Convertible compounded rotorcraft

• US 8,950,698 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Rossi, Glenn T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzell, Philip J
• Assistant Examiner(s): KREINER, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US13/661,567
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 244/2, 244/7.B, 244/137.1, 244/26, 244/63
• US Class Current: 244/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/26 characterised by provision of fixed wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/28 with forward-propulsion propellers pivotable to act as lifting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/02 having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 37/02 Flying units formed by separate aircraft towing B64D3/00; aircraft transported by aircraft B64D5/00; air-refuelling B64D39/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/003 with wings, paddle wheels, bladed wheels, moving or rotating in relation to the fuselage rotorcraft B64C27/00; ornithopters B64C33/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 5/00 Aircraft transported by aircraft, e.g. for release or reberthing during flight flying units formed by separate aircraft B64C37/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/20 for releasing or capturing UAVs in flight by another aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/82 Airborne vehicles

Abstract

A compound rotorcraft including a rotary wing aircraft having a fuselage and at least one rotor and a fixed-wing aircraft coupled to the rotary wing aircraft, wherein the rotary wing aircraft can fly on the rotor or the fixed-wing aircraft, and wherein the fixed-wing aircraft is detachable from the rotary wing aircraft to fly independently.

Claims

1. A compound rotorcraft comprising:

a rotary wing aircraft comprising a fuselage and at least one rotor; and

a fixed-wing aircraft releasably coupled to an underside of said fuselage of said rotary wing aircraft, said fixed-wing aircraft comprising;

a center body;

a left wing extending outwardly from said center body;

a right wing extending outwardly from said center body away from said left wing;

a left proprotor mounted on said left wing; and

a right proprotor mounted on said right wing,

wherein said left wing and said right wing are rotatably attached to said center body and translatable between a generally horizontal position and a generally vertical position,

wherein said fixed-win aircraft augments vertical flight of said rotary wing aircraft when said left wing and said right wing are in said vertical position, and

wherein said fixed-wing aircraft augments horizontal flight of said rotary wing aircraft when said left wing and said right wing are in said horizontal position.

2. The compound rotorcraft of claim 1 wherein said fixed-wing aircraft comprises a wing and a propulsion drive.

3. The compound rotorcraft of claim 1 wherein said rotary wing aircraft comprises a docking bay disposed about a lower midpoint of said underside of said fuselage, and wherein said fixed-wing aircraft is at least partially received in said docking bay.

4. The compound rotorcraft of claim 3 wherein said rotary wing aircraft further comprises a docking trapeze to engage said fixed-wing aircraft.

5. The compound rotorcraft of claim 4 wherein said docking trapeze comprises:

a motor;

an actuator mechanism driven by said motor, said actuator mechanism being downwardly extendable from said docking bay and upwardly retractable within said docking bay; and

a latching mechanism disposed at a lower end of said actuator mechanism to releasably engage the fixed-wing aircraft.

6. The compound rotorcraft of claim 5 wherein said fixed-wing aircraft comprises a latching port to receive said latching mechanism.

7. The compound rotorcraft of claim 1 wherein said rotary wing aircraft comprises at least one docking port having a mechanical docking point and electrical connection to mechanically and electrically couple said fixed-wing aircraft to said rotary wing aircraft.

8. The compound rotorcraft of claim 7 wherein said fixed-wing aircraft comprises at least one docking port connector having a mechanical docking connector and electrical connector to mechanically and electrically connect to said docking port.

9. The compound rotorcraft of claim 1 wherein said fixed-wing aircraft is a flying wing.

10. The compound rotorcraft of claim 1 wherein said fixed-wing aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

11. The compound rotorcraft of claim 1 wherein the fixed-wing aircraft is a manned aerial vehicle.

12. The compound rotorcraft of claim 1 wherein said fixed-wing aircraft comprises a payload to augment said rotary wing aircraft.

13. The compound rotorcraft of claim 1 wherein said fixed-wing aircraft is a tail-sitting vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

14. A compound rotorcraft comprising:

a fixed-wing aircraft comprising a wing and a propulsion drive, said fixed-wing aircraft being configured to be coupled to a rotary wing aircraft, said rotary wing aircraft initially having a fuselage and at least one rotor, said fixed-wing aircraft comprising;

a center body;

a left wing extending outwardly from said center body;

a right wing extending outwardly from said center body away from said left wing;

a left proprotor mounted on said left wing; and

a right proprotor mounted on said right wing,

wherein said left wing and said right wing are rotatably attached to said center body and translatable between a generally horizontal position and a generally vertical position,

wherein said fixed-wing aircraft augments vertical flight of said rotary wing aircraft when said left wing and said right wing are in said vertical position, and

wherein said fixed-wing aircraft augments horizontal flight of said rotary wing aircraft when said left wing and said right wing are in said horizontal position,

wherein said rotary wing aircraft can fly on said rotor of said rotary wing aircraft or said propulsion drive of said fixed-wing aircraft, and

wherein said fixed-wing aircraft is detachable from said rotary wing aircraft to fly independently of said rotary wing aircraft.

15. The compound rotorcraft of claim 14 wherein said fixed-wing aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle.

16. A method of compounding a rotary wing aircraft comprising a fuselage, at least one rotor, and a docking bay disposed on an underside of said fuselage, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a fixed-wing aircraft comprising;

a center body;

a left wing extending outwardly from said center body;

a right wing extending outwardly from said center body away from said left wing;

a left proprotor mounted on said left wing; and

a right proprotor mounted on said right wing,

wherein said left wing and said right wing are rotatably attached to said center body and translatable between a generally horizontal position and a generally vertical position; and

releasably coupling said fixed-wing aircraft to said docking bay of said rotary wing aircraft to form a compound aerial platform,

wherein said rotary wing aircraft can fly on said rotor of said rotary wing aircraft or said propulsion drive of said fixed-wing aircraft,

wherein said fixed-wing aircraft augments vertical flight of said rotary wing aircraft when said left wing and said right wing are in said vertical position,

wherein said fixed-wing aircraft augments horizontal flight of said rotary wing aircraft when said left wing and said right wing are in said horizontal position, and

wherein said fixed-wing aircraft is detachable from said rotary wing aircraft to fly independently.