in part, on the ratio of angular momentum of the gyroscopic stabilization member and the moment of inertia of the aircraft about the axis of rotation of the gyroscopic stabilization member. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification