Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) winged air vehicle with complementary angled rotors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247772-B2
Application number	US-201916453308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2019
Priority date	Jun 3, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for an aircraft having a fuselage; a wing extending from both sides of the fuselage; a first pair of motors disposed at a first end of the wing; and a second pair of motors disposed at a second end of the wing; where each motor is angled to provide a component of thrust by a propeller attached thereto that for a desired aircraft movement applies a resulting torque additive to the resulting torque created by rotating the propellers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
controlling thrust to each of a top port motor, a bottom port motor, a top starboard motor, and a bottom starboard motor of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, wherein the top and bottom starboard motors are angled away from each other within a first plane generally perpendicular to a plane of a wing; and wherein the top and bottom port motors are angled away from each other within a second plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the wing.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing substantially equal thrust to the top port motor, the bottom port motor, the top starboard motor, and the bottom starboard motor of the VTOL aircraft to achieve a vertical take-off.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
increasing thrust to the top motors, and decreasing thrust to the bottom motors to produce a net moment about a center of mass of the VTOL aircraft and cause the aircraft to pitch forward.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
increasing thrust to the top motors, and increasing thrust to the bottom motors to achieve horizontal flight, wherein the wing of the VTOL aircraft provides primary lift in horizontal flight.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
increasing thrust to the top two motors, and decreasing thrust to the bottom two motors in horizontal flight to pitch the VTOL aircraft down.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
decreasing thrust to the top two motors, and increasing thrust to the bottom two motors in horizontal flight to pitch the VTOL aircraft up.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
increasing thrust to the top port and bottom starboard motors, and decreasing thrust to the top starboard and bottom port motors in horizontal flight to roll the VTOL aircraft clockwise relative to a rear view of the VTOL aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
decreasing thrust to top port and bottom starboard motors, and increasing thrust to top starboard and bottom port motors in horizontal flight to roll the VTOL aircraft counter-clockwise relative to a rear view of the VTOL aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
increasing thrust to both the port motors and decreasing thrust to both the starboard motors in horizontal flight to yaw the VTOL aircraft starboard.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
decreasing thrust to both the port motors and increasing thrust to both the starboard motors in horizontal flight to yaw the VTOL aircraft port.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing a lateral component of thrust for each motor based on an angle of each motor relative to the wing.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
capturing data during horizontal flight via one or more sensors disposed in a fuselage of the VTOL aircraft.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing stabilization to the VTOL aircraft in horizontal flight via a vertical stabilizer; and
maintaining the VTOL aircraft in a vertical orientation prior to take-off or after landing via the vertical stabilizer.

14. A system comprising:
a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft;
a top port motor, a bottom port motor, a top starboard motor, and a bottom starboard motor of the VTOL aircraft, wherein the top and bottom starboard motors are angled away from each other within a first plane generally perpendicular to a plane of a wing; and wherein the top and bottom port motors are angled away from each other within a second plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the wing; and
a processor having addressable memory, the processor configured to:
control thrust to each of the top port motor, the bottom port motor, the top starboard motor, and the bottom starboard motor of the VTOL aircraft.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each motor is angled between 5 and 35 degrees from a longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein a propeller is attached to each motor, wherein each propeller is disposed distal from the wing, and wherein each propeller is in a clean air region away from turbulent air coming off the wing during horizontal flight.

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising:
one or more sensors disposed in a fuselage of the VTOL aircraft, the one or more sensors in communication with the processor;
wherein the one or more sensors capture data during horizontal flight.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein a sensor of the one or more sensors is a camera.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein a sensor of the one or more sensors is at least one of: fixed relative to the fuselage of the VTOL aircraft and pivotable relative to the fuselage of the VTOL aircraft.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein each motor is angled from a longitudinal axis of the aircraft based on at least one of: a desired lateral force component needed to provide a sufficient yaw in vertical flight for the VTOL aircraft and a desired lateral force component needed to provide a sufficient roll in horizontal flight for the VTOL aircraft.

Assignees

• Aerovironment Inc

Inventors

• Won Henry Thome
• Lindsey Quentin

Classifications

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• B64U10/20 Primary

  Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft (flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17) · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U70/80

  Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets (rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20) · CPC title

• B64D27/06

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title