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US 11,273,910 B2Granted
Sacrificial blade tips for ducted aircraft
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsGeorge Matthew Thompson, Jonathan Andrew Knoll, Nicholas Ralph Carlson, Timothy Brian Carr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A proprotor blade for a ducted aircraft including a duct includes a main body having a distal end and a sacrificial blade tip coupled to the distal end of the main body. The sacrificial blade tip includes a deformable core material and a shell layer at least partially covering the deformable core material. The sacrificial blade tip deforms upon contact with the duct, thereby reducing damage to the ducted aircraft.
Claims20
A proprotor blade for a ducted aircraft including a duct, the proprotor blade comprising:
- a main body having a distal end;
- and
- a sacrificial blade tip coupled to the distal end of the main body, the sacrificial blade tip comprising:
- a deformable core material;
- and
- a shell layer at least partially covering the deformable core material and having a closed distal end;
- wherein, the sacrificial blade tip is configured to deform upon contact with the duct, thereby reducing damage to the ducted aircraft.
4 more elements
A rotorcraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
- and
- a proprotor system coupled to the fuselage, the proprotor system including a duct and a plurality of proprotor blades surrounded by the duct, each proprotor blade including a main body having a distal end and a sacrificial blade tip coupled to the distal end of the main body, each sacrificial blade tip comprising:
- a deformable core material;
- and
- a shell layer at least partially covering the deformable core material and having a closed distal end;
- wherein, each sacrificial blade tip is configured to deform upon contact with the duct, thereby reducing damage to the rotorcraft.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.