Aircraft capable of vertical takeoff

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029785-B2
Application number	US-201615019717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

An aircraft has a bearing structure, the bearing structure having at least one central fuselage and two pylons each situated at a distance laterally from the fuselage. In addition, the aircraft has a wing structure, at least four hub rotors, and at least one thrust drive. Each hub rotor is fastened to the bearing structure, has a propeller having two propeller blades, and produces, through rotation of the propeller, an upward drive force acting in the vertical direction on the aircraft. The thrust drive is produces a thrust force acting in the horizontal direction on the bearing structure. The pylons each have two hub rotors, the hub rotors being configured to arrest respective propeller blades of a hub rotor in a position relative to the pylons. In the arrested position, the propeller blades of a hub rotor do not extend beyond the outer dimensions of the pylons.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a bearing structure;
the bearing structure having at least one central fuselage and two pylons, each pylon situated laterally at a distance from the fuselage;
a wing structure;
at least four hub rotors;
at least one thrust drive;
each of the hub rotors fastened to the bearing structure, having a propeller having two propeller blades, and configured to produce, through rotation of the propeller, an upward drive force acting in a vertical direction for the aircraft;
the thrust drive configured to produce a thrust force acting in a horizontal direction on the bearing structure;
each pylon having at least two hub rotors;
each hub rotor configured to arrest a respective propeller blade of a respective hub rotor in an arrested position relative to a respective pylon; and
the respective propeller blade of each hub rotor not extending, in the arrested position, beyond an outer dimension of the respective pylon,
wherein each propeller is situated in the respective pylon in such a way that each propeller is enclosed by the respective pylon on at least two opposite sides when in a non-arrested position.

2. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein each pylon has a plurality of openings that are open at opposing sides of each pylon transverse to a direction of extension of the pylons, the propellers of the hub rotors are integrated in the plurality of openings.

3. The aircraft as recited in claim 2 , wherein each opening forms a continuous cavity through the pylon transverse to the direction of extension of the pylons.

4. The aircraft as recited in claim 2 , wherein each propeller is located within a respective opening of the plurality of openings.

5. The aircraft as recited in claim 2 , wherein the pylons have at least one sealing device that laterally seals the openings when the propeller blades are arrested.

6. The aircraft as recited in claim 5 , wherein the sealing device is made up of one segment or a plurality of segments.

7. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wing structure is fastened to the bearing structure, and the wing structure is configured to produce, when there is a horizontal movement of the aircraft, an upward drive force for the aircraft, and for this purpose having at least one airfoil that is provided with a profile that produces a dynamic upward drive.

8. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pylons are connected to the central fuselage via the at least one wing structure.

9. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hub rotors are configured such that a plane of rotation in which propeller blades of a hub rotor rotate is stationary in relation to a rotor axle, driven by a motor, of the hub rotor.

10. The aircraft as recited in claim 9 , wherein the propeller blades of the hub rotor are connected rigidly to the rotor axle.

11. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein propeller blades of the thrust drive are pivotably connected to the rotor axle in such a way that a pitch of the propeller blades is variable.

12. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hub rotors and the thrust drive are driven by motors that are controllable independently of one another.

13. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the hub rotors is driven by an electric motor.

14. The aircraft as recited in claim 13 , wherein the thrust drive is driven by an internal combustion engine and the internal combustion engine is coupled to a generator for providing electrical energy to the electric motors of the hub rotors.

15. The aircraft as recited in claim 13 , wherein the thrust drive is driven by an electric motor, and the electrical energy for operating the electric motors is provided by one of a battery or a generator.

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Niedzballa Hans

Classifications

• B64C27/28

  with forward-propulsion propellers pivotable to act as lifting rotors · CPC title

• B64C29/00

  Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft (rotorcraft B64C27/00) · CPC title

• B64C27/30

  with provision for reducing drag of inoperative rotor · CPC title

• B64C27/32

  Rotors · CPC title

• B64C29/0025 Primary

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title