Hydrofoil Equipped Seaglider Takeoff

    公开(公告)号:US20250033783A1

    公开(公告)日:2025-01-30

    申请号:US18913529

    申请日:2024-10-11

    Abstract: A craft comprises a hull, a wing, a hydrofoil, and a control system. The wing is configured to generate upwards aero lift as air flows past the wing to facilitate wing-borne flight of the craft. The hydrofoil is configured to generate upwards hydrofoil lift during a first mode of operation as water flows past the hydrofoil to facilitate hydrofoil-borne movement of the craft through the water. While the craft is hydrofoil-borne, the control system is configured to determine the upwards aero lift generated by the wing. The control system is further configured to control the hydrofoil to generate downwards hydrofoil lift to counteract the upwards aero lift generated by the wing that maintains the hydrofoil at least partially submerged in the water while the determined upwards aero lift is below a threshold lift.

    Wing-In-Ground Effect Vehicle
    3.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20220250743A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-08-11

    申请号:US17570090

    申请日:2022-01-06

    Abstract: An example wing-in-ground effect vehicle includes (i) a main wing having main wing control surfaces; (ii) a tail having tail control surfaces; (iii) a blown-wing propulsion system arranged along the main wing or the tail; (iv) a retractable hydrofoil configured to operate in: (a) an extended configuration in which the retractable hydrofoil extends below a hull of the vehicle for submersion below a water surface and (b) a retracted configuration in which the retractable hydrofoil is retracted at least partially into the hull of the vehicle; and (v) a control system configured to maneuver the vehicle by (i) causing a change in orientation of the retractable hydrofoil when the retractable hydrofoil is operating in the extended configuration, and (ii) causing a change in orientation of the main wing control surfaces and tail control surfaces when the retractable hydrofoil is operating in the retracted configuration.

    Hydrofoil Equipped Seaglider Takeoff
    4.
    发明公开

    公开(公告)号:US20240158091A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-05-16

    申请号:US17885463

    申请日:2022-08-10

    CPC classification number: B64C35/007 B64C35/005

    Abstract: A craft comprises a hull, a wing, a hydrofoil, and a control system. The wing is configured to generate upwards aero lift as air flows past the wing to facilitate wing-borne flight of the craft. The hydrofoil is configured to generate upwards hydrofoil lift during a first mode of operation as water flows past the hydrofoil to facilitate hydrofoil-borne movement of the craft through the water. While the craft is hydrofoil-borne, the control system is configured to determine the upwards aero lift generated by the wing. The control system is further configured to control the hydrofoil to generate downwards hydrofoil lift to counteract the upwards aero lift generated by the wing that maintains the hydrofoil at least partially submerged in the water while the determined upwards aero lift is below a threshold lift.

    Hybrid Propulsion For Airborne Craft

    公开(公告)号:US20250074617A1

    公开(公告)日:2025-03-06

    申请号:US18824571

    申请日:2024-09-04

    Abstract: A craft comprises at least one hull, a main wing coupled to the hull and configured to facilitate airborne operations of the craft, a plurality of propellers that include one or more electric motor propellers and one or more combustion motor propellers arranged along each of a port side and a starboard side of the main wing and configured to generate lift on the craft by blowing air over the main wing, and a control system. The control system comprises data storage having instruction code stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of the control system, causes the control system to: after receiving a takeoff indication, increase thrust generated by the electric motor propellers to cause the craft to transition from a hull-borne mode of operation to an airborne mode of operation, and after a thrust adjustment condition occurs, increase thrust generated by the combustion motor propellers.

    Hydrofoil Takeoff and Landing with Multiple Hydrofoils

    公开(公告)号:US20240208648A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-06-27

    申请号:US18448016

    申请日:2023-08-10

    Abstract: A craft comprises at least one hull; at least one wing configured to generate upwards aero lift as air flows past the at least one wing to facilitate wing-borne flight of the craft; a front hydrofoil connected to the at least one hull via a front hydrofoil strut and configured to generate upward hydrofoil lift as water flows past the front hydrofoil to facilitate hydrofoil-borne movement of the craft through the water; a rear hydrofoil connected to the at least one hull via a rear hydrofoil strut and configured to generate upward hydrofoil lift as water flows past the rear hydrofoil to facilitate hydrofoil-borne movement of the craft through the water; and a control system. While the craft is hydrofoil-borne, the control system is configured to facilitate transition of the craft from hydrofoil-borne operation to wing-borne operation via a process comprising: while the upwards aero lift generated by the at least one wing is below a threshold lift, controlling one or both of the front hydrofoil and the rear hydrofoil to generate a downward hydrofoil lift that causes the front hydrofoil and the rear hydrofoil to remain at least partially submerged in the water; and after the upwards aero lift generated by the at least one wing has increased above the threshold lift, transitioning the craft from hydrofoil-borne operation to wing-borne operation at least in part by controlling one or both of the front hydrofoil and the rear hydrofoil to switch from (a) generating the downward hydrofoil lift to (b) generating an upward hydrofoil lift that pushes the craft up and out of the water.

    Wing-In-Ground Effect Vehicle
    8.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20230062717A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-03-02

    申请号:US17892484

    申请日:2022-08-22

    Abstract: An example wing-in-ground effect vehicle includes (i) a main wing having main wing control surfaces; (ii) a tail having tail control surfaces; (iii) a blown-wing propulsion system arranged along the main wing or the tail; (iv) a retractable hydrofoil configured to operate in: (a) an extended configuration in which the retractable hydrofoil extends below a hull of the vehicle for submersion below a water surface and (b) a retracted configuration in which the retractable hydrofoil is retracted at least partially into the hull of the vehicle; and (v) a control system configured to maneuver the vehicle by (i) causing a change in orientation of the retractable hydrofoil when the retractable hydrofoil is operating in the extended configuration, and (ii) causing a change in orientation of the main wing control surfaces and tail control surfaces when the retractable hydrofoil is operating in the retracted configuration.

    Wing-in-ground effect vehicle
    9.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US11420738B1

    公开(公告)日:2022-08-23

    申请号:US17570090

    申请日:2022-01-06

    Abstract: An example wing-in-ground effect vehicle includes (i) a main wing having main wing control surfaces; (ii) a tail having tail control surfaces; (iii) a blown-wing propulsion system arranged along the main wing or the tail; (iv) a retractable hydrofoil configured to operate in: (a) an extended configuration in which the retractable hydrofoil extends below a hull of the vehicle for submersion below a water surface and (b) a retracted configuration in which the retractable hydrofoil is retracted at least partially into the hull of the vehicle; and (v) a control system configured to maneuver the vehicle by (i) causing a change in orientation of the retractable hydrofoil when the retractable hydrofoil is operating in the extended configuration, and (ii) causing a change in orientation of the main wing control surfaces and tail control surfaces when the retractable hydrofoil is operating in the retracted configuration.

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