Tail sitter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794892-B2
Application number	US-201916973308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Jun 28, 2018
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A tail sitter aircraft is described that comprises: a fuselage arranged vertically in a take-off/landing position and transversely to a vertical direction in a cruising position of the aircraft; a single wing; at least two first engines configured to exert respective first thrusts directed along respective first axes on the tail sitter; and at least two second engines rotating about respective second axes arranged above said first axes of the first engines, with reference to the cruising position; the at least two second engines being configured to exert respective second thrusts directed along respective second axes on the tail sitter; the first and second engines being carried by the single wing; the single wing comprises a first portion and a second portion mutually staggered from one another; the second portion being arranged above said first portion, with reference to said cruising position; said first portion comprises two half-wings, extending from opposite lateral sides of the fuselage; the wing further comprises a third portion arranged below said first portion with reference to said cruising position of said aircraft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tail sitter aircraft ( 1 ′), comprising:
a fuselage ( 2 ) arranged, in use, vertically in a Take-off/landing position of said aircraft ( 1 ′);
a single wing ( 4 );
at least two first engines ( 15 a , 15 b ) configured to exert, in use, respective first thrusts (S 1 , S 5 , S 3 ; S 2 , S 5 , S 4 ) directed along respective first axes (A) on said tail sitter ( 1 , 1 ′); and
at least two second engines ( 15 c , 15 d ) rotating about respective second axes (A) arranged above said first axes (A) of said first engines ( 15 a , 15 b ), with reference to said cruising position; said at least two second engines ( 15 c , 15 d ) being configured to exert, in use, respective second thrusts (S 2 , S 6 , S 3 ; S 1 , S 6 , S 4 ) directed along respective second axes (A) on said tail sitter ( 1 ′);

said first and second engines ( 15 a , 15 b ; 15 c , 15 d ) being carried by said single wing ( 4 );
said single wing ( 4 ) comprising a first portion ( 5 ) and a second portion ( 6 ) mutually staggered from one another;
said second portion ( 6 ) being arranged, in use, above said first portion ( 5 ), with reference to said cruising position of said aircraft ( 1 ′);
said first portion ( 5 ) comprising two half-wings ( 5 ), which extend from opposite lateral sides of said fuselage ( 2 );
said fuselage ( 2 ) being arranged, in use, transversely to a vertical direction in a cruising position of said aircraft ( 1 ′);
said wing ( 4 ) further comprising a third portion ( 30 ) arranged, in use, below said first portion ( 5 ) with reference to said cruising position of said aircraft ( 1 ′); characterized in that said single wing ( 4 ) comprises:
a first and a second connecting section ( 7 ), which are interposed between respective ends ( 8 , 9 ) of said first portion ( 5 ) and of said second portion ( 6 );

wherein said first engines ( 15 a , 15 b ) are arranged on respective first ends ( 8 ) of said first portion ( 5 );
said second engines ( 15 c , 15 d ) being arranged on respective second ends ( 9 ) of said second portion ( 6 ).

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , characterized by being a drone or in that said fuselage ( 2 ) is configured to accommodate a crew.

3. A tail sitter aircraft ( 1 ′), comprising:
a fuselage ( 2 ) arranged, in use, vertically in a Take-off/landing position of said aircraft ( 1 ′);
a single wing ( 4 );
at least two first engines ( 15 a , 15 b ) configured to exert, in use, respective first thrusts (S 1 , S 5 , S 3 ; S 2 , S 5 , S 4 ) directed along respective first axes (A) on said tail sitter ( 1 , 1 ′); and
at least two second engines ( 15 c , 15 d ) rotating about respective second axes (A) arranged above said first axes (A) of said first engines ( 15 a , 15 b ), with reference to said cruising position; said at least two second engines ( 15 c , 15 d ) being configured to exert, in use, respective second thrusts (S 2 , S 6 , S 3 ; S 1 , S 6 , S 4 ) directed along respective second axes (A) on said tail sitter ( 1 ′);

said first and second engines ( 15 a , 15 b ; 15 c , 15 d ) being carried by said single wing ( 4 );
said single wing ( 4 ) comprising a first portion ( 5 ) and a second portion ( 6 ) mutually staggered from one another;
said second portion ( 6 ) being arranged, in use, above said first portion ( 5 ), with reference to said cruising position of said aircraft ( 1 ′);
said first portion ( 5 ) comprising two half-wings ( 5 ), which extend from opposite lateral sides of said fuselage ( 2 );
said fuselage ( 2 ) being arranged, in use, transversely to a vertical direction in a cruising position of said aircraft ( 1 ′);
said wing ( 4 ) further comprising a third portion ( 30 ) arranged, in use, below said first portion ( 5 ) with reference to said cruising position of said aircraft ( 1 ′); characterized in that said single wing ( 4 ) comprises:
a first and a second connecting section ( 7 ), which are interposed between respective ends ( 8 , 9 ) of said first portion ( 5 ) and of said second portion ( 6 );

wherein said wing ( 4 ) has a closed front section (C); said wing ( 4 ) being a non-planar wing closed in on itself and without free ends; said front section (C) being defined by the projection of said wing ( 4 ) on a plane orthogonal to a third axis (Y) parallel to the extension direction of said fuselage ( 2 ).

4. The aircraft of claim 3 , characterized in that said third portion ( 30 ) and said first portion ( 5 ) are connected by first sections ( 31 ) at respective ends ( 32 , 8 ).

5. The aircraft of claim 4 , characterized in that a centre of said third portion ( 30 ) is connected to said fuselage ( 2 ) by a second section ( 33 ) interposed between first sections ( 31 ) along a fourth axis (X); said first and second sections ( 31 , 33 ) extend parallel to a fifth axis (Z), orthogonal to said fourth axis (X).

6. A tail sitter aircraft ( 1 ′), comprising:
a fuselage ( 2 ) arranged, in use, vertically in a Take-off/landing position of said aircraft ( 1 ′);
a single wing ( 4 );
at least two first engines ( 15 a , 15 b ) configured to exert, in use, respective first thrusts (S 1 , S 5 , S 3 ; S 2 , S 5 , S 4 ) directed along respective first axes (A) on said tail sitter ( 1 , 1 ′); and
at least two second engines ( 15 c , 15 d ) rotating about respective second axes (A) arranged above said first axes (A) of said first engines ( 15 a , 15 b ), with reference to said cruising position; said at least two second engines ( 15 c , 15 d ) being configured to exert, in use, respective second thrusts (S 2 , S 6 , S 3 ; S 1 , S 6 , S 4 ) directed along respective second axes (A) on said tail sitter ( 1 ′);

said first and second engines ( 15 a , 15 b ; 15 c , 15 d ) being carried by said single wing ( 4 );
said single wing ( 4 ) comprising a first portion ( 5 ) and a second portion ( 6 ) mutually staggered from one another;
said second portion ( 6 ) being arranged, in use, above said first portion ( 5 ), with reference to said cruising position of said aircraft ( 1 ′);
said first portion ( 5 ) comprising two half-wings ( 5 ), which extend from opposite lateral sides of said fuselage ( 2 );
said fuselage ( 2 ) being arranged, in use, transversely to a vertical direction in a cruising position of said aircraft ( 1 ′);
said wing ( 4 ) further comprising a third portion ( 30 ) arranged, in use, below said first portion ( 5 ) with reference to said cruising position of said aircraft ( 1 ′); characterized in that said single wing ( 4 ) comprises:
a first and a second connecting section ( 7 ), which are interposed between respective ends ( 8 , 9 ) of said first portion ( 5 ) and of said second portion ( 6 );

wherein said first engines ( 15 a , 15 b ) each comprise a relative hub ( 16 ) rotating about a relative first axis (A) and a plurality of blades ( 17 ) extending in a cantilever fashion from said hub ( 16 ) and having respective pitch angles;
said aircraft ( 1 ′) further comprising a control unit ( 19 ) programmed to adjust said angular velocity of said hub ( 16 ) and said pitch angles of said blades ( 17 ) of each first and second engine ( 15 a , 15 b ) independently of the pitch angles of said blades ( 17 ) and of the rotation velocity of said hub ( 16 ) of the remaining said first and second engines ( 15 a , 15 b ; 15 c , 15 d ); said cyclic pitch of said blades ( 7 ) being fixed.

7. The aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein said first engines ( 15 a , 15 b ) are arranged on respective first ends ( 8 ) of said first portion ( 5 );

Assignees

• Leonardo Spa

Inventors

• Bianco Mengotti Riccardo

Classifications

• B64C25/32

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

• B64U30/21

  Rotary wings · CPC title

• B64U10/25

  Fixed-wing aircraft (VTOL aircraft B64U10/20) · CPC title

• B64C27/54

  Mechanisms for controlling blade adjustment or movement relative to rotor head, e.g. lag-lead movement · CPC title

• B64D31/00

  Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft · CPC title