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Vertical takeoff and landing aircraft

  • US 9,862,486 B2
  • Filed: 06/12/2015
  • Issued: 01/09/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft comprising:

  • a fuselage having a fore end, an aft end, a top side, and a bottom side, the fuselage having a longitudinal axis that is located between the top side and the bottom side and extends between the fore end and the aft end;

    two rotor units to provide thrust of the VTOL aircraft in vertical flight and forward horizontal flight, the two rotor units including a fore rotor unit located proximate to the fore end of the fuselage and along the longitudinal axis of the fuselage and an aft rotor unit located proximate to the aft end of the fuselage and along the longitudinal axis of the fuselage, each of the two rotor units including;

    a ducted housing including a stator;

    at least one rotor vane including a plurality of pitched blades;

    an electric motor coupled to the stator, the electric motor to rotate the at least one rotor vane to create the thrust; and

    a rotating support for coupling the ducted housing to the fuselage, the rotating support allowing rotation of the ducted housing along at least two axes; and

    a battery set to provide power for each electric motor,wherein the fuselage further includes a leading surface located between the fore end of the fuselage and the fore rotor unit, the leading surface shaped to direct airflow into the fore rotor unit during at least a transition between the vertical flight and the forward horizontal flight, the leading surface configured to mitigate at least one of turbulence or inlet lip flow separation of the airflow entering the fore rotor unit.

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