Boom assembly for aerial vehicle

A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle comprising:

• a fuselage;
• a starboard wing secured to the fuselage;
• a port wing secured to the fuselage;
• an inner wing boom mounted to each of the starboard wing and the port wing;
• an outer wing boom mounted to each of the starboard wing and the port wing;
• each inner wing boom and outer wing boom comprising:
• a tilt rotor mounted at or adjacent a forward end of the wing boom, the tilt rotor being operationally tiltable between a lift-generating position and a thrust-generating position;
• a fixed rotor mounted at or adjacent a trailing end of the wing boom in a lift-generating position;
• and
• an aerial vehicle control system operable to operate the aerial vehicle in an operating mode in which:
• two of the four tilt rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer wing booms are operating it a thrust-generating position;
• two of the four tilt rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer wing booms are not operating;
• two of the four the fixed rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer wing booms are operating to generate lift;
• and
• two of the four the fixed rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer wing booms are not operating.

A method of operating a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle, comprising:

• an inner wing boom mounted to each of a starboard wing and a port wing;
• an outer wing boom mounted to each of the starboard wing and the port wing;
• each inner wing boom and outer wing boom comprising:
• a tilt rotor mounted at or adjacent a forward end of the wing boom, the tilt rotor being operationally tiltable between a lift-generating position and a thrust-generating position;
• and
• a fixed rotor mounted at or adjacent a trailing end of the wing boom in a lift-generating position,
• the method comprising, in a first mode:
• operating all of the tilt rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer wing booms in a thrust-generating position;
• and
• not operating any of the fixed rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer wing booms;
• the method further comprising, in a second mode:
• operating two of the four tilt rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer zing booms in a thrust-generating position;
• not operating two of the four tilt rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer wing booms;
• operating two of the four the fixed rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer wing booms to generate lift;
• and
• not operating of e four the fixed rotors of the inner wing booms and the outer wing booms.