公开(公告)号：US11104439B2

公开(公告)日：2021-08-31

申请号：US16161279

申请日：2018-10-16

申请人： Bell Textron Inc.

发明人： Carlos Alexander Fenny ,  Joseph Scott Drennan ,  Michael John Ryan ,  John Richard McCullough ,  Brett Rodney Zimmerman

IPC分类号： B64D1/22 ,  B64D5/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64C27/06 ,  B64C3/56

摘要： A system for deploying and retrieving a parasite aircraft includes a parasite aircraft with a dock and a carrier aircraft that includes a maneuverable capture device tethered to the carrier aircraft via a cable. The maneuverable capture device includes a plurality of rotors and is configured to dock in the dock of the parasite aircraft. A method of deploying a parasite aircraft includes positioning a parasite aircraft on a loading surface; positioning a carrier aircraft above the parasite aircraft; releasing, from the carrier aircraft, a maneuverable capture device comprising a plurality of rotors; securing the maneuverable capture device to a dock positioned on the parasite aircraft; lifting, via a cable secured at a first end to the carrier aircraft and at a second end to the maneuverable capture device, the parasite aircraft with the carrier aircraft; and releasing the parasite aircraft from the maneuverable capture device.

公开(公告)号：US11008102B2

公开(公告)日：2021-05-18

申请号：US16161455

申请日：2018-10-16

申请人： Bell Textron Inc.

发明人： Michael John Ryan ,  Carlos Alexander Fenny ,  Joseph Scott Drennan ,  John Richard McCullough ,  Brett Rodney Zimmerman

IPC分类号： B64D5/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64C3/56

摘要： In an embodiment, a maneuverable capture device includes a frame, a plurality of rotors secured to the frame, an attachment point disposed on the frame for securing a cable of a carrier aircraft to the frame, and an attachment feature configured to secure maneuverable capture device to a dock of a parasite aircraft. In an embodiment, a method of docking a maneuverable capture device with a parasite aircraft includes positioning a carrier aircraft above a parasite aircraft, releasing the maneuverable capture device attached to the carrier aircraft by a cable from the carrier aircraft, flying the maneuverable capture device to a dock of the parasite aircraft, and securing the maneuverable capture device to the dock of the parasite aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US11548608B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-10

申请号：US17223274

申请日：2021-04-06

申请人： Bell Textron Inc.

发明人： Joseph Scott Drennan ,  Carlos Alexander Fenny ,  Michael John Ryan ,  John Richard McCullough ,  Brett Rodney Zimmerman

IPC分类号： B64C1/06 ,  B64D5/00 ,  B64C3/56 ,  B64C3/54 ,  B64D3/00 ,  B64C39/02

摘要： A parasite aircraft for airborne deployment and retrieve includes a wing; a fuselage rotatably mounted to the wing; a dock disposed on top of the fuselage and configured to receive a maneuverable capture device of a carrier aircraft; a pair of tail members extending from the fuselage; and a plurality of landing gear mounted to the wing. A method of preparing a parasite aircraft for flight includes unfolding an end portion of a wing; unfolding an end portion of a tail member of the parasite aircraft; and rotating a fuselage of the parasite aircraft so that the fuselage is perpendicular to the wing. A method of preparing a parasite aircraft for storage includes rotating a fuselage of the parasite aircraft to be parallel with a wing of the parasite aircraft; folding an end portion of the wing; and folding an end portion of a tail member of the parasite aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US20220177121A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-09

申请号：US17116726

申请日：2020-12-09

申请人： Bell Textron Inc.

发明人： Alexander Dang Quang Truong ,  Karl Schroeder ,  Michael John Ryan

IPC分类号： B64C27/20 ,  B64C39/02

摘要： An exemplary ducted fan includes a duct having a central longitudinal axis, a rotor hub and stator hub extending along the central longitudinal axis, rotor blades extending from the rotor hub, each of the rotor blades operable to rotate about its own pitch-change axis, the pitch-change axes lying in a rotor plane that is generally perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, each of the rotor blades having a rotor trailing edge and a rotor chord length, stators extending from the stator hub to an interior surface of the duct, each of the stators having a stator leading edge and a stator thickness, and a first separation between the rotor plane and the stator leading edge of not less than approximately 1.5 times the stator thickness.