Aircraft attitude control configuration

• US 8,302,903 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• 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
• Assistant Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US13/324,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20120145834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 244/194, 244/90.R, 244/45.A
• US Class Current: 244/90.R
• 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

Control surfaces in an aircraft attitude control configuration provide attitude control for an aircraft at hover or low air speed conditions. The aircraft attitude control configuration includes thrusters mounted to an aircraft, a first control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft downstream of a first thruster to enable a first vector force to be generated by a portion of thrusted air from the first thruster on the first control surface, and a second control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft of a second thruster. The control surfaces are displaced symmetrically a longitudinal axis of the aircraft. The control surfaces are independently and differentially movable with respect to each other to enable generation of a second vector force by a portion of thrusted air from the second thruster on the second control surface.

Claims

1. A method for configuring an attitude control for an aircraft comprising:

kinematically coupling a first control surface and a second control surface to an aircraft so the first and the second control surfaces are differentially moveable; and

mounting a thruster to the aircraft at a position that enables thrusted air from the thruster to generate a first vector force on the first control surface, a second vector force generated by thrusted air on the second control surface, so that the first and the second vector forces provide a net roll moment about the Y-Roll axis.

2. The method of claim 1, the coupling of the first and the second control surfaces to the aircraft further comprising:

mounting a first stabilizer to the aircraft; and

kinematically coupling the first and the second control surfaces to the first stabilizer so the first and the second control surfaces are differentially moveable with respect to the first stabilizer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

mounting a second stabilizer to the aircraft; and

kinematically coupling a third control surface to the second stabilizer at a position that enables the thrusted air to generate a third vector force on the third control surface.

4. The method of claim 3, the kinematically coupling of the third control surface further comprising:

kinematically coupling a rudder to the second stabilizer.

5. The method of claim 3, the kinematically coupling of the first and the second control surfaces further comprises:

kinematically coupling first and second elevators to the first stabilizer.

6. The method of claim 1, the kinematically coupling of the first and the second control surfaces further comprises:

kinematically coupling a first stabilator and a second stabilator to the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

kinematically mounting a third control surface to the aircraft at a position that enables a thrust air to be directed at the third control surface.

8. A method for configuring an attitude control for an aircraft comprising:

mounting a plurality of thrusters to the aircraft;

kinematically coupling a first control surface to the aircraft;

kinematically coupling a second control surface to the aircraft to be differentially moveable with respect to the first control surface; and

positioning each of the thrusters to enable at least a portion of thrusted air from a thruster to be directed towards at least one of the first and the second control surfaces.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

kinematically mounting a third control surface to the aircraft; and

the positioning of the thrusters further comprising;

positioning a first thruster to direct thrusted air towards the first control surface;

positioning a second thruster to direct thrusted air towards the second control surface; and

positioning a third thruster to direct thrusted air towards the third control surface.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

positioning two thrusters to direct air towards the first control surface; and

positioning two thrusters to direct air towards the second control surface.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising kinematically coupling a trim tab to one of the first control surface and the second control surface.

12. An aircraft attitude control configuration comprising:

a plurality of thrusters mounted to an aircraft for thrusting air;

a first control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft at a position downstream of a first thruster to generate a first vector force on the first control surface by a portion of thrusted air from the first thruster; and

a second control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft at a position downstream of a second thruster, the second control surface being differentially movable with respect to the first control surface to generate a second vector force on the second control surface by a portion of thrusted air from the second thruster to enable

the first and the second vector forces to provide a net roll moment about the Y-Roll axis.

13. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 12, further comprising:

a third control surface kinematically coupled to the aircraft to generate a third vector force on the third control surface by a portion of the thrusted air from in the plurality of thrusters.

14. The aircraft flight control configuration of claim 13, wherein the first control surface, the second control surface, and the third control surface are independently operable with respect to one another.

15. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 13, the plurality of thrusters further comprises:

a third thruster mounted to the aircraft and the third thruster and the third control surface are configured upstream and downstream of each other to generate the third vector force on the third control surface by a portion of thrusted air from the third thruster.

16. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 13, wherein one of the first, the second, and the third control surfaces is configured to generate the respective first, second, or third vector force by a portion of entrained air or thrusted air surrounding the thrusted air that is downstream of the cross section of the upstream thruster.

17. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 13, wherein the thrusters are configured to deliver thrusted air at a temperature below 293 degrees Celsius as the thrusted air flows past the respective downstream control surface.

18. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 12, wherein one of the first control surface and the second control surface is configured to position the first vector force or the second vector force, respectively, through a center of pressure on the respective control surface.

19. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 12, wherein one of the first control surface and the second control surface provides a reactive pressure differential force.

20. The aircraft attitude control configuration of claim 12, wherein one of the first control surface and the second control surface provides an active deflection of the thrusted air.