Electric tiltrotor aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023348054-A1
Application number	US-202318337703-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2023
Priority date	May 19, 2021
Publication date	Nov 2, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments include an aircraft comprising a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; and first and second propulsion systems connected to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second propulsion systems and at least a portion of the wing are tiltable between a first position in which the aircraft is in a hover mode and a second position in which the aircraft is in a cruise mode, wherein each of the propulsion systems includes pylon and a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; and a pair of booms connected to opposite sides of the fuselage; an aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems mounted proximate aft ends of booms; a forward pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems mounted to forward ends of booms; wherein each of the propulsion systems includes pylon and a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades.

2 . The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of wing-mounted propulsion systems mounted to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage.

3 . The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of each of the wing-mounted propulsion systems are tiltable between a first position in which the aircraft is in a hover mode and a second position in which the aircraft is in a cruise mode.

4 . The aircraft of claim 2 wherein each of the wing-mounted propulsion systems comprises an electric motor located in a pylon of the wing-mounted propulsion system.

5 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems are fixedly attached in a hover mode.

6 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein a tilt angle of the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems causes a component of the thrust from each of the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems to provide a yaw moment.

7 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems are configured to cease rotation when the aircraft is in a cruise mode.

8 . The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the aft pair of boom mounted propulsion systems each comprise a rotor assembly with two blades, and in the cruise mode the aircraft is configured to stop the rotor assembly of the aft pair of boom mounted propulsion systems with only a tip of the blades presenting a frontal area.

9 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems is mounted on a top surface of the pair of booms.

10 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein each of the forward pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems is rotatably mounted on the forward ends of the pair of booms.

11 . The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising a tail assembly connected proximate aft ends of the booms aft of the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems.

12 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the wing comprises winglets.

13 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is an unmanned aircraft.

14 . An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; and a pair of booms connected to opposite sides of the fuselage; an aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems fixedly mounted proximate aft ends of booms, wherein the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems are fixedly attached in a hover mode and cease rotation when the aircraft is in a cruise mode; a forward pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems rotatably mounted to forward ends of booms; and a tail assembly connected proximate aft ends of the booms aft of the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems, wherein each of the propulsion systems includes pylon and a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades.

15 . The aircraft of claim 14 , further comprising a pair of wing-mounted propulsion systems rotatably mounted to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage, wherein at least a portion of each of the wing-mounted propulsion systems is tiltable between a first position in which the aircraft is in the hover mode and a second position in which the aircraft is in the cruise mode.

16 . The aircraft of claim 15 wherein each of the wing-mounted propulsion systems comprises an electric motor located in a pylon of the wing-mounted propulsion system.

17 . The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the aft pair of boom mounted propulsion systems each comprise a rotor assembly including two rotor blades, and in the cruise mode the aircraft is configured to stop the rotor assembly of the aft pair of boom mounted propulsion systems with only a tip of the blades presenting a frontal area.

18 . The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems is mounted on a top surface of the pair of booms.

19 . An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; and a pair of booms connected to opposite sides of the fuselage; an aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems fixedly mounted proximate aft ends of booms; a forward pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems rotatably mounted to forward ends of booms; a pair of wing-mounted propulsion systems rotatably mounted to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage; and a tail assembly connected proximate aft ends of the booms aft of the aft pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems; wherein each of the propulsion systems includes pylon and a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades.

20 . The aircraft of claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of each of the forward pair of boom-mounted propulsion systems and the wing-mounted propulsion systems are tiltable between a first position in which the aircraft is in a hover mode and a second position in which the aircraft is in a cruise mode.

Assignees

• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Ross Brent C
• Groninga Kirk L
• Ivans Steven R
• Hurst Jason Paul

Classifications

• B64D35/08

  characterised by the transmission being driven by a plurality of power plants (for hybrid-electric power plants B64D35/022) · CPC title

• B64D27/24

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

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64D27/30

  Aircraft characterised by electric power plants · CPC title