Multimodal aircraft recovery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11919650-B2
Application number	US-202217880488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2022
Priority date	Jul 11, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

A multi-modal aircraft recovery system is disclosed. In various embodiments, the system includes a first aircraft recovery parachute having a first set of physical attributes optimized for a first set of conditions and a second aircraft recovery parachute having a second set of physical attributes optimized for a second set of conditions different from the first.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first aircraft recovery parachute and a second aircraft recovery parachute having a first set of physical attributes optimized for a first set of conditions, wherein the first set of conditions comprises a high speed and a high altitude, wherein the high speed relates to a speed greater than a speed threshold, and wherein the high altitude relates to an altitude higher than an altitude threshold; and
a third aircraft recovery parachute having a second set of physical attributes optimized for a second set of conditions;
wherein in the event that the second set of conditions is satisfied, a third aircraft recovery parachute is deployed, wherein the third aircraft recovery parachute is larger than the first aircraft recovery parachute, wherein the third aircraft recovery parachute is larger than the second aircraft recovery parachute, wherein the second set of conditions comprises a low speed and a low altitude, wherein the low speed relates to a speed less than the speed threshold, and wherein the low altitude relates to an altitude lower than the altitude threshold; and
wherein the first set of physical attributes and the second set of physical attributes are different.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft recovery parachute and the second aircraft recovery parachute are attached to or stored on an aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft recovery parachute and the second aircraft recovery parachute are attached to or stored on a multicopter.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft recovery parachute and the second aircraft recovery parachute are deployed based on one or more determined conditions.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more determined conditions comprise one or more of the following: an altitude, a global positioning system data, a speed, an acceleration, or a directionality.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more determined conditions are determined based on sensor data collected by a sensor on an aircraft.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first set of physical attributes comprises a small size, a robustness, being heavyweight, or being able to withstand a large load, wherein the heavyweight relates to a weight heavier than a weight threshold, wherein the small size relates to a size smaller than a size threshold, and wherein the large load relates to a load larger than a load threshold.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second set of physical attributes comprises a large size, being fast to deploy, or being lightweight, wherein the large size relates to a size larger than a size threshold, wherein the being fast to deploy relates a deployment speed exceeding a deployment speed threshold, and wherein the lightweight relates to a weight lighter than a weight threshold.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft recovery parachute or the second aircraft recovery parachute has multiple possible states of deployment.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more additional aircraft recovery parachutes are deployed.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein two or more aircraft recovery parachutes are deployed simultaneously, the wherein two or more aircraft recovery parachutes includes the first aircraft recovery parachute and the second aircraft recovery parachute.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft recovery parachute or the second aircraft recovery parachute are deployed mechanically.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft recovery parachute or the second aircraft recovery parachute are deployed based on a pilot indication.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft recovery parachute or the second aircraft recovery parachute are deployed automatically.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein in the event that the first set of conditions is satisfied, the first aircraft recovery parachute is deployed with a first riser ring and the second aircraft recovery parachute is deployed with a second riser ring.

16. A method, comprising:
deploying a first aircraft recovery parachute and a second aircraft recovery parachute having a first set of physical attributes optimized for a first set of conditions, wherein the first set of conditions comprises a high speed and a high altitude, wherein the high speed relates to a speed greater than a speed threshold, and wherein the high altitude relates to an altitude higher than an altitude threshold; and
deploying a third aircraft recovery parachute having a second set of physical attributes optimized for a second set of conditions;
wherein in the event that the second set of conditions is satisfied, a third aircraft recovery parachute is deployed, wherein the third aircraft recovery parachute is larger than the first aircraft recovery parachute, wherein the third aircraft recovery parachute is larger than the second aircraft recovery parachute, wherein the second set of conditions comprises a low speed and a low altitude, wherein the low speed relates to a speed less than the speed threshold, and wherein the low altitude relates to an altitude lower than the altitude threshold; and
wherein the first set of physical attributes and the second set of physical attributes are different.

17. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
deploying a first aircraft recovery parachute and a second aircraft recovery parachute having a first set of physical attributes optimized for a first set of conditions, wherein the first set of conditions comprises a high speed and a high altitude, wherein the high speed relates to a speed greater than a speed threshold, and wherein the high altitude relates to an altitude higher than an altitude threshold; and
deploying a third aircraft recovery parachute having a second set of physical attributes optimized for a second set of conditions;

wherein in the event that the second set of conditions is satisfied, a third aircraft recovery parachute is deployed, wherein the third aircraft recovery parachute is larger than the first aircraft recovery parachute, wherein the third aircraft recovery parachute is larger than the second aircraft recovery parachute, wherein the second set of conditions comprises a low speed and a low altitude, wherein the low speed relates to a speed less than the speed threshold, and wherein the low altitude relates to an altitude lower than the altitude threshold; and
wherein the first set of physical attributes and the second set of physical attributes are different.

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Robertson Cameron
• Roop Joseph
• Reichert Todd
• Vander Lind Damon

Classifications

• B64D17/80 Primary

  in association with aircraft, e.g. for braking thereof · CPC title

• B64D17/62

  Deployment · CPC title

• B64D17/74

  Sequential deployment of a plurality of canopies · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64U70/83

  using parachutes, balloons or the like · CPC title