Distributed electric propulsion modular wing aircraft with blown wing and extreme flaps for VTOL and/or STOL flight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12006030-B2
Application number	US-202016857954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2020
Priority date	Apr 24, 2020
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

An aircraft wing configuration for a vertical or a short take-off and landing aircraft having a plurality of propeller-blown wings mounted at different longitudinal locations along a fuselage of the vertical take-off and landing aircraft, producing two or more lifting surfaces, fixed at a predetermined acute wing angle greater than 0° and substantially less than 90° relative to a horizontal plane, and having a plurality of flaps disposed behind the wings. The configuration has a plurality of propellers distributed in front of the plurality of wings producing two or more lifting surfaces and mounted such that the wings are externally blown by forced airstreams from the propellers. The propellers produce distributed thrust components, and the plurality of flaps are in the forced airstreams of the propellers when one or more of the flaps is in an extended position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage;
a plurality of propeller-blown wings mounted at different longitudinal locations along the fuselage of the aircraft, the plurality of propeller-blown wings producing two or more lifting surfaces, fixed at a predetermined acute wing angle greater than 0° and substantially less than 90° relative to a horizontal plane, and having a plurality of flaps disposed behind the plurality of propeller-blown wings and deployable between a fully retracted position, wherein the flaps are fixed at the predetermined acute wing angle, and a fully extended position, wherein the flaps are pointed vertically downward at an oblique angle relative to a wing body axis of the wings, wherein the plurality of propeller-blown wings are fixed relative to the fuselage; and
a plurality of propellers distributed in front of the plurality of propeller-blown wings and mounted such that the plurality of propeller-blown wings are externally blown by forced airstreams from the propellers,
wherein
the propellers produce distributed thrust components laterally along the wings and longitudinally across the aircraft comprising at least a resultant first vertical lift component,
the flaps, when in the extended position, are in the forced airstreams of the propellers,
the flaps, when in the extended position and pointed in a downward direction relative to the plurality of propeller-blown wings at a flap angle below a retracted position and with the plurality of propeller-blown wings fixed at the acute wing angle relative to the horizontal plane, deflect the forced airstream downward to negate forward movement of the aircraft and produce a net upward force, thereby generating at least a resultant second vertical lift component, and
the first vertical lift component and the second vertical lift component provide adjustable distributed lift components laterally and longitudinally across the aircraft for hovering the aircraft with no aircraft forward speed during vertical take-off and landing operation.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of propellers includes a distributed propulsion system individually controlling, for each of the propellers, a rotational speed and a rotational direction.

3. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the distributed propulsion system comprises a distributed electric propulsion system including multiple electric motors.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of propellers comprises propellers of different sizes are mounted to one of the plurality of propeller-blown wings or distributed between different ones of the plurality of propeller-blown wings.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of propellers comprises at least one propeller disposed at a tip of one of the plurality of propeller-blown wings to propel the forced airstream across an aileron or flaperon.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of propellers comprises at least one propeller disposed at a tip of one of the plurality of propeller-blown wings to propel the forced airstream across an aileron or flaperon and onto at least a portion of one of the flaps.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of propellers comprises at least one propeller disposed at a tip of the wing to reduce drag in forward flight and aid in a transition between vertical and horizontal flight.

8. The aircraft of claim 2 , further comprising a flight controller controlling operation of at least the distributed propulsion system.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the flight controller further controls a flap angle of the flaps, elevon positions of elevons, aileron positions of ailerons, flaperon positions of flaperons, and/or a speed of the propellers during hover and slow forward flight of the aircraft.

10. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of propeller-blown wings are disposed at different vertical levels above and below a center of gravity of the aircraft such that differential thrust from the propellers on a low wing versus a high wing produces a longitudinal or pitching moment about the center of gravity of the aircraft during forward flight.

11. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of wings comprises a front wing and an aft wing producing the two or more lifting surfaces.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the front wing and the aft wing are disposed at the different vertical levels.

13. The aircraft of claim 12 , further comprising a distributed propulsion system individually controlling, for each of the propellers on the front wing and the aft wing, a rotational speed and a rotational direction.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of propellers comprises propellers of different sizes mounted to the front wing and mounted to the aft wing.

15. The aircraft of claim 13 , further comprising a flight controller controlling operation of at least the distributed propulsion system.

16. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of propellers comprises propellers disposed at tips of the front wing and the aft wing propelling respective forced airstreams across respective ailerons or flaperons.

17. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first vertical lift component and the second vertical lift component provide for a vertical/short takeoff and landing operation of the aircraft.

18. A short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft comprising:
a fuselage;
a plurality of propeller-blown wings a) mounted at different longitudinal locations along the fuselage of the aircraft, b) producing two or more lifting surfaces, c) fixed at a predetermined acute wing angle greater than 0° and substantially less than 90° relative to a horizontal plane, and d) having a plurality of flaps disposed behind the plurality of propeller-blown wings and deployable between a fully retracted position, wherein the flaps are fixed at the predetermined acute wing angle, and a fully extended position, wherein the flaps are pointed vertically downward at an oblique angle relative to a wing body axis of the wings, wherein the plurality of propeller-blown wings are fixed relative to the fuselage; and
a plurality of propellers a) distributed in front of the plurality of propeller-blown wings and b) mounted such that the plurality of propeller-blown wings are externally blown by forced airstreams from the propellers,
wherein
the propellers produce distributed thrust components laterally along the wings and longitudinally across the aircraft comprising at least a resultant first vertical lift component,
the flaps, when in the extended position, are in the forced airstreams of the propellers, and
the flaps, when in the extended position and pointed in a downward direction relative to the plurality of propeller-blown wings at a flap angle below a retracted position and with the plurality of propeller-blown wings fixed at the acute wing angle relative to the horizontal plane, deflect the forced airstream downward and thereby generates at least a resultant second vertical lift component.

19. The STOL aircraft of claim 18 , wherein the first vertical lift component and the second vertical lift component provide adjustable distributed lift components laterally and longitudinally across the aircraft.

20. The STOL aircraft of claim 18 , wherein the first vertical lift component and the second vertical lift component permit flight below a normal stall speed of an aircraft without blown flaps.

Assignees

• United States Of America As Represente By The Administrator Of Nasa
• Nasa

Inventors

• Geuther Steven C
• North David D
• Mcswain Robert G
• Patterson Michael D
• Howland Gregory
• Fell Jared S
• Cagle Christopher M
• Fei Xiaofan
• Whiteside Siena K S
• Hare David A

Classifications

• B64C29/0025 Primary

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C3/50 Primary

  by leading or trailing edge flaps · CPC title

• B64C9/00

  Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders (trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10) · CPC title

• B64D31/02

  Initiating means · CPC title

• B64C13/02

  Initiating means · CPC title