System and method for flight control of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12330770-B2
Application number	US-202318389081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2023
Priority date	Jul 23, 2021
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A system for flight control of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The system generally includes a pilot control, a pusher component, a lift component and a flight controller. The pilot control is mechanically coupled to the eVTOL aircraft. The pilot control is configured to transmit an input datum. The pusher component is mechanically coupled to the eVTOL aircraft. The lift component is mechanically coupled to the eVTOL aircraft. The flight controller is communicatively connected to the pilot control. The flight controller is configured to receive the input datum from the pilot control, initiate operation of the pusher component, and terminate operation of the lift component. A method for flight control of an eVTOL aircraft is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
one or more flight components of an electric aircraft;
a pilot control;
a pilot display; and
a flight controller communicatively connected to the pilot control and the one or more flight components, the flight controller configured to:
receive a pilot instruction from the pilot control;
control the one or more flight components as a function of the pilot instruction and a transition phase of flight, the transition phase of flight comprising a transition between a hover state and a fixed-wing flight state of the electric aircraft;
determine a minimum safe speed for the electric aircraft;
determine, as a function of the pilot instruction and the minimum safe speed, one or more flight parameters; and
display the one or more flight parameters and the minimum safe speed on the pilot display during the transition phase of flight.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more flight components comprise a lift component of the electric aircraft, and
the flight controller configured to control the one or more flight components comprises the flight controller configured to control lift generated by the lift component.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more flight components comprise a pusher component of the electric aircraft, and
the flight controller configured to control the one or more flight components comprises the flight controller configured to control thrust generated by the pusher component.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more flight parameters comprise one or more of:
a lift,
a thrust,
a trajectory,
an altitude,
an airspeed velocity, or
a groundspeed velocity.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pilot instruction comprises an instruction to implement the transition between the hover state and the fixed-wing flight state of the electric aircraft.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the flight controller is configured to automatically control the one or more flight components during the transition between the hover state and the fixed-wing flight state of the electric aircraft as a function of the pilot instruction.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight controller is further configured to display a warning associated with the minimum safe speed on the pilot display during the transition phase of flight.

8. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a flight controller of an electric aircraft from a pilot control, a pilot instruction;
controlling, by the flight controller as a function of the pilot instruction and a transition phase of flight, one or more flight components of the electric aircraft, the transition phase of flight comprising a transition between a hover state and a fixed-wing flight state of the electric aircraft;
determining, at the flight controller, a minimum safe speed for the electric aircraft;
determining, at the flight controller as a function of the pilot instruction and the minimum safe speed, one or more flight parameters; and
displaying, by the flight controller on a pilot display during the transition phase of flight, the one or more flight parameters and the minimum safe speed.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the one or more flight components comprises controlling lift generated by a lift component of the electric aircraft.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the one or more flight components comprises controlling thrust generated by a pusher component of the electric aircraft.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the pilot instruction comprises receiving an instruction to transition the electric aircraft between the hover state and the fixed-wing flight state.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the method further comprises determining that the electric aircraft is in the hover state; and
controlling the one or more flight components comprises initiating, by the flight controller, thrust at a pusher component of the one or more flight components of the electric aircraft.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining that an airspeed velocity of the electric aircraft meets or exceeds the minimum safe speed; and
disengaging a lift component of the one or more flight components of the electric aircraft as based at least in part on determining that the airspeed velocity of the electric aircraft meets or exceeds the minimum safe speed.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more flight parameters comprise one or more of:
a lift,
a thrust,
a trajectory,
an altitude,
an airspeed velocity, or
a groundspeed velocity.

15. A system, comprising:
a pilot control;
a pilot display; and
a flight controller communicatively connected to the pilot control and configured to control an electric aircraft, the flight controller configured to:
receive a pilot instruction from the pilot control;
control at least one of a pusher component of the electric aircraft or a lift component of the electric aircraft as a function of the pilot instruction and a transition phase of flight, the transition phase of flight comprising a transition between a hover state and a fixed-wing flight state of the electric aircraft;
determine a minimum safe speed for the electric aircraft;
determine a warning as a function of the pilot instruction and the minimum safe speed; and
display the warning indicating the minimum safe speed on the pilot display during the transition phase of flight.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the flight controller is further configured to automatically control the at least one of the pusher component of the electric aircraft or the lift component of the electric aircraft during the transition phase of flight.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the pilot instruction comprises an instruction to transition the electric aircraft between the hover state and the fixed-wing flight state.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the warning further indicates one or more of:
a lift,
a thrust,
a trajectory,
an altitude,
an airspeed velocity, or
a groundspeed velocity.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the flight controller is further configured to:
determine that an airspeed velocity of the electric aircraft meets or exceeds the minimum safe speed; and
disengage the lift component based at least in part on determining that the airspeed velocity of the electric aircraft meets or exceeds the minimum safe speed.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the flight controller is configured to control at least one of the pusher component or the lift component further as a function of an airspeed velocity of the electric aircraft and the minimum safe speed.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Auerbach Joshua E

Classifications

• B64D27/24

  using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• G05D1/49

  Control of attitude, i.e. control of roll, pitch or yaw · CPC title

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64C29/0033

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title