Fail-operational vtol aircraft
AssigneeOverair, Inc.
InventorsAbraham Karem, Ryan Doss, William Martin Waide, Benjamin Tigner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one aspect, described herein is an aircraft capable of carrying at least 400 pounds of payload. An embodiment has four rotors systems, each of the rotor systems being independently driven by an electric motor or other torque-producing source. Each of the rotor systems provide sufficient thrust such that the aircraft is capable of controlled vertical takeoff and landing, even if one of the variable pitch rotor systems is inoperable. An electronic control system is configured to control the rotational speed and pitch of at least one of the rotor systems.
Claims18
An aircraft capable of carrying at least 400 pounds of payload, comprising:
- a main body;
- a forward wing mechanically coupled to the main body;
- an aft wing mechanically coupled to the main body;
- a first variable pitch rotor, a second variable pitch rotor, a third variable pitch rotor, and a fourth variable pitch rotor, with each of the rotors being independently driven by at least one torque-producing source;
- each of the first, second, third, and fourth variable pitch rotors are variable speed rotors;
- the first and second variable pitch rotors are carried by the forward wing;
- the third and fourth variable pitch rotors are carried by the aft wing;
- and
- wherein the first variable pitch rotor, the second variable pitch rotor, the third variable pitch rotor, and the fourth variable pitch rotor are each primary rotors, providing sufficient thrust such that the aircraft is capable of controlled vertical takeoff and landing, even if only any three of the variable pitch rotors are operational.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.