Multicopter-assisted system and method for launching and retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft
AssigneeHood Technology Corporation
InventorsAndreas H. von Flotow, Corydon C. Roeseler, Daniel Pepin Reiss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a multicopter-assisted launch and retrieval system generally including: (1) a multi-rotor modular multicopter attachable to (and detachable from) a fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; (2) a storage and launch system usable to store the modular multicopter and to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; and (3) an anchor system usable (along with the multicopter and a flexible capture member) to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from wing-borne flight.
Claims21
A multicopter comprising:
- a hub;
- and
- an attach/detach component attached to the hub and movable relative to the hub between an attached position and a detached position,
- wherein when the attach/detach component is in the attached position, a fixed-wing aircraft can be attached to the attach/detach component via a hook extending from the fixed-wing aircraft partially around an axis of rotation of the attach/detach component, and
- wherein movement of the attach/detach component from the attached position to the detached position detaches the fixed-wing aircraft from the attach/detach component by pushing the hook off the attach/detach component.
A multicopter comprising:
- a hub;
- a cam rotatably attached to the hub;
- and
- a cam actuator operably connected to the cam to rotate the cam relative to the hub between an attached position and a detached position,
- wherein the cam is shaped such that, when in the attached position, a hook extending from a fixed-wing aircraft can be attached to the cam by extending partially around an axis of rotation of the cam, and movement from the attached position to the detached position detaches the fixed-wing aircraft from the cam by pushing the hook off the cam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.