Robust amphibious aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10676187-B2
Application number	US-201715452564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2017
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A robust amphibious air vehicle incorporates a fuselage with buoyant stabilizers and wings extending from the fuselage. At least one lift fan is mounted in the fuselage. Movable propulsion units carried by the wings are rotatable through a range of angles adapted for vertical and horizontal flight operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air vehicle comprising:
a fuselage having buoyant stabilizers;
wings extending from the fuselage, said wings adaptable to fold adjacent the fuselage;
at least one lift fan mounted in the fuselage; and,
movable propulsion units carried by the wings, said movable propulsion units rotatable through a range of angles adapted for vertical and horizontal flight operations,

wherein the movable propulsion units are wing tip mounted ducted fans, said wing tip mounting including an articulating universal joint for rotation of the ducted fan in a plane perpendicular to a wing chord for placement of the ducted fan adjacent sides of the fuselage.

2. The air vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein the buoyant stabilizers are laterally displaced from a vehicle centerline to provide enhanced lateral stability.

3. The air vehicle as defined in claim 2 wherein the buoyant stabilizers comprise at least two pontoons on opposed lateral extents of the fuselage, the fuselage having a deck extending between the pontoons.

4. The air vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one lift fan comprises two lift fans longitudinally spaced on a vehicle centerline.

5. The air vehicle as defined in claim 1 further comprising supplemental buoyancy elements extending aft of propulsion rotors in the ducted fans.

6. The air vehicle as defined in claim 5 wherein the supplemental buoyancy elements comprises a buoyant chamber supported by a connecting strut extending from an engine/motor nacelle of a propulsion rotor in the ducted fan.

7. The air vehicle as defined in claim 1 further comprising:
a plurality of ballast tanks adapted for filling to create rotational negative buoyancy placing the fuselage in a substantially vertical orientation with respect to a water surface; and,
a ballast control system for venting of the ballast tanks to return the fuselage to a substantially horizontal orientation.

8. The air vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one lift fan comprises two lift fans longitudinally spaced on a vehicle centerline and further comprising supplemental buoyancy elements extending aft of propulsion rotors in the ducted fans.

9. The air vehicle as defined in claim 8 wherein the supplemental buoyancy elements comprises a buoyant chamber supported by a connecting strut extending from an engine/motor nacelle of a propulsion rotor in the ducted fan.

10. The air vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein the buoyant stabilizers comprise at least two pontoons on opposed lateral extents of the fuselage, the fuselage having a deck extending between the pontoons and further comprising a buoyant chamber supported by a connecting strut extending from an engine/motor nacelle of a propulsion rotor in each ducted fan.

11. A method for operation of an air vehicle comprising:
deploying the air vehicle from a home station in vertical takeoff, said vehicle having
a fuselage having buoyant stabilizers;
wings extending from the fuselage, said wings adaptable to fold adjacent the fuselage;
at least one lift fan mounted in the fuselage; and,
movable propulsion units carried by the wings, said movable propulsion units rotatable through a range of angles adapted for vertical and horizontal flight operations,
wherein the movable propulsion units are wing tip mounted ducted fans, said wing tip mounting including an articulating universal joint for rotation of the ducted fan in a plane perpendicular to a wing chord for placement of the ducted fan adjacent sides of the fuselage;
transitioning the air vehicle to horizontal flight;
dashing to a remote location;
deploying assets;
landing the air vehicle on the water surface;
loitering in a perched condition;
taking off to monitor assets in flight, recover or deploy assets from/to the sea surface with reduced time hover, and,
returning the air vehicle to home station.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 further comprising recovering assets to be deployed with a hoist cable mounted maneuvering system (HCMMS).

13. The method as defined in claim 11 further comprising folding the wings for perching.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein the step of folding the wings comprises articulating the wing adjacent sides of a fuselage of the air vehicle and rotating articulating propulsion units with supplemental buoyancy elements in a plane perpendicular to a wing chord for placement adjacent sides of a fuselage of the air vehicle.

15. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the air vehicle further comprises a plurality of ballast tanks adapted for filling to create rotational negative buoyancy placing the fuselage in a substantially vertical orientation with respect to a water surface; and,
a ballast control system for venting of the ballast tanks to return the fuselage to a substantially horizontal orientation; and the step of loitering in the perched condition further comprises:
flooding ballast tanks in the air vehicle to orient the air vehicle in a pogo mode; and,
on command or upon preprogrammed mission guidelines vent the ballast tanks to remove the air vehicle from pogo mode to return to flight configuration.

16. A method for enhanced performance of an air vehicle comprising:
deploying an air vehicle from a home station by vertical takeoff, said vehicle having
a fuselage having buoyant stabilizers;
wings extending from the fuselage, said wings adaptable to fold adjacent the fuselage;
at least one lift fan mounted in the fuselage; and,
movable propulsion units carried by the wings, said movable propulsion units rotatable through a range of angles adapted for vertical and horizontal flight operations,
wherein the movable propulsion units are wing tip mounted ducted fans, said wing tip mounting including an articulating universal joint for rotation of the ducted fan in a plane perpendicular to a wing chord for placement of the ducted fan adjacent sides of the fuselage;
transitioning the vehicle to horizontal flight;
dashing to a remote location;
vertically landing the air vehicle on the water surface;
loitering in a perched condition;
taking off from the water surface vertically; and
returning the air vehicle to the home station.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Bernhardt Roger D

Classifications

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• B64C35/00

  Flying-boats; Seaplanes · CPC title

• B64C25/54

  Floats · CPC title

• B60F5/00

  Other vehicles capable of travelling in or on different media (flying-boats or seaplanes B64C35/00) · CPC title

• B64C2201/108

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic