VTOL VEHICLE WITH COAXIALLY TILTED OR TILTABLE ROTORS

• US 20100051740A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Urban Aeronautics Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Urban Aeronautics Ltd.
• Inventors: YOELI, Raphael
• Granted Patent: US 8,342,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/20 Transmission of mechanical power to rotors or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/40 foldable or retractable

Abstract

A VTOL vehicle includes a forward rotor, an aft rotor and a fuselage, the forward and aft rotor lying in a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, with the fuselage located axially between the forward and aft rotors. The vehicle has an in-flight configuration wherein the forward rotor is tilted downwardly at a negative tilt angle relative to the fuselage and the aft rotor is tilted upwardly at a positive tilt angle relative to the fuselage.

Claims

1. A VTOL vehicle comprising a forward rotor, an aft rotor and a fuselage, the forward and aft rotor lying on a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, with the fuselage located axially between the forward and aft rotors, the vehicle having an in-flight configuration wherein the forward rotor is tilted downwardly at a negative tilt angle relative to said fuselage, and the aft rotor is tilted upwardly at a positive tilt angle relative to said fuselage.

2. The VTOL vehicle of claim 1 wherein said forward and aft rotor are pivotably mounted for enabling individually selected positive and negative angles of between 0°

and about 90°

relative to said fuselage.

3. The VTOL vehicle of claim 1 wherein said forward and aft rotors are positionally fixed relative to said fuselage.

4. The VTOL vehicle of claim 3 wherein said forward and aft rotors are fixed at positive and negative angles of between about 45°

and about 90°

relative to said fuselage.

5. The VTOL vehicle of claim 1 wherein said forward and aft rotors are mounted in open-ended ducts.

6. The VTOL vehicle of claim 5 wherein each open-ended duct is provided with a plurality of adjustable control vanes extending across at least an inlet end of each said duct, said vanes oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

7. The VTOL vehicle of claim 1 wherein said forward rotor and said aft rotor are tilted through substantially identical negative and positive tilt angles, respectively.

8. The VTOL vehicle of claim 1 comprising landing gear configured to orient the vehicle, when on the ground, with said forward and aft rotors substantially parallel to the ground.

9. The VTOL vehicle of claim 1 wherein said fuselage is aerodynamically shaped so as to generate lift when in forward flight.

10. The VTOL vehicle of claim 5 wherein each open-ended duct is provided with another plurality of adjustable control vanes extending across an outlet end of each said duct, said vanes oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

11. The VTOL vehicle of claim 1 wherein an engine adapted to power said forward and aft rotors is mounted along said longitudinal axis, with payload bays on either side thereof.

12. The VTOL vehicle of claim 1 and further comprising a pair of wings moveable between stowed and fully deployed positions.

13. The VTOL vehicle of claim 1 wherein said forward and said aft rotors are each supported on a pylon pivotably supported on said fuselage.

14. The VTOL vehicle of claim 2 wherein the forward and aft rotors are pivotably mounted for rotation to respective positive and negative angles of substantially 180°

such that said forward rotor, fuselage and aft rotor are substantially vertically stacked for storage or transport.

16. The VTOL vehicle of claim 14 wherein in said another position, said forward and aft ducts and said forward and aft rotors are tilted at positive and negative angles, respectively, relative to said fuselage, in a range of from about 30°

to about 90°

.

15. A VTOL vehicle comprising a forward rotor mounted in a forward duct, an aft rotor mounted in an aft duct, and a fuselage;

the forward and aft rotors lying on a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, with the fuselage located axially between the forward and aft ducts, said forward and aft ducts pivotably mounted to said fuselage for movement from a first position where said forward and aft rotors lie in a common reference plane substantially parallel to the ground for lift-off and hover, to another position where said forward and aft rotors are tilted relative to said fuselage and said reference plane for forward flight, each of said forward and aft ducts provided with a plurality of adjustable control vanes extending across at least an inlet end thereof, said adjustable control vanes oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

17. A VTOL vehicle comprising a chassis supporting a forward rotor and an aft rotor in a fixed relationship to each other along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, said rotors lying in different but substantially parallel planes;

and a cockpit section mounted on said chassis for swiveling movement relative to said chassis, thereby enabling said cockpit section to be maintained in a horizontal orientation independent of the orientation of said chassis and said forward and aft rotors.

18. The VTOL vehicle of claim 17 wherein said cockpit section is shaped to include an aerodynamic fairing.

19. The VTOL vehicle of claim 17 wherein an engine adapted to power said forward and aft rotors is mounted in said chassis, and a fuel tank for supplying fuel to said engine is mounted in said cockpit section.

20. The VTOL vehicle of claim 17 wherein said chassis is rotatable relative to said cockpit section through an angle of about 90°

.

21. The VTOL vehicle of claim 17 wherein said cockpit section has a width greater than said chassis.