System and method for vertical take-off in an autogyro
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorGrzegorz Marian Kawiecki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An autogyro includes a frame and a rotor hub coupled to the frame. The autogyro also includes a connector coupled to the rotor hub and configured to couple the rotor hub to a ground-based pre-rotator device to rotate the rotor hub during a vertical take-off operation. The autogyro further includes a plurality of rotor blades coupled to the rotor hub, each rotor blade configured such that rotation of the rotor hub, during the vertical take-off operation, results in twisting the rotor blade from a first blade pitch distribution to a second blade pitch distribution.
Claims20
An autogyro comprising:
- a frame;
- a rotor hub coupled to the frame;
- a connector coupled to the rotor hub, the connector configured to couple the rotor hub to
- a ground-based pre-rotator device to rotate the rotor hub during a vertical take-off operation;
- and
- a plurality of rotor blades coupled to the rotor hub, each rotor blade configured such that a speed of rotation of the rotor hub, during the vertical take-off operation, results in twisting a shape of each rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades from a first shape with a first blade pitch distribution to a second shape with a second blade pitch distribution, wherein the shape of the plurality of rotor blades remains in the second shape during the vertical take-off operation.
A system comprising:
- an autogyro comprising:
- a frame;
- a rotor hub coupled to the frame;
- a connector coupled to the rotor hub, the connector configured to couple the rotor hub to a ground-based pre-rotator device to rotate the rotor hub during a vertical take-off operation;
- and
- a plurality of rotor blades coupled to the rotor hub, each rotor blade configured such that a speed of rotation of the rotor hub, during a vertical take-off operation, results in twisting a shape of each rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades from a first shape with a first blade pitch distribution to a second shape with a second blade pitch distribution, wherein the shape of the plurality of rotor blades remains in the second shape during the vertical take-off operation;
- and
- a ground-based station comprising:
- the ground-based pre-rotator device configured to rotate the rotor hub;
- and
- an energy source configured to provide energy to the ground-based pre-rotator device.
A method of performing a vertical take-off operation of an autogyro, the method comprising:
- while an autogyro is coupled to a ground-based station, initiating rotation of a rotor hub of the autogyro;
- responsive to a speed of rotation of the rotor hub, twisting a shape of each of a plurality of rotor blades coupled to the rotor hub from a first shape with a first blade pitch distribution to a second shape with a second blade pitch distribution;
- decoupling the autogyro from the ground-based station;
- vertically taking-off, by the autogyro, while the plurality of rotor blades have the second shape;
- and
- transitioning to forward flight after vertically taking-off.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.