Rotating wing assemblies for tailsitter aircraft
First Claim
1. A vertical take-off or landing aircraft comprising:
- a wing support extending from an inboard region of the aircraft;
a wing mounted on the wing support;
a first propulsion system attached to the wing; and
a second propulsion system attached to the wing;
whereinthe wing is positioned to rotate about an axis between a horizontal flight configuration in which the wing is generally aligned with the wing support and a vertical flight configuration in which the wing is oriented at an angle relative to the wing support, wherein the axis is positioned between the first propulsion system and the second propulsion system, and wherein the axis is oriented along a chordwise direction of the wing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tailsitter aircraft includes one or more rotatable wings. The tailsitter aircraft optionally includes a fuselage from which wing supports extend. Each rotatable wing optionally includes a rotatable wing section having an inboard portion proximate to the fuselage, and an outboard portion distal from the fuselage. The rotatable wing section may be rotatably attached to the wing support and configured to rotate between a vertical flight configuration in which the inboard portion is positioned on an opposing side of the wing support relative to the outboard portion, and a horizontal flight configuration different from the vertical flight configuration. The wings may be rotated during flight to transition between horizontal and vertical flight configurations, and they may be rotated about multiple axes.
99 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A vertical take-off or landing aircraft comprising:
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a wing support extending from an inboard region of the aircraft; a wing mounted on the wing support; a first propulsion system attached to the wing; and a second propulsion system attached to the wing;
whereinthe wing is positioned to rotate about an axis between a horizontal flight configuration in which the wing is generally aligned with the wing support and a vertical flight configuration in which the wing is oriented at an angle relative to the wing support, wherein the axis is positioned between the first propulsion system and the second propulsion system, and wherein the axis is oriented along a chordwise direction of the wing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vertical take-off or landing aircraft comprising:
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a fuselage; a wing support attached to the fuselage; and a rotatable wing section having an inboard portion proximate to the fuselage and an outboard portion distal from the fuselage, the rotatable wing section being rotatably attached to the wing support at a wing rotation joint and configured to rotate about an axis between a vertical flight configuration in which the inboard portion is positioned on an opposing side of the wing rotation joint relative to the outboard portion, and a horizontal flight configuration different from the vertical flight configuration; wherein the axis is oriented along a chordwise direction of the wing section. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A vertical take-off or landing aircraft comprising:
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a wing support extending from a main body of the aircraft; and a wing attached to the wing support, the wing comprising a root portion and a tip portion, the wing configured to rotate about an axis between a horizontal flight configuration in which the wing is generally aligned with the wing support and a vertical flight configuration in which the wing is oriented at an angle relative to the wing support;
whereinthe axis is oriented along a chordwise direction of the wing, and wherein the root portion and the tip portion are positioned on opposite sides of a center of gravity of the aircraft in the vertical flight configuration. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification