Tail-Sitter Aircraft With Hybrid Propulsion

A tail-sitter aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage having a nose end and a tail end, the aircraft configured to be oriented on the ground with the nose end pointing away from the ground;
• a wing coupled with the fuselage and configured to provide lift during a horizontal flight phase;
• and
• a hybrid propulsion system comprising;
• a propeller;
• an electrical power subsystem coupled with the propeller and configured to supply increased electrical power during vertical takeoff and vertical landing phases and to supply reduced electrical power during the horizontal flight phase;
• an electrical energy store coupled with the electrical power subsystem and configured to provide electrical energy to the electrical power subsystem and to store electrical energy produced by the electrical power subsystem;
• and
• a prime power subsystem coupled with the electrical power subsystem and configured to supply increased prime power during the vertical takeoff and vertical landing phases and to supply reduced prime power during the horizontal flight phase.

A method of control for a tail-sitter aircraft, the method comprising:

• supplying a first and second prime power from a prime power subsystem to an aircraft engine during, respectively, takeoff/landing and horizontal flight;
• and
• supplying a first and second electric power from an electric power source to the aircraft engine during, respectively, takeoff/landing and horizontal flight,
• wherein a first sum equal to the sum of the first prime and electric powers is greater than a second sum equal to the sum of the second prime and electric powers,
• wherein the first sum is sufficient to provide vertical lift in an amount at least equal to a force due to gravity on the aircraft, and
• wherein the second sum is sufficient to sustain horizontal flight.