Abstract:
A power and communications connection arrangement for a miniature, unmanned aircraft having data handling capability. The aircraft has a microprocessor for managing flight control, a GPS receiver, a communications radio frequency transceiver, and data handling apparatus. The latter may be any of a sensor for gathering environmental data, sensing aircraft altitude or attitude, a data relay station, or any combination of these. The data handling apparatus is part of a removable module mounted to and detachable from the aircraft. The connection arrangement includes stationary power and communications terminals fixed to the module, and corresponding free power and data cables completing respective power circuits and communications links within the aircraft. In the preferred embodiment, the microprocessor, at least one sensor, and a battery pack are located in the module, and a radio transceiver, a GPS receiver, controls such as rudder and elevator, and other sensors are located in the airframe.
Abstract:
A transformable gun launched aero vehicle having a ballistic projectile configuration and an aeroplane configuration includes a cylinder forming a shell of the vehicle in the ballistic projectile configuration and wings deployable from the cylinder. The wings are capable of achieving sufficient lift for sustained flight in the aeroplane configuration. The cylinder forms a fuselage of the vehicle in the aeroplane configuration. A wing includes plural rib elements, plural inflatable tubes where each tube is braced by the plural rib elements, and a wind shell disposed around the plural inflatable tubes and the plural rib elements. The vehicle includes an inflatable tail section that is inflated while the vehicle is in the aeroplane configuration. The vehicle includes a parachute that is reversibly deployable from a nose portion of the vehicle. The vehicle includes at least one landing rod. Each landing rod is reversibly extendable from the vehicle. A landing controller controls a first landing rod to extend after the vehicle has begun to vertically descend. The vehicle includes a folding propeller deployable from the fuselage in the aeroplane configuration. The vehicle includes a control system, and the control system includes a module to determine when the vehicle has reached a first predetermined state that defines an initiation of a transition from the ballistic projectile configuration to the aeroplane configuration.
Abstract:
A rotor blade subassembly for a rotor assembly having ducted, coaxial counter-rotating rotors includes a flexbeam, an integrated torque tube/spar member, and an aerodynamic fairing or rotor blade. The flexbeam is a laminated composite structure that reacts centrifugal loads and a majority of the bending loads of the rotor assembly. The flexbeam has a spanwise predetermined linear twist so that the pretwisted flexbeam is unstrained during specified forward flight conditions. The integrated torque tube/spar member is formed as a continuous, filament wound tubular composite structure having high torsional and bending stiffness that provides a continuous torsional load path and facilitates load coupling between the rotor blade and the pretwisted flexbeam. The spar segment of the functions as the primary structural member of the rotor blade subassembly and, is operative to react all bending, torsional, shear, and centrifugal dynamic loads of the rotor assembly. The torque tube segment reacts all torsional loads and some of the bending loads of the rotor assembly. The rotor blade is fabricated from a high modulus composite material and has a high aerodynamic taper such that the tapered rotor blade has a low outboard mass, a high inboard stiffness, and a high chordwise frequency. The high chordwise frequency allows the rotor assembly to be operated over a weaker modal response zone. The tapered rotor blade includes a triangularly shaped trailing edge segment that is responsive to the aerodynamic pressures encountered during operation of the shrouded counter-rotating rotors.
Abstract:
A flight system capable of passively stable hover comprises an apparatus defining a vertical axis, and including multiple upright ducts spaced about the axis; fluid momentum generators in the ducts to effect flow of fluid downwardly in the ducts; and fluid flow deflector structure in the path of the downwardly flowing fluid, and angled to deflect the fluid flow away from the axis, in such manner as to provide stability in hover of the apparatus.
Abstract:
Unmanned missile with strongly backswept wing unit, in particular delta wings, which is transported in a container and is launched from the container by means of an auxiliary drive after release of a lock, and which during cruise flight is drivable by a propeller engine, lateral force surfaces (25) being deployable for stabilization of the missile during cruise flight, from retraction spaces (26) in the region of the wing root of the delta wings, and further a friction clutch (64, 65) is provided at the missile which, without supply of energy from the outside, couples the standing propeller 6 with the drive motor (7) running in the container, after leaving the container.
Abstract:
An unmanned aircraft of the remotely piloted type that is characterized by its configuration and outline using rigid counter rotating propellers, positioned substantially at the height of its center of mass or slightly below to allow producing a sufficiently large control moment to use a tether line for landing the aircraft and to allow using two substantially spheroidal surfaces at the top and bottom respectively rather than a single one relatively larger and more detectable surface as when the propellers are at the top.
Abstract:
An unmanned aircraft includes a propulsion system having a diesel or kerosene internal combustion engine and a charger device for engine charging. The propulsion system can be a hybrid propulsion system or a parallel hybrid propulsion system.
Abstract:
An aircraft includes propellers at a center of the airframe; a first power source; a pitch adjuster to change pitch angles of the propellers; a plurality of attitude control propellers; a second power source lower in output than the first power source; and a control circuit to control attitude of the airframe. The control circuit includes a first yaw rotation generation control unit to control first yaw rotation generated by torques of the propellers with the pitch adjuster; and a second yaw rotation generation control unit to control a second yaw rotation generated by torques generated by a difference in rotation speed between the attitude control propellers. The control circuit is configured to control the first yaw rotation generation control unit and the second yaw rotation generation control unit in accordance with a magnitude of a command value of yaw rotation.
Abstract:
An unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least one rotor motor configured to drive at least one propeller to rotate; and a micro hybrid generator system configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor. The micro hybrid generator system includes a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor; a small engine configured to generate mechanical power; and a generator motor coupled to the small engine and configured to generate electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the small engine. The unmanned aerial vehicle also includes a cooling system configured to couple to the micro hybrid generator system. The cooling system includes one or more plates; and a plurality of fins extending from each of the one or more plates. The cooling system is configured to dissipate heat from the micro hybrid generator system.
Abstract:
Systems, methods, and devices provide a vehicle, such as an aircraft, with rotors configured to function as a tri-copter for vertical takeoff and landing (“VTOL”) and a fixed-wing vehicle for forward flight. One rotor may be mounted at a front of the vehicle fuselage on a hinged structure controlled by an actuator to tilt from horizontal to vertical positions. Two additional rotors may be mounted on the horizontal surface of the vehicle tail structure with rotor axes oriented vertically to the fuselage. For forward flight of the vehicle, the front rotor may be rotated down such that the front rotor axis may be oriented horizontally along the fuselage and the front rotor may act as a propeller. For vertical flight, the front rotor may be rotated up such that the front rotor axis may be oriented vertically to the fuselage, while the tail rotors may be activated.