Aerial vehicles and methods of use

• US 9,878,257 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Kansas
• Original Assignee: University of Kansas
• Inventors: Barrett, Ronald M., Honea, Robert B., Bramlette, Richard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US14/734,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20160016652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/02 Model aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/003 Convertible toys, e.g. robots convertible into rockets or vehicles convertible into planes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2203/00 Flying model aircraft, flying toy aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/06 fixed
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/02 having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/02 Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants fuselages specially adapted for mounting power plants B64C1/16; wings specially adapted for power plants B64C3/32
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/00 Undercarriages

Abstract

An aerial vehicle capable of convertible flight from hover to linear flight includes a body having a longitudinal body axis, a plurality of forward wings, a plurality of aft wings, at least one motor, and at least three aerodynamic propulsors driven by the at least one motor. Each forward wing extends a forward wing plane. Each aft wing extends from an aft wing plane. The aerodynamic propulsors are mounted longitudinally between the plurality of forward wings and plurality of aft wings.

Claims

1. An aerial vehicle, comprising:

a body having a central longitudinal body axis, the body including;

a plurality of forward wings, each forward wing of the plurality of forward wings extending in a forward wing plane that includes the central longitudinal body axis, and

a plurality of aft wings, each aft wing of the plurality of aft wings extending in an aft wing plane that contains the central longitudinal body axis;

at least one motor supported by the body; and

at least three aerodynamic propulsors driven by the at least one motor, the at least three aerodynamic propulsors being located between the plurality of forward wings and the plurality of aft wings and lying in a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal body axis, the at least three aerodynamic propulsors being configured to provide translational control about the central longitudinal body axis, and pitch, yaw, and roll control.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, the body further comprising a longitudinally forward, transversely central nose section that terminates in an aerodynamically shaped nose.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a removable undercarriage assembly attached to the body such that major structural loads are delivered to the plurality of forward wings, and which extends beyond a radially outermost point of the at least three aerodynamic propulsors from the central longitudinal body axis.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 3, further comprising landing pads on a radially outwardmost end of the undercarriage assembly from the central longitudinal body axis.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of turning vane flaps to provide pitch, yaw, and roll control and translational flight control along transverse and rotational body axes relative to the central longitudinal body axis.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of forward wings are structurally connected to the body and the plurality of aft wings are structurally connected to the body, and wherein structural loads are transferred from the plurality of forward wings to the body and structural loads are transferred from the plurality of aft wings to the body.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a communication module capable of receiving a command signal from a human-operated transmitter or satellite and providing the command signal to the at least one motor.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an undercarriage defining a propulsor cage between the plurality of forward wings and the plurality of aft wings to mitigate object strikes against at least one of the aerodynamic propulsors.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a flight director including an inner loop stability augmentation system and outer loop guidance, navigation, and control system which senses both spatial orientation and location and issues flight control commands to counter deviations from commanded flight paths.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an emitter configured to emit beams operating in any radio frequency, infrared, ultraviolet or visible wavelength and a sensor configured to sense the beams.

11. An aerial vehicle, comprising:

a body having a central longitudinal body axis, the body including;

a plurality of forward wings, each forward wing of the plurality of forward wings extending in a forward wing plane that includes the central longitudinal body axis, and

a plurality of aft wings, each aft wing of the plurality of aft wings extending in an aft wing plane that contains the central longitudinal body axis;

at least three aerodynamic propulsors, each of the aerodynamic propulsors having a motor associated therewith and driving the aerodynamic propulsor, the at least three aerodynamic propulsors being located between the plurality of forward wings and the plurality of aft wings and lying in a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal body axis, the at least three aerodynamic propulsors being configured to provide translational control about the central longitudinal body axis and pitch, yaw, and roll control;

a communication module capable of receiving a command signal from a human-operated transmitter or satellite and providing the command signal to at least one of the motors; and

a flight director in data communication with at least one of the motors associated with the at least three aerodynamic propulsors, the flight director having a stability augmentation system configured to receive flight state information and pilot commands and to output flight control commands based at least partially upon the flight state information and pilot commands.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of turning vane flaps to provide pitch, yaw, and roll control and translational flight control along transverse and rotational body axes, the plurality of turning vane flaps operably connected to vane motors, wherein the vane motors are in data communication with the flight director.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, further comprising orientation and acceleration sensors in data communication with the flight director, the orientation and acceleration sensors configured to provide flight state information to the stability augmentation system.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, further comprising a proximity sensor in data communication with the flight director, the proximity sensor configured to detect a direction of and a distance to an object relative to the body.

15. An aerial vehicle, comprising:

a body having a central longitudinal body axis and a forward end and an aft end, the body including;

a plurality of forward wings, each forward wing of the plurality of forward wings extending in a forward wing plane that includes the central longitudinal body axis, wherein each wing of the plurality of forward wings have a structural leading edge that is configured to structurally support landing gear and extends through a radially outwardmost point of the aerial vehicle, and

a plurality of aft wings, each aft wing of the plurality of aft wings extending in an aft wing plane that contains the central longitudinal body axis;

at least three aerodynamic propulsors, each of the aerodynamic propulsors having a motor associated therewith and driving the aerodynamic propulsor, the at least three aerodynamic propulsors being located longitudinally between the plurality of forward wings and the plurality of aft wings, lying in a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal body axis, and located within the radially outwardmost point such that the structural leading edge forms a propulsor cage that provides protection for the aerodynamic propulsors from impact, the at least three aerodynamic propulsors being configured to provide translational control about the central longitudinal body axis and pitch, yaw, and roll control; and

a flight director in data communication with each of the motors associated with the at least three aerodynamic propulsors, the flight director having a stability augmentation system configured to receive flight state information and pilot commands and to output flight control commands based at least partially upon the flight state information and pilot commands.

16. The aerial vehicle of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the structural leading edge is curved.

17. The aerial vehicle of claim 15, wherein the body further includes a cargo volume, the cargo volume configured to deploy at least part of a cargo contained therein during flight.

18. The aerial vehicle of claim 15, wherein the plurality of forward wings and the plurality of aft wings comprise removable training wings.