Aircraft control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604729-B2
Application number	US-201314054944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2013
Priority date	Oct 16, 2013
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

An aircraft control system includes a co-axial, counter-rotating propeller shaft assembly. Also included is a first rotor operatively coupled to the propeller shaft assembly, the first rotor having a first plurality of blades mounted thereto, wherein the first plurality of blades are disposed at a substantially identical nominal pitch during rotation of the first rotor. Further included is a second rotor operatively coupled to the propeller shaft assembly, the second rotor having a second plurality of blades mounted thereto, wherein a pitch of the second plurality of blades is configured to cyclically change during rotation of the second rotor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling an aircraft comprising:
rotating a first rotor operatively coupled to a propeller shaft assembly in a first direction;
rotating a second rotor operatively coupled to the propeller shaft assembly in a second direction that is opposite of the first direction, wherein the first rotor and the second rotor are rotated proximate a fixed wing of the aircraft about a common axis extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft;
maintaining a first plurality of blades mounted to the first rotor at a substantially identical nominal pitch during rotation of the first rotor;
cyclically changing the pitch of a second plurality of blades mounted to the second rotor during rotation of the second rotor; and
generating a moment upon cyclically changing the pitch of the second plurality of blades to control the aircraft.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Henze Chad M
• Perkinson Robert H

Classifications

• B64C27/10

  arranged coaxially · CPC title

• B64C11/306

  specially adapted for contrarotating propellers · CPC title

• B64C11/48 Primary

  Units of two or more coaxial propellers · CPC title

• B64C29/00

  Aircraft capable of landing or taking-off vertically, e.g. vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft (rotorcraft B64C27/00) · CPC title

• B64C19/00 Primary

  Aircraft control not otherwise provided for · CPC title