Tilting hexrotor aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022306292-A1
Application number	US-202117216591-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 29, 2021
Priority date	Mar 29, 2021
Publication date	Sep 29, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

One embodiment is an aircraft including a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; first and second booms connected to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage; first and second forward propulsion systems attached to forward ends of the first and second booms; first and second aft propulsion systems fixedly attached proximate aft ends of the first and second booms; first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems connected to outboard ends of wings; and first and second wing tips fixedly connected to outboard sides of the first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems; wherein the first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems and the first and second wing tips are collectively tiltable between a first position when the aircraft is in a hover mode and a second position when the aircraft is in a cruise mode.

First claim

1 . An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; first and second booms connected to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage; first and second forward propulsion systems attached to forward ends of the first and second booms; first and second aft propulsion systems fixedly attached proximate aft ends of the first and second booms; first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems connected to outboard ends of wings; and wherein the first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems are tiltable between a first position when the aircraft is in a hover mode and a second position when the aircraft is in a cruise mode; and wherein each of the propulsion systems includes a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades.

2 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor assemblies of the first and second aft propulsion systems rotate when the aircraft is in the hover mode and cease to rotate when the aircraft is in the cruise mode.

3 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first and second forward propulsion systems are tiltably connected to forward ends of the first and second booms such that the first and second forward propulsion systems are tiltable between a first position when the aircraft is in the hover mode and a second position when the aircraft is in the cruise mode.

4 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first and second forward propulsion systems are fixedly attached to the forward ends of the first and second booms.

5 . The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the rotor assemblies of the first and second forward propulsion systems rotate when the aircraft is in the hover mode and cease to rotate when the aircraft is in the cruise mode.

6 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor assemblies of the forward propulsion systems and the wing-mounted propulsion systems include the same number of blades.

7 . The aircraft of claim 6 , wherein the rotor assemblies of the aft rotor propulsion systems include fewer blades than the rotor assemblies of the forward propulsion systems and the wing-mounted propulsion systems.

8 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor assemblies of the forward propulsion systems and the wing-mounted propulsion systems include five blades each and the rotor assemblies of the aft rotor propulsion systems include two blades each.

9 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the wing is disposed on a top surface of the fuselage.

10 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein a portion of each of the booms is integrated into the wing.

11 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the propulsion systems collectively comprise a hexrotor arc when the aircraft is in the hover mode.

12 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first and second forward propulsion systems are located forward of the first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems.

13 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems are located outboard of the first and second forward propulsion systems.

14 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first and second aft propulsion systems are attached to a top surface of the first and second booms such that the rotor assemblies rotate above the first and second booms.

15 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first and second aft propulsion systems are attached to a bottom surface of the first and second booms such that the rotor assemblies rotate below the first and second booms.

16 . An electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) selectively convertible between a hover mode and a cruise mode, the eVTOL comprising:
a fuselage; a wing connected to a top surface of the fuselage and having opposite outboard ends; first and second booms connected to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage and including forward ends disposed forward of the wing and aft ends disposed aft of the wing; first and second forward propulsion systems attached to the forward ends of the first and second booms; first and second aft propulsion systems fixedly attached proximate the aft ends of the first and second booms; and first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems connected to outboard ends of wings, wherein each of the first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems includes:
a pylon for housing a drive system;
wherein each of the pylons is tiltable relative to the wing between a first position when the aircraft is in a hover mode and a second position when the aircraft is in a cruise mode; and wherein each of the propulsion systems includes a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades.

17 . The eVTOL of claim 16 , wherein the first and second aft propulsion systems are operable when the aircraft is in the hover mode and inoperable when the aircraft is in the cruise mode.

18 . The eVTOL of claim 16 , wherein the first and second forward propulsion systems are tiltably connected to forward ends of the first and second booms such that the first and second forward propulsion systems are tiltable between a first position when the aircraft is in the hover mode and a second position when the aircraft is in the cruise mode.

19 . The eVTOL of claim 16 , wherein the first and second forward propulsion systems are fixedly attached to the forward ends of the first and second booms and wherein the first and second forward propulsion systems are operable when the aircraft is in the hover mode and inoperable when the aircraft is in the cruise mode.

20 . The eVTOL of claim 16 , wherein the propulsion systems collectively comprise a hexrotor arc when the aircraft is in the hover mode.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc

Inventors

• Ross Brent C
• Groninga Kirk L
• Ivans Steven R
• Schafer Steve R
• Passe Brad Joseph
• Carlson Nicholas Ralph

Classifications

• B64C39/08

  having multiple wings · CPC title

• B64C39/04

  having multiple fuselages or tail booms · CPC title

• B64C39/12

  Canard-type aircraft · CPC title

• B64C2001/0045

  Fuselages characterised by special shapes · CPC title

• B64C29/0033 Primary

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title