公开(公告)号：US20220144406A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-12

申请号：US17094180

申请日：2020-11-10

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Kirk Landon Groninga ,  Daniel Bryan Robertson ,  Matthew Edward Louis ,  Paul Charles Griffiths

IPC: B64C1/06 ,  B64D9/00 ,  B64F5/10

Abstract: A vehicle has a pod carrier, a pod rotatably connected to the pod carrier, and an energy attenuating system (EAS) disposed between the pod and the pod carrier to attenuate forces associated with a deflection of the pod relative to the pod carrier. A method of operating an energy attenuating system (EAS) is provided for attenuating energy associated with movement between a pod and a pod carrier. The method includes providing a vehicle having a pod carrier and providing the pod carrier with an EAS configured in an undeflected state.

公开(公告)号：US20210114723A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-22

申请号：US17081654

申请日：2020-10-27

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： John Robert Wittmaak, JR. ,  Steven M. Loveland ,  Joshua Allan Edler ,  Alan Hisashi Steinert ,  Stephen Yibum Chung ,  Matthew Edward Louis

IPC: B64C29/00

Abstract: A modular tandem tiltrotor aircraft in which the tiltrotor assemblies are operably coupled at the forward and aft ends of the fuselage of the aircraft is disclosed. The modular tandem tiltrotor assemblies are capable of rotating between a vertical lift position and a horizontal flight position. The modular tandem tiltrotor aircraft can be structurally more efficient and lower drag than a conventional tiltrotor, has better control authority and lifting capacity than hybrid-quads and tail-sitters, and has more range than a helicopter or multi-rotor. The modular tandem tiltrotor aircraft can orbit and search over a broad area, or can hover for long periods, depending on the application. Instead of providing a multi-function tandem tiltrotor aircraft that is generally suited for all applications, but not optimized for any, the modular tandem tiltrotor aircraft allows for customized configuration to optimize the aircraft for a particular application.

公开(公告)号：US20200290725A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-17

申请号：US16732198

申请日：2019-12-31

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Chad Lewis Jarrett ,  Frank Bradley Stamps ,  Daniel Bryan Robertson ,  Kirk Landon Groninga ,  Matthew Edward Louis ,  William Anthony Amante ,  Robert Vaughn ,  Joseph Richard Carpenter, JR.

IPC: B64C11/00 ,  B64C11/02 ,  B64D27/26

Abstract: An aircraft has a ducted thruster. The ducted thruster includes a duct having an inner wall, a stator hub disposed within the duct, a first stator extending along a first longitudinal axis between the inner wall and the stator hub, and a second stator. The second stator extends along a second longitudinal axis between the inner wall and the stator hub. The second longitudinal axis is either (1) substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis or (2) substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis and offset from the first longitudinal axis.

公开(公告)号：US20200223537A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-16

申请号：US16249325

申请日：2019-01-16

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： John Robert Wittmaak ,  Stephen Yibum Chung ,  Matthew Edward Louis ,  Steven M. Loveland

IPC: B64C27/52 ,  B64C11/50 ,  B64C27/37

Abstract: A tandem tiltrotor aircraft in which the tiltrotor assemblies are operably coupled at the forward and aft ends of the fuselage of the aircraft is disclosed. The tiltrotor assemblies are capable of rotating between a vertical lift position and a horizontal flight position. The in-line location of the tiltrotor assemblies allow the aircraft to have the vertical take-off and landing capabilities, and, in combination with the at least one wing, can be used in horizontal flight. The nacelles can be disposed on the fuselage they are coaxial in forward flight and do not add to the drag profile like wing-tip nacelles would. When wing-borne flight is desired some or all of the rotors can rotate down so the thrust vector is in a generally horizontal plane.

公开(公告)号：US11993360B2

公开(公告)日：2024-05-28

申请号：US17094180

申请日：2020-11-10

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Kirk Landon Groninga ,  Daniel Bryan Robertson ,  Matthew Edward Louis ,  Paul Charles Griffiths

IPC: B64C1/06 ,  B64D9/00 ,  B64D25/00 ,  B64F5/10 ,  B64C29/00

CPC classification number: B64C1/062 ,  B64D9/00 ,  B64F5/10 ,  B64C29/0016 ,  B64D25/00

Abstract: A vehicle has a pod carrier, a pod rotatably connected to the pod carrier, and an energy attenuating system (EAS) disposed between the pod and the pod carrier to attenuate forces associated with a deflection of the pod relative to the pod carrier. A method of operating an energy attenuating system (EAS) is provided for attenuating energy associated with movement between a pod and a pod carrier. The method includes providing a vehicle having a pod carrier and providing the pod carrier with an EAS configured in an undeflected state.

公开(公告)号：US20200223538A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-16

申请号：US16249544

申请日：2019-01-16

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Dakota Easley ,  John Robert Wittmaak, JR. ,  Matthew Edward Louis ,  Russell C. Peters

IPC: B64C27/80 ,  B64C29/02

Abstract: A rotor system is provided in one example embodiment and may include a first pair of rotor blades comprising a first pitch and a first diameter; and a second pair of rotor blades comprising a second pitch and a second diameter, wherein the first pitch of the first pair of rotor blades and the second pitch of the second pair of rotor blades are different.