Parasite aircraft for airborne deployment and retrieval

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548608-B2
Application number	US-202117223274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2021
Priority date	Oct 16, 2018
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A parasite aircraft for airborne deployment and retrieve includes a wing; a fuselage rotatably mounted to the wing; a dock disposed on top of the fuselage and configured to receive a maneuverable capture device of a carrier aircraft; a pair of tail members extending from the fuselage; and a plurality of landing gear mounted to the wing. A method of preparing a parasite aircraft for flight includes unfolding an end portion of a wing; unfolding an end portion of a tail member of the parasite aircraft; and rotating a fuselage of the parasite aircraft so that the fuselage is perpendicular to the wing. A method of preparing a parasite aircraft for storage includes rotating a fuselage of the parasite aircraft to be parallel with a wing of the parasite aircraft; folding an end portion of the wing; and folding an end portion of a tail member of the parasite aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preparing a parasite aircraft for flight, the method comprising:
unfolding an end portion of a wing of the parasite aircraft;
unfolding an end portion of a tail member of the parasite aircraft; and
rotating a fuselage of the parasite aircraft so that the fuselage is perpendicular to the wing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotating the fuselage comprises rotating a rotor of the parasite aircraft to prevent the rotor from contacting the wing.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, prior to the unfolding the end portion of the wing, the parasite aircraft is lifted off of a loading surface by a carrier aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the unfolding the end portion of the wing, removing the parasite aircraft from a hangar of a ship and positioning the parasite aircraft on a deck of the ship.

5. A method of preparing a parasite aircraft for storage, the method comprising:
rotating a fuselage of the parasite aircraft to be parallel with a wing of the parasite aircraft;
folding an end portion of the wing; and
folding an end portion of a tail member of the parasite aircraft.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the rotating the fuselage comprises rotating a rotor of the parasite aircraft to prevent the rotor from contacting the wing.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein, prior to the rotating the fuselage, capturing the parasite aircraft with a carrier aircraft.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the capturing comprises docking a maneuverable capture device of the carrier aircraft in a dock of the parasite aircraft.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising deploying landing gear of the parasite aircraft after the capturing.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Drennan Joseph Scott
• Fenny Carlos Alexander
• Ryan Michael John
• Mccullough John Richard
• Zimmerman Brett Rodney

Classifications

• B64D5/00

  Aircraft transported by aircraft, e.g. for release or reberthing during flight · CPC title

• B64D1/22

  Taking-up articles from earth's surface · CPC title

• B64U80/82

  Airborne vehicles · CPC title

• B64U80/86

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• B64C3/546

  by foldable elements · CPC title