Vertical take-off aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518875-B2
Application number	US-201615164405-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2016
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

An aircraft is provided, which comprises a support structure and at least four lift rotors. Each of the lift rotors is attached to the support structure and comprises at least one propeller. The lift rotors are constituted such that a rotational plane, in which the at least one propeller of the lift rotor rotates, is tilted with respect to a plane formed by the support structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a support structure;
a flight controller;
a first pair of lift rotors comprising a first lift rotor and a second lift rotor lying diagonally opposite with respect to a center of gravity of the aircraft; and
a second pair of lift rotors comprising a third lift rotor and a fourth lift rotor lying diagonally opposite with respect to the center of gravity of the aircraft, the first lift rotor and the third lift rotor located on one side of a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and the second lift rotor and the fourth lift rotor located on another side of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft;
wherein the first lift rotor and the second lift rotor have a first rotational direction, and the third lift rotor and the fourth lift rotor have a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction;
wherein each of the lift rotors is attached to the support structure and comprises at least one propeller,
wherein each of the lift rotors is formed such that a rotational plane, in which the at least one propeller of the lift rotor rotates, is tilted outwards with respect to a plane formed by the support structure,
wherein rotational planes of the first lift rotor and the second lift rotor are tilted outward or inward by a first angle, and rotational planes of the third lift rotor and the fourth lift rotor are tilted outward or inward by a second angle that is different than the first angle,
wherein tilt of each of the lift rotors is such that the lift rotor generates a thrust which has a vertical thrust component and a horizontal thrust component, the horizontal thrust component being directed outwards of the aircraft and normal to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft in a main flight direction, and
wherein the flight controller controls yawing of the aircraft around the center of gravity of the aircraft by increasing rotational speed of the first pair of lift rotors, and by decreasing rotational speed of the second pair of lift rotors by a corresponding amount, to maintain a hover state of the aircraft while generating torque around a vertical axis of the aircraft.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotational plane of the propeller is tilted outwards normal to a longitudinal axis in a main flight direction of the aircraft.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein a sum of the lifting forces generated by the lift rotors runs essentially through the center of gravity of the aircraft.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the sum of the torques generated by the lift rotors in hover flight is almost zero.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the aircraft, with a sum of the torques generated by the lift rotors that is not equal to zero, can be rotated around the yawing axis.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein a thrust component normal to the lift component is present due to the tilting of the rotational plane of the lift rotors.

7. The aircraft of claim 6 , wherein the torque of the lift rotor increased by the thrust component is greater accordingly as the lift rotor is more distant from the center of gravity of the aircraft in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

8. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the lift rotors are formed such that the rotational plane is stationary in relation to a rotor shaft of the lift rotor, said rotor shaft being driven by a motor.

9. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein propeller blades of the lift rotor are rigidly connected to the rotor shaft.

10. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein each of the lift rotors is driven by an electric motor.

11. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is a VTOL.

12. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is a manned or unmanned aircraft.

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Judas Michael
• Gerlach Clemens
• Krauss Thomas
• Karrais Berthold

Classifications

• B64C29/0025

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C27/52 Primary

  Tilting of rotor bodily relative to fuselage (of see-saw type construction B64C27/43) · CPC title

• B64C29/0033 Primary

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C2201/128

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C2201/027

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic