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US 10,894,591 B2Granted
Hybrid VTOL vehicle
AssigneeEgan Airships, Inc.
InventorsJames C. Egan, Joel D. Egan
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AssigneeEgan Airships, Inc.
InventorsJames C. Egan, Joel D. Egan
Estimating the term…
A hybrid VTOL vehicle having an envelope configured to provide hydrostatic buoyancy, a fuselage attached to the envelope and having at least one pair of wings extending from opposing sides thereof to produce dynamic lift through movement, and a thrust generation device on each wing and configured to rotate with each wing about an axis that is lateral to a longitudinal axis of the envelope to provide vertical takeoff or landing capabilities. Ideally, the envelope provides negative hydrostatic lift to enhance low-speed and on-the-ground stability. A vehicle comprising a first lift device capable of providing hydrostatic lift; a second lift device capable of providing dynamic lift through movement; and a system structured to generate thrust coupled to the second lift device, the second lift device and the thrust generation system capable of rotating together about an axis that is lateral to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle at angles at least in the range of 90 degrees to and including 180 degrees.
A vehicle, comprising:
A vehicle, comprising:
A vehicle, comprising:
A hybrid VTOL vehicle for air travel, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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About 9 years 2 months of term left · ends 15 Dec 2035 (estimated)
Technical Field
The present disclosure pertains to vehicles capable of flight and, more particularly, to manned and unmanned vehicles having combined methods of lift, including dynamic lift and displacement buoyancy.
Description of the Related Art
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more readily appreciated as the same become better understood from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of first and second alternative embodiments of a hybrid VTOL vehicle formed in accordance with the present disclosure;
FIGS. 2-4 are see-through side, top, and front views respectively of the vehicle of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-7 with the nacelles in a forward facing orientation;
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or components or both associated with aircraft and aircraft propulsion and control systems, and air traffic control, including but not limited to engines, propellers, control surfaces such as ailerons, rudders, elevators, nacelles, and autopilots, remotely piloted vehicles, and the like have not been shown or described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims that follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open inclusive sense, that is, as “including, but not limited to.” The foregoing applies equally to the words “including” and “having.”
Reference throughout this description to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.