Aircraft

An aircraft comprising:

• an aircraft fuselage;
• and
• at least three propulsion devices mounted around the aircraft fuselage substantially in a plane and rotatable about a respective associated axis of rotation to generate a respective associated thrust vector,
• wherein the aircraft is adapted to perform a hover flight in which all forces acting on the aircraft and all torques acting on the aircraft with respect to a center of mass of the aircraft are in balance, characterized in that in the hover flight:
• the associated axes of rotation of two of the at least three propulsion devices are substantially aligned in a first direction, and the associated axis of rotation of another of the at least three propulsion devices is substantially aligned in a second direction, wherein:
• the first direction is not parallel to the second direction,
• the first direction and the second direction lie in the plane;
• and
• each of the two propulsion devices with axes of rotation oriented in the first direction in hover flight rotates in substantially the same direction of rotation about the respective associated axis of rotation,
• wherein the aircraft is further adapted to perform a forward flight in which the plane in which the first direction and the second direction lie is oriented horizontally relative to the ground, and
• wherein the at least three propulsion devices are cyclogyro rotors.

A method for controlling an aircraft having:

• an aircraft body defining a longitudinal direction, a vertical direction, and a transverse direction, the longitudinal direction corresponding to the direction from a tail to a nose of the aircraft, the vertical direction corresponding to the direction of the earth's gravitational force when the aircraft is resting on the ground, and the transverse direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction;
• and
• at least two propulsion devices rotatable about a respective associated axis of rotation to generate a respective associated thrust vector, the respective associated thrust vector being rotatable in the entire plane perpendicular to the respective associated axis of rotation of the at least two propulsion devices, wherein:
• a first number of the propulsion devices is arranged along a first straight line parallel to the transverse direction, and a second number of the propulsion devices is arranged along a second straight line parallel to the transverse direction,
• wherein the first number of the propulsion devices is arranged in a front region of the aircraft with respect to the longitudinal direction, and the second number of the propulsion devices is arranged in a rear region of the aircraft with respect to the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the second number of propulsion devices is arranged elevated with respect to the first number of propulsion devices;
• the first straight line is spaced apart from the second straight line;
• and
• a center of mass of the aircraft is positioned with respect to the longitudinal direction between the first straight line and the second straight line,
• wherein the aircraft is further adapted to perform a hover flight in which all forces acting on the aircraft and all torques acting on the aircraft with respect to the center of mass of the aircraft are in balance,
• wherein the aircraft is further adapted to perform a forward flight in which the associated thrust vectors of the at least two propulsion devices are generated to include forward-flight- and lift-generating components, and
• wherein the at least two propulsion devices are cyclogyro rotors;
• the method comprising the following steps:
• determining the associated thrust vectors such that the aircraft performs a hover flight when each of the axes of rotation associated with the at least two propulsion devices is oriented substantially in the transverse direction of the aircraft body, and each of the at least two propulsion devices rotates substantially in the same direction of rotation about the respective associated axis of rotation,
• wherein in hover flight all forces acting on the aircraft and all torques acting on the aircraft with respect to the center of mass of the aircraft are in balance;
• and
• driving each of the propulsion devices in substantially the same direction of rotation such that the respective propulsion device generates the particular associated thrust vector.

A method for controlling an aircraft having:

• an aircraft fuselage;
• and
• at least three propulsion devices mounted around the aircraft fuselage substantially in a plane and rotatable about a respective associated axis of rotation to generate a respective associated thrust vector;
• the method comprising the following steps:
• determining the associated thrust vectors such that the aircraft performs a hover flight when two of the rotational axes associated with the at least three propulsion devices are substantially aligned in a first direction and rotate in the same selected rotational direction about the respective associated rotational axis, and/or another of the rotational axes associated with the at least three propulsion devices is substantially aligned in a second direction that is not parallel to the first direction, wherein in hover flight all forces acting on the aircraft and all torques acting on the aircraft with respect to the center of mass of the aircraft are in balance;
• aligning the associated axes of rotation of two of the at least three propulsion devices substantially in the first direction, and aligning the associated axis of rotation of the one other of the at least three propulsion devices substantially in the second direction, wherein the first direction is not parallel to the second direction and the first direction and the second direction lie in a plane;
• and
• driving each of the propulsion devices such that the respective propulsion device rotates in the selected rotational direction and generates the particular associated thrust vector;
• wherein the aircraft is further adapted to perform a forward flight in which the plane in which the first direction and the second direction lie is oriented horizontally relative to the ground, and
• wherein the at least three propulsion devices are cyclogyro rotors.