Air-launchable aircraft and method of use
First Claim
1. An air-launched aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
deployable wings that are coupled to the fuselage; and
deployable control surfaces that are coupled to the fuselage;
wherein the aircraft has a total weight of less than 20 kg (44 pounds);
wherein the deployable control surfaces include elevons;
wherein the elevons constitute substantially all of the deployable control surfaces;
wherein the elevons are aft of the wings; and
wherein the elevons deploy from slots in the fuselage.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air-launched aircraft includes deployable wings, elevons, and vertical fins that deploy from a fuselage during flight. The aircraft may include a control system for operating the elevons, a communication system, and batteries for powering the systems. In addition, the aircraft may include a payload module that mates with an interface in the fuselage. The payload module may include any of a variety of payloads, including cameras, sensors, and/or radar emitters. The aircraft may be powered or unpowered, and may be very small, for example, less than on the order of 10 kg (22 pounds). The aircraft may be employed at a low cost for any of a wide variety of functions, such as surveillance, or as a decoy. The deployable surfaces of the aircraft may be configured to deploy in a pre-determined order, allowing the aircraft automatically to enter controlled flight after being launched in a tumbling mode.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An air-launched aircraft comprising:
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a fuselage; deployable wings that are coupled to the fuselage; and deployable control surfaces that are coupled to the fuselage; wherein the aircraft has a total weight of less than 20 kg (44 pounds); wherein the deployable control surfaces include elevons; wherein the elevons constitute substantially all of the deployable control surfaces; wherein the elevons are aft of the wings; and wherein the elevons deploy from slots in the fuselage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification