Aircraft attitude control configuration

• US 7,581,696 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vox LLC
• Original Assignee: Morgan Aircraft LLC
• Inventors: Morgan, Brian Herman, Hagen, David LeRoy
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins; Timothy D
• Application Number:
  US11/595,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20070102575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 244/23.A, 244/23.R, 244/23.C, 244/23.D, 244/45.A, 244/54, 244/55, 244/56, 244/45.R, 244/90.R
• US Class Current: 244/90.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/02 Tailplanes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/06 Fins B64C5/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/06 with two or more independent movements
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/12 surfaces of different type or function being simultaneously adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/30 Wing lift efficiency

Abstract

An aircraft attitude control configuration enables control surfaces to provide attitude control for an aircraft at hover or low air speed conditions. The aircraft attitude control configuration includes a thruster mounted to an aircraft for thrusting air, a first control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft at a position downstream of the thruster, and a second control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft at a position downstream of the thruster, the second control surface being differentially movable with respect to the first control surface such that a portion of the thrusted air from the thruster generates a first vector force on the first control surface and another portion of the thrusted air generates a second vector force on the second control surface, so that the first and the second vector forces provide a net roll moment about the Y-Roll axis.

Claims

1. An aircraft attitude control configuration comprising:

a thruster mounted to an aircraft for thrusting air;

a first control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft at a position downstream of the thruster; and

a second control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft at a position downstream of the thruster, the first and the second control surfaces being displaced symmetrically on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the second control surface being configured to be independently and differentially movable with respect to the first control surface to enable a portion of the thrusted air from the thruster to generate a first vector force on the first control surface and another portion of the thrusted air from the thruster to generate a second vector force on the second control surface.

2. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 1 further comprising:

a first stabilizer mounted on the aircraft; and

the first and the second control surfaces are kinematically coupled to the stabilizer at positions on the first stabilizer that are displaced symmetrically on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

3. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 2 further comprising:

a second stabilizer mounted on the aircraft; and

a third control surface kinematically coupled to the second stabilizer and being configured to be independently and differentially movable with respect to the first and the second control surfaces to enable another portion of the thrusted air to generate a third vector force on the third control surface.

4. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 3 wherein the third control surface is a rudder.

5. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 3 wherein the first control surface is a first elevator kinematically coupled to the first stabilizer and the second control surface is a second elevator kinematically coupled to the second stabilizer.

6. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 1 wherein the first control surface is a first stabilator and the second control surface is a second stabilator and both stabilators are kinematically coupled to the aircraft.

7. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 6 further comprising:

a third control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft and being configured to be independently and differentially movable with respect to the first and the second stabilators to enable another portion of the thrusted air to generate a vector force on the third control surface.

8. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 7 wherein the third control surface is a third stabilator.

9. An aircraft attitude control configuration comprising:

a thruster mounted to an aircraft for thrusting air;

a first control surface; and

a second control surface, the first and the second control surfaces being kinematically coupled to the aircraft at a position downstream of the thruster and displaced symmetrically on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis, the first and the second control surfaces being configured to be independently and differentially movable with respect to one another to enable a portion of the thrusted air from the thruster to generate a first vector force on the first control surface and another portion of the thrusted air from the thruster to generate a second vector force on the second control surface.

10. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 9 further comprising:

a first tail boom;

a second tail boom;

a stabilizer mounted to the first and the second tail booms; and

the first and the second control surfaces being kinematically coupled to the stabilizer between the first and the second tail booms to the aircraft and being configured to be independently and differentially movable with respect to one another to enable a portion of the thrusted air from the thruster to generate a first vector force on the first control surface and another portion of the thrusted air from the thruster to generate a second vector force on the second control surface to provide a net roll moment about the Y-Roll axis.

11. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 9 further comprising:

a movement encoder coupled to one of the first and the second control surfaces to generate data corresponding to a degree of rotation for the control surface coupled to the movement encoder.

12. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 11 wherein the movement encoder is a rotary encoder.

13. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 11 wherein the movement encoder is a displacement encoder.

14. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 9 further comprising:

a first stabilizer having a first and a second end, the stabilizer being mounted to the aircraft with the first and the second ends being on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis to form a horizontal stabilizer; and

the first and the second control surfaces being kinematically coupled to the horizontal stabilizer at positions that are displaced symmetrically on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis.

15. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 14 further comprising:

a vertical stabilizer mounted on the aircraft; and

a third control surface kinematically coupled to the vertical stabilizer and being configured to be independently and differentially movable with respect to the first and the second control surfaces coupled to the horizontal stabilizer to enable another portion of the thrusted air to generate a third vector force on the third control surface.

16. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 15 wherein the third control surface is a rudder.

17. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 9 further comprising:

a first stabilizer mounted to the aircraft;

a second stabilizer mounted to the aircraft; and

wherein the first control surface is a first elevator kinematically coupled to the first stabilizer and the second control surface is a second elevator kinematically coupled to the second stabilizer.

18. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 9 wherein the first control surface is a first stabilator and the second control surface is a second stabilator and both stabilators are kinematically coupled to the aircraft and configured for independent movement.