Aircraft having M-wings
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorsJohn Richard McCullough, Paul K. Oldroyd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft has a vertical takeoff and landing fight mode and a forward flight mode. The aircraft includes an airframe with first and second M-wings each having a pair of leading apexes with swept forward and swept back portions extending therefrom at a swept angle. A propulsion system includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies each attached to the airframe proximate one of the leading apexes. Each of the propulsion assemblies includes a rotor assembly having a tilting degree of freedom. A flight control system is operable to control the propulsion assemblies including tilting the rotor assemblies to generate variable thrust vectors that have a maximum angle that is generally congruent with the swept angles of the M-wings.
Claims20
An aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing fight mode and a forward flight mode, the aircraft comprising:
- an airframe including first and second M-wings each having a pair of leading apexes with swept forward and swept back portions extending therefrom at a swept angle;
- a propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion assemblies each attached to the airframe proximate one of the leading apexes, the propulsion assemblies each having a rotor assembly with a tilting degree of freedom;
- and
- a flight control system operable to control the propulsion assemblies including tilting the rotor assemblies to generate variable thrust vectors;
- wherein, a maximum angle of the thrust vectors is generally congruent with the swept angles of the M-wings.
An aircraft having a vertical takeoff and landing fight mode and a forward flight mode, the aircraft comprising:
- an airframe including first and second M-wings each having a pair of leading apexes with swept forward and swept back portions extending therefrom at a swept angle and a plurality of stanchions each positioned proximate one of the leading apexes;
- a propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion assemblies each attached to one of the stanchions, the propulsion assemblies each having a rotor assembly with a tilting degree of freedom;
- a flight control system operable to control the propulsion assemblies including tilting the rotor assemblies to generate variable thrust vectors;
- and
- a pod assembly selectively attachable to the airframe;
- wherein, a maximum angle of the thrust vectors is generally congruent with the swept angles of the M-wings;
- wherein, the airframe is rotatable about the pod assembly such that the pod assembly remains in a generally horizontal attitude in the vertical takeoff and landing fight mode, the forward flight mode and transitions therebetween;
- and
- wherein, the stanchions provide standoff between the propulsion assemblies and the M-wings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.