Tri-rotor aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing and transitioning to forward flight

A tri-rotor vehicle, comprising:

• a wing having no rotors coupled thereto;
• a tail comprising two horizontal tail sections;
• a fuselage;
• two tail rotors coupled to the tail, wherein the two horizontal tail sections extend horizontally relative to the fuselage and from opposite sides of the fuselage, wherein each of the two tail rotors has a single corresponding respective horizontal tail section, and wherein each of the two tail rotors is coupled only to its own respective one of the two horizontal tail sections, wherein the two tail rotors are configured to be stowed in pods on the tail during a wing born flight phase, wherein the two tail rotors are held in place by one or more magnets such that a long axis of each of the two tad rotors is aligned with airflow over the vehicle;
• and
• a front rotor coupled to the fuselage, wherein the front rotor is configured to tilt through a range of motion.

A tri-rotor vehicle, comprising:

• a wing having no rotors coupled thereto;
• a tail comprising two horizontal tail sections;
• a fuselage including a front hinged portion and a main portion aft of the front hinged portion, wherein the front hinged portion forms a forward-most end of the fuselage and is controlled by an actuator configured to tilt the front hinged portion through a range of motion relative to the main portion of the fuselage;
• two tail rotors coupled to the tail, wherein the two horizontal tail sections extend horizontally relative to the fuselage and from opposite sides of the fuselage, wherein each of the two tail rotors has a single corresponding respective horizontal tail section, and wherein each of the two tail rotors is coupled only to its own respective one of the two horizontal tail sections;
• and
• a front rotor coupled to the front hinged portion of the fuselage, wherein the front rotor is configured to tilt in unison with the front hinged portion through the range of motion by control of the actuator and wherein the vehicle is configured to transition between a wing born flight phase and a VTOL flight phase by the front rotor tilting through the range of motion;
• and
• a front rotor motor configured to drive the front rotor and two tail rotor motors, each tad rotor motor configured to drive a respective one of the tail rotors, wherein the front rotor motor is selected from the group consisting of a fuel burning engine and an electric motor and each of the two tail rotor motors is selected from the group consisting of a fuel burning engine and an electric motor,
• wherein:
• the two tail rotors are coupled to the tail such that rotor axes of each of the two tail rotors are configured to orient vertically relative to the main portion of the fuselage during the VTOL flight phase and horizontally during the wing born flight phase;
• and
• the front rotor and two tail rotors are cyclic and collective controlled rotors.