Dual-aircraft system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10293934-B2
Application number	US-201615066460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

One example includes a dual-aircraft system. The system includes a glider aircraft configured to perform at least one mission objective in a gliding-flight mode during a mission objective stage. The system also includes an unmanned singlecopter configured to couple to the glider aircraft via a mechanical linkage to provide propulsion for the glider aircraft during a takeoff and delivery stage. The unmanned singlecopter can be further configured to decouple from the glider aircraft during a detach stage in response to achieving at least one of a predetermined altitude and a predetermined geographic location to provide the gliding-flight mode associated with the glider aircraft, such that the glider aircraft subsequently enters the mission objective stage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual-aircraft system comprising:
a glider aircraft configured to perform at least one mission objective in a gliding-flight mode during a mission objective stage; and
an unmanned singlecopter configured to couple to the glider aircraft via a mechanical linkage to provide propulsion for the glider aircraft during a takeoff and delivery stage, the unmanned singlecopter being further configured to decouple from the glider aircraft during a detach stage in response to achieving at least one of a predetermined altitude and a predetermined geographic location to provide the gliding-flight mode associated with the glider aircraft, such that the glider aircraft subsequently enters the mission objective stage, wherein the unmanned singlecopter comprises a singlecopter control system configured to command the unmanned singlecopter to travel to a location associated with the glider aircraft and to mechanically reattach to the glider aircraft during a reattachment stage in response to receiving situational awareness (SA) data that is indicative of a critical altitude associated with the glider aircraft.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the glider aircraft comprises a glider control system comprising a mission objective controller configured to implement the at least one mission objective based on mission objective control data, an SA sensor system configured to generate the SA data, and a transceiver configured to transmit the SA data.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the singlecopter control system comprises a mission objective controller configured to control decoupling of the glider aircraft from the unmanned singlecopter at at least one of the predetermined altitude and the predetermined geographic location, and a transceiver configured to receive the SA data associated with the glider control system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned singlecopter is configured to reattach to the glider aircraft via one of the mechanical linkage and a cable system associated with the glider aircraft.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the transceiver associated with the glider control system is configured to maintain wireless communication with a base-station configured to at least one of transmit the mission objective control data to the transceiver associated with the glider control system and receive the SA data from the transceiver associated with the glider control system.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one mission objective is a first at least one mission objective, wherein the unmanned singlecopter is configured to perform at least one second mission objective during the mission objective stage.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned singlecopter is configured to travel to a location associated with the glider aircraft and to mechanically reattach to the glider aircraft during a reattach stage in response to the glider aircraft achieving a critical altitude.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the unmanned singlecopter is configured to at least one of hover and perch during the mission objective stage, and to monitor wireless communications associated with the glider aircraft during the mission objective stage to determine a time to enter the reattach stage.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the unmanned singlecopter is configured to provide propulsion for the glider aircraft subsequent to the reattach stage, to decouple from the glider aircraft during a subsequent detach stage in response to achieving at least one of a subsequent predetermined altitude and a subsequent predetermined geographic location to provide the gliding-flight mode associated with the glider aircraft, such that the glider aircraft subsequently re-enters the mission objective stage.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the unmanned singlecopter is configured to provide propulsion for the glider aircraft subsequent to the reattach stage to facilitate travel of the dual-aircraft system to a predetermined landing site.

Assignees

• Christensen Nicholas K
• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Christensen Nicholas K

Classifications

• B64U50/14

  ducted or shrouded · CPC title

• B64D5/00

  Aircraft transported by aircraft, e.g. for release or reberthing during flight · CPC title

• B64C31/02 Primary

  Gliders, e.g. sailplanes (hang-gliders B64C31/028) · CPC title

• B64U80/82

  Airborne vehicles · CPC title

• B64U70/60

  Take-off or landing of UAVs from a runway using their own power · CPC title