Method and apparatus for retrieving a hovering aircraft

• US 9,193,481 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aerovel Corporation
• Inventors: McGeer, Brian T., von Flotow, Andreas H., Roeseler, Corydon C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US14/247,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/029 using a cable or tether
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/04 for launching aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/00 Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/30 for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net

Abstract

For retrieval of a hovering aircraft, a cable, bar, or similar fixture is suspended in an approximately horizontal orientation across the retrieval area between two well-separated supports. The aircraft slowly flies into this fixture, which then slides along the aircraft in a direction approximately parallel with the aircraft'"'"'s thrust line. This leads to the aircraft becoming fastened to the fixture by an interceptor or aircraft capturer, which in alternative embodiments are respectively on the aircraft or the fixture or both. Thrust is then reduced, and the aircraft comes to rest hanging from the fixture for subsequent removal. Retrieval is thus accomplished with simple and economical apparatus, light and unobtrusive elements on the aircraft, low risk of damage, and only moderate piloting accuracy.

Claims

1. A flying object capturing method comprising:

(a) causing a member connected to a body of a flying object to contact and removably attach to a first retrieval fixture suspended by a plurality of supports;

(b) thereafter, causing the flying object to rotate at least partially around the first retrieval fixture such that the flying object contacts a second retrieval fixture suspended by the plurality of supports substantially parallel to the first retrieval fixture, at a substantially same altitude as the first retrieval fixture, and spaced apart from the first retrieval fixture; and

(c) stopping the rotation of the flying object around the first retrieval fixture with the second retrieval fixture such that the flying object is in a substantially horizontal orientation.

2. The flying object capturing method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first retrieval fixture and the second retrieval fixture is flexible.

3. The flying object capturing method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of supports suspend the first retrieval fixture and the second retrieval fixture in a substantially horizontal orientation.

4. The flying object capturing method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of supports are substantially vertical.

5. The flying object capturing method of claim 1, which includes changing the altitude of the first retrieval fixture and the second retrieval fixture.

6. A flying object capturing method comprising:

(a) causing a member connected to a body of a flying object to contact and removably attach to one of a first retrieval fixture suspended by a plurality of supports and a second retrieval fixture suspended by the plurality of supports substantially parallel to the first retrieval fixture, at a substantially same altitude as the first retrieval fixture, and spaced apart from the first retrieval fixture;

(b) if the member contacts and removably attaches to the first retrieval fixture, causing the flying object to rotate at least partially around the first retrieval fixture such that the flying object contacts the second retrieval fixture and stopping the rotation of the flying object around the first retrieval fixture with the second retrieval fixture such that the flying object is in a substantially horizontal orientation; and

(c) if the member contacts and removably attaches to the second retrieval fixture, causing the flying object to rotate at least partially around the second retrieval fixture such that the flying object contacts the first retrieval fixture and stopping the rotation of the flying object around the second retrieval fixture with the first retrieval fixture such that the flying object is in a substantially horizontal orientation.

7. The flying object capturing method of claim 6, wherein the first retrieval fixture and the second retrieval fixture are flexible.

8. The flying object capturing method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of supports suspend the first retrieval fixture and the second retrieval fixture in a substantially horizontal orientation.

9. The flying object capturing method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of supports are substantially vertical.

10. The flying object capturing method of claim 6, which includes changing the altitude of the first retrieval fixture and the second retrieval fixture.