Fixed wing aircraft with trailing rotors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11180248-B2
Application number	US-201816168461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2018
Priority date	Feb 22, 2018
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

A plurality of port-side tilt rotors and a plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are configured to rotate between a first rotor position and a second rotor position. The port-side tilt rotors are coupled to a trailing edge of the fixed and forward-swept wing on the port side and the starboard-side tilt rotors are coupled to the trailing edge of the fixed and forward-swept wing on the starboard side. The aircraft also includes a fuselage. When the port-side and starboard-side tilt rotors are in the first rotor position, at least some of a lift to keep the aircraft airborne comes from thrust output by the rotors at least some of the time. When in the second rotor position, at least some of the lift to keep the aircraft airborne comes from aerodynamic lift on the fixed and forward-swept wing at least some of the time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage;
a fixed and tapered wing;
a plurality of port-side tilt rotors, wherein the plurality of port-side tilt rotors is coupled to a trailing edge of the fixed and tapered wing on the port side of the aircraft; and
a plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors, wherein the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors is coupled to the trailing edge of the fixed and tapered wing on the starboard side of the aircraft, wherein:
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are configured to rotate between a first rotor position and a second rotor position;
when the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are in the first rotor position:
at least some of a lift to keep the aircraft airborne comes from thrust output by the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors at least some of the time; and
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors rotate: (1) beneath the fixed and tapered wing and (2) about a plurality of axes of rotation associated with the first rotor position, wherein none of the plurality of axes of rotation associated with the first rotor position intersect with the fixed and tapered wing;

when the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are in the second rotor position, at least some of the lift to keep the aircraft airborne comes from aerodynamic lift on the fixed and tapered wing at least some of the time; and
when the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are in a third rotor position between the first rotor position and the second rotor position, at least some of the lift to keep the aircraft airborne comes from air that flows over the fixed and tapered wing and then turns and flows down through the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors.

2. The aircraft recited in claim 1 further comprising one or more of the following: a V tail or a three-airfoil tail.

3. The aircraft recited in claim 1 further comprising:
a canard; and
a canard tilt rotor that is attached to the canard, wherein the canard tilt rotor is configured to rotate between a third rotor position and a fourth rotor position.

4. The aircraft recited in claim 1 further comprising:
a canard;
a canard tilt rotor that is attached to the canard, wherein the canard tilt rotor is configured to rotate between a third rotor position and a fourth rotor position;
the canard tilt rotor is attached to the canard at a first height; and
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are attached to the fixed and tapered wing at a second height that is higher than the first height.

5. The aircraft recited in claim 1 further comprising:
a canard;
a canard tilt rotor that is attached to the canard, wherein the canard tilt rotor is configured to rotate between a third rotor position and a fourth rotor position;
the canard tilt rotor is attached to the canard at a first height; and
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are attached to the fixed and tapered wing at a second height that is higher than the first height.

6. The aircraft recited in claim 1 further comprising:
a canard;
a canard tilt rotor that is attached to the canard, wherein the canard tilt rotor is configured to rotate between a third rotor position and a fourth rotor position;
the canard tilt rotor is attached to the canard at a first height;
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are attached to the fixed and tapered wing at a second height that is higher than the first height; and
a V tail.

7. The aircraft recited in claim 1 further comprising:
a canard;
a canard tilt rotor that is attached to the canard, wherein the canard tilt rotor is configured to rotate between a third rotor position and a fourth rotor position;
the canard tilt rotor is attached to the canard at a first height;
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are attached to the fixed and tapered wing at a second height that is higher than the first height; and
a three-airfoil tail.

8. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the fixed and tapered wing includes a fixed, forward-swept, and tapered wing.

9. A method, comprising:
rotating a plurality of port-side tilt rotors and a plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors into a first rotor position, wherein:
when the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are in the first rotor position:
at least some of a lift to keep an aircraft airborne comes from thrust output by the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors at least some of the time; and
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors rotate: (1) beneath the fixed and tapered wing and (2) about a plurality of axes of rotation associated with the first rotor position, wherein none of the plurality of axes of rotation associated with the first rotor position intersect with the fixed and tapered wing; and

the aircraft includes:
a fuselage;
a fixed and tapered wing;
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors, wherein the plurality of port-side tilt rotors is coupled to a trailing edge of the fixed and tapered wing on the port side of the aircraft;
the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors, wherein the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors is coupled to the trailing edge of the fixed and tapered wing on the starboard side of the aircraft; and
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are configured to rotate between the first rotor position and a second rotor position; and

rotating the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors into the second rotor position, wherein:
when the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are in the second rotor position, at least some of the lift to keep the aircraft airborne comes from aerodynamic lift on the fixed and tapered wing at least some of the time; and
when the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are in a third rotor position between the first rotor position and the second rotor position, at least some of the lift to keep the aircraft airborne comes from air that flows over the fixed and tapered wing and then turns and flows down through the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors.

10. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein the aircraft further includes one or more of the following: a V tail or a three-airfoil tail.

11. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein the aircraft further includes:
a canard; and
a canard tilt rotor that is attached to the canard, wherein the canard tilt rotor is configured to rotate between a third rotor position and a fourth rotor position.

12. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein the aircraft further includes:
a canard;
a canard tilt rotor that is attached to the canard, wherein the canard tilt rotor is configured to rotate between a third rotor position and a fourth rotor position;
the canard tilt rotor is attached to the canard at a first height; and
the plurality of port-side tilt rotors and the plurality of starboard-side tilt rotors are attached to the fixed and tapered wing at a second

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Vander Lind Damon
• Sinha Pranay

Classifications

• B64C29/02

  having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded · CPC title

• B64C39/12

  Canard-type aircraft · CPC title

• B64C27/52

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

• B64C27/28

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

• B64C27/26

  characterised by provision of fixed wings · CPC title