# US 12,759,702 B2 · Vertical take-off and landing aircraft > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,702 B2 - Document ID: US12759702B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/747,125 - Filed: 2024-06-18 - Published: 2024-12-19 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-06-19 - Assignees: Method Aeronautics, LLC - Applicants: Method Aeronautics, LLC - Inventors: Neil Boertlein; Daniel Hatfield; Jeremy Novara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759702B2 ## CPC - B64C 29/0033: {the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage} - B64C 5/06: Fins (B64C5/08 takes precedence) - B64D 27/20: within, or attached to, fuselages - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT ## Abstract A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft configuration and control system includes a plurality of turbojet or turbofan engines providing vertical lift and control at hover and low airspeeds. In higher-speed flight, a separate cruise propulsion system generates thrust. Lift during this higher-speed flight is provided by one or more wings. During transition between low- and high-speed flight, both systems provide forward thrust, control and lift. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft comprising: a fuselage; a wing coupled to the fuselage, the wing including a first wing and a second wing, the first wing including a first inboard wing and a first outboard wing connected by a first pod, and the second wing including a second inboard wing and a second outboard wing connected by a second pod; a first engine coupled to the fuselage and configured to provide thrust to the aircraft in an axial direction; and a plurality of second engines, each second engine of the plurality of second engines being coupled to the first pod or the second pod such that each second engine of the plurality of second engines is configured to provide thrust to the aircraft in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and to rotate toward the axial direction, each second engine of the plurality of second engines being coupled to one of the first pod or the second pod, wherein each second engine of the plurality of second engines includes an inlet and an exhaust nozzle, wherein the entirety of the exhaust nozzle is configured to rotate within an external profile of one of the first pod or the second pod, and wherein the exhaust nozzle is gimbaled. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each second engine of the plurality of second engines is spaced such that a combined thrust from the plurality of second engines is located at a center of mass of the aircraft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The aircraft of claim 2, wherein a first vertical stabilizer is positioned on the first pod between two second engines of the plurality of second engines mounted on the first pod, and wherein a second vertical stabilizer is positioned on the second pod between two second engines of the plurality of second engines mounted on the second pod. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each second engine of the plurality of second engines is configured to, as each second engine of the plurality of second engines is rotated toward the axial direction, provide thrust to accelerate the aircraft in the axial direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first engine includes a propellor, and wherein the axial direction is collinear to an axis of rotation of the propellor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each second engine of the plurality of second engines is configured to power down while rotating toward the axial direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the second inboard wing is offset in the axial direction from the second outboard wing, and wherein the first inboard wing is offset in the axial direction from the first outboard wing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second engines is configured to provide thrust to the aircraft when the wing is in a stall condition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The aircraft of claim 8, wherein the aircraft is configured to take off vertically or conventionally. ### Claim 10 An aircraft comprising: a fuselage; a first engine coupled to the fuselage and configured to provide thrust to the aircraft in an axial direction; a first pod; a second pod; and a plurality of second engines, each second engine of the plurality of second engines coupled to the first pod or the second pod such that each second engine of the plurality of second engines is configured to provide thrust to the aircraft in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and to rotate toward the axial direction, and wherein each second engine of the plurality of second engines includes an inlet and an exhaust nozzle, wherein the entirety of the exhaust nozzle is configured to rotate within an external profile of the first pod or the second pod, and wherein the exhaust nozzle is gimbaled. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the aircraft includes a wing having a first wing and a second wing, wherein the first wing includes a first inboard wing and a first outboard wing connected by the first pod, and wherein the second wing includes a second inboard wing and a second outboard wing connected by the second pod. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The aircraft of claim 11, wherein two second engines of the plurality of second engines are mounted on the first pod and two second engines of the plurality of second engines are mounted on the second pod, and wherein each exhaust nozzle of each of the two second engines of the plurality of second engines mounted on the first pod is configured to rotate within an external profile of the first pod and each exhaust nozzle of each of the two second engines of the plurality of second engines mounted on the second pod is configured to rotate within an external profile of the second pod. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The aircraft of claim 12, wherein each second engine of the plurality of second engines is spaced such that a combined thrust from the plurality of second engines is located at a center of mass of the aircraft. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the plurality of second engines are turbofan engines. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the plurality of second engines are turbojet engines. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the first engine includes a propeller operated by at least one selected from the group consisting of an internal combustion engine, a jet engine, and an electric motor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the first engine is a pusher propeller including a propellor, and wherein the axial direction is collinear to an axis of rotation of the propellor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the first pod includes a first vertical stabilizer, and wherein the second pod includes a second vertical stabilizer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The aircraft of claim 18, wherein the first vertical stabilizer, the second vertical stabilizer, and the wing include control surfaces. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The aircraft of claim 10, wherein each second engine of the plurality of second engines is configured to rotate between an axial orientation, in which a respective centerline of each second engine is parallel to the axial direction, and a take-off orientation, in which the respective centerline of each second engine is perpendicular to the axial direction, wherein, in the axial orientation, each exhaust nozzle of each second engine of the plurality of second engines is located within an external profile of the first pod or the second pod, wherein, in the take-off orientation, each exhaust nozzle of each second engine of the plurality of second engines extends outside of the external profile of the first pod and the second pod, and wherein the exhaust nozzle of each second engine of the plurality of second engines is configured to be individually controlled.