Aircraft with displaceable control surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11708147-B2
Application number	US-202117557981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2021
Priority date	Oct 23, 2019
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

An aircraft includes a wing and a rotor pod mounted to the wing. The rotor pod includes a body having a forward end and an aft end. A propeller is mounted to the body of the rotor pod at the forward end. A control surface is mounted to the body of the rotor pod between the forward and aft ends and extends outwardly from the body. The control surface is displaceable relative to the body between a first control configuration and a second control configuration to control an attitude of the aircraft. The control surface in the first control configuration is closer to the propeller than the control surface in the second control configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a wing;
a rotor pod mounted to the wing, the rotor pod including a body having a forward end and an aft end, and extending along a longitudinal pod axis;
a propeller mounted to the body of the rotor pod at the forward end; and
a control surface mounted to the body of the rotor pod downstream of the propeller and extending outwardly from the body, the control surface displaceable relative to the body between a first control configuration and a second control configuration, the control surface being further from the propeller in the second control configuration than in the first control configuration, the control surface rotatable relative to the body about a transverse pod axis extending transversely to the longitudinal pod axis to orient a pressure side or a suction side of the control surface toward the propeller to induce at least one of a roll, a pitch and a yaw of the aircraft.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control surface has a leading edge and a trailing edge extending outwardly from the body, the control surface being rotatable to position one of the leading edge and the trailing edge facing forwardly.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control surface is rotatable about the transverse pod axis by 180 degrees.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor pod includes an actuator operatively connected to the control surface to displace the control surface relative to the body.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control surface is clear of the wing.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein in the first configuration, the control surface is rotatable about the transverse pod axis between a first range of angular positions to control an attitude of the aircraft, the first range including a first angular position in which a leading edge of the control surface faces rearwardly and, in the second configuration, the control surface is rotatable about the transverse pod axis within a second range of angular positions to control the attitude of the aircraft, the second range including a second angular position in which the leading edge faces forwardly.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control surface has a root disposed proximate the body and a tip disposed outward of the body opposite the root, and leading and trailing edges respectively extending between the root and the tip, the leading edge facing away from the propeller and the tip being closer to the propeller than the root in the first control configuration, the leading edge facing toward the propeller and the root being closer to the propeller than the tip in the second control configuration.

8. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein in the first control configuration, the tip is located forward of a center of gravity of the aircraft and in the second configuration, the tip is located aft of the center of gravity.

9. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control surface is translatable along the longitudinal pod axis relative to the forward and aft ends to displace the control surface between the first and second control configurations.

10. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control surface is rotatable about the longitudinal pod axis.

11. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the wing is a first wing, the rotor pod is a first rotor pod, and the control surface is a first control surface, the aircraft having a second wing in a same plane as the first wing, a second rotor pod mounted to the second wing, and a second control surface mounted to the second rotor pod and extending outwardly therefrom, the second control surface being displaceable relative to the second rotor pod independently of the first control surface.

12. An aircraft, comprising:
a wing;
a rotor pod mounted to the wing, the rotor pod including a body having a forward end and an aft end, and extending along a longitudinal pod axis;
a propeller mounted to the body of the rotor pod at the forward end; and
a control surface mounted to the body of the rotor pod downstream of the propeller and extending outwardly from the body, the control surface being translatable relative to the body between and relative to the forward and aft ends between a first control configuration and a second control configuration, the control surface being further from the propeller in the second control configuration than in the first control configuration to vary an authority of the control surface.

13. The aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the control surface is rotatable relative to the body, the control surface having a leading edge and a trailing edge extending outwardly from the body, one of the leading edge and the trailing edge facing forwardly upon being in the first control configuration and rearwardly upon being in the second control configuration.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the control surface is rotatable about a transverse pod axis extending transversely to the longitudinal pod axis to selectively orient a pressure side or a suction side of the control surface toward the propeller to induce at least one of a roll, a pitch and a yaw of the aircraft.

15. The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein in the first control configuration, the control surface is rotatable about the transverse pod axis between a first range of angular positions to control an attitude of the aircraft, the first range including a first angular position in which the leading edge of the control surface faces rearwardly and, in the second control configuration, the control surface is rotatable about the transverse pod axis within a second range of angular positions to control the attitude of the aircraft, the second range including a second angular position in which the leading edge faces forwardly.

16. The aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the control surface has a root disposed proximate the body and a tip disposed outward of the body opposite the root, and a leading edge and a trailing edge respectively extend between the root and the tip, the leading edge facing away from the propeller and the tip being closer to the propeller than the root in the first control configuration, the leading edge facing toward the propeller and the root being closer to the propeller than the tip in the second control configuration.

17. The aircraft of claim 16 , wherein in the first control configuration, at least part of the tip is located aft of the aft end of the body.

18. A method of operating an aircraft including a wing and a rotor pod mounted to the wing, the rotor pod having a control surface, the method comprising: rotating the control surface about an axis transverse to the rotor pod between a first control configuration and a second control configuration to selectively orient a pressure side or a suction side of the control surface toward a rotor of the rotor pod to control at least one of a roll, a pitch and a yaw of the aircraft; and translating the control surface along a longitudinal axis of the rotor pod to vary distance between the control surface and the rotor.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the translating of the control surface includes translating the control surface to the first control configuration and rotating the control surface about the axis to a first angular position to control the at least one of the roll, the pitch, and the yaw movement of the aircraft, and translating the control surface to the second control configuration and rotating the control surface about the axis to a second angular position different from the first angular position to control said roll, pitch, and yaw mov

Assignees

• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Flynn-Robitaille Pascal

Classifications

• B64C9/08 Primary

  bodily displaceable · CPC title

• B64C13/38

  with power amplification · CPC title

• B64C29/02 Primary

  having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded · CPC title

• B64C25/32

  characterised by elements which contact the ground or similar surface  (arrester hooks B64C25/68) · CPC title

• B64C3/40

  Varying angle of sweep · CPC title