Rotorcraft-assisted system and method for launching and retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft into and from free flight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10696420-B2
Application number	US-201715679801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2017
Priority date	Aug 17, 2016
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a rotorcraft-assisted system and method for launching and retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft into and from free flight. The launch and retrieval system includes a modular multicopter, a storage and launch system, an anchor system, a flexible capture member, and an aircraft-landing structure. The multicopter is attachable to the fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launching the fixed-wing aircraft into free, wing-borne flight. The storage and launch system is usable to store the multicopter (when disassembled) and to act as a launch mount for the fixed-wing aircraft by retaining the fixed-wing aircraft in a desired launch orientation. The anchor system is usable with the multicopter, the flexible capture member, and the aircraft-landing structure to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from free, wing-borne flight.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of retrieving an aircraft from free flight, the method comprising:
flying a rotorcraft above an anchor system such that a first portion of a flexible capture member connected at one end to the rotorcraft and at another end to the anchor system extends between the rotorcraft and the anchor system;
station-keeping the rotorcraft relative to the anchor system such that the anchor system exerts a first regulated force on the first portion of the flexible capture member; and
after the aircraft has contacted and captured part of the first portion of the flexible capture member, thereby causing the anchor system to pay out a second portion of the flexible capture member while exerting a second regulated force on the first and second portions of the flexible capture member, descending the rotorcraft toward the anchor system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein descending the rotorcraft toward the anchor system causes the anchor system to exert the first regulated force on the first portion of the flexible capture member, thereby causing the anchor system to retract at least some of the first portion of the flexible capture member.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising descending the rotorcraft until the fixed-wing aircraft contacts an aircraft-landing structure.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising inflating the aircraft-landing structure and positioning the aircraft-landing structure such that the flexible capture member extends through the aircraft-landing structure between the rotorcraft and the anchor system before the aircraft contacts the aircraft-landing structure after the aircraft has captured the part of the first portion of the flexible capture member.

Assignees

• Hood Tech Corp

Inventors

• Von Flotow Andreas H
• Roeseler Corydon C
• Reiss Daniel Pepin
• Massong Jessie

Classifications

• B64U70/70

  Launching or landing using catapults, tracks or rails (launching from storage containers B64U70/50) · CPC title

• B64U70/30

  for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net · CPC title

• B64U2201/202

  using tethers for connecting to ground station · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U20/94

  of rotors or rotor motors · CPC title