公开(公告)号：US11724807B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-15

申请号：US15930281

申请日：2020-05-12

Applicant: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Inventor： Kevin David Koller ,  Michael Joseph Allwein ,  Roy Hultenius ,  Armen Assatourian ,  Russell Temple

IPC: B64U70/20 ,  B64D5/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64U70/30 ,  B64U80/82

CPC classification number: B64D5/00 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64U70/20 ,  B64U70/30 ,  B64U80/82

Abstract: In-flight recovery of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A towline may be deployed by a host aircraft in-flight in order to recover a target UAV that is also in-flight. A reel on the host aircraft may pay out the towline having a fitting thereon. A catch on the target UAV may engage with the fitting on the towline, and the reel may then retract the towline to thereby pull in the target UAV to the host aircraft. The target UAV may then securely attach with the host aircraft.