Flight vehicle with drone and lift-producing protrusion
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorGregory W. Heinen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flight vehicle includes a drone with a pair of shaped protrusions mechanically coupled to the drone. One of the shapes is a hollow lift-producing shape, such as being a balloon filed with a lighter-than-air gas, and the other of the shapes is below the drone. The shape below the drone may be a hollow shape that does not produce lift, for example being a balloon filled with air. The shapes may be similar in size and shape, so as to provide similar drag characteristics. The shapes may be opposite ends of a support, such as a stick, rod, or other (relatively) slender structure. The vehicle includes a payload, such as radar calibration equipment or an antenna. The drone may be used to counteract wind forces on the flight vehicle, and/or to otherwise position the flight vehicle.
Claims17
A flight vehicle comprising:
- a multirotor drone;
- a first protrusion above and mechanically connected to the drone;
- a second protrusion below and mechanically connected to the drone;
- a shaft mechanically coupling the first protrusion and the second protrusion, at opposite respective ends of the shaft;
- wherein the first protrusion is a lift-producing protrusion;
- wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft between the ends of the shaft;
- wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion have the same shape and provide substantially the same drag;
- and
- wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft at a joint, allowing the drone to tilt relative to the shaft.
A method of operating a negatively-buoyant flight vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing lift from a top protrusion of the flight vehicle that is lighter than air;
- providing additional lift from propellers of a drone that is below the top protrusion;
- wherein the top protrusion provides more lift than the drone;
- providing a second protrusion below and mechanically connected to the drone;
- providing a shaft mechanically coupling the top protrusion and the second protrusion, at opposite respective ends of the shaft;
- wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft between the ends of the shaft;
- wherein the top protrusion and the second protrusion have the same shape and provide substantially the same drag;
- and
- wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft at a joint, allowing the drone to tilt relative to the shaft.
A flight vehicle comprising:
- a multirotor drone;
- a first protrusion above and mechanically connected to the drone;
- a second protrusion below and mechanically connected to the drone;
- a shaft mechanically coupling the first protrusion and the second protrusion, at opposite respective ends of the shaft;
- wherein the first protrusion is a lift-producing protrusion;
- wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft between the ends of the shaft;
- wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion have the same shape and provide substantially the same drag;
- wherein the drone is fixedly attached to the shaft;
- and
- further comprising a drift brake that provides thrust orthogonal to lift provided by the drone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.