Control vane orientation for ducted-rotor aircraft
AssigneeBell Textron Inc.
InventorsKarl Schroeder, William Anthony Amante, Kip Gregory Campbell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ducted-rotor aircraft may include a fuselage and first and second ducts that are coupled to the fuselage at respective first and second locations. The first location may be on a first side of a fuselage of the aircraft and spaced from a nominal yaw axis of the aircraft. The second location may be on an opposed second side of the fuselage and spaced from the nominal yaw axis. Each duct may include a rotor that is disposed in an opening that extends through the duct. Each rotor may include a plurality of blades. Each duct may further include a control vane that is mounted aft of the plurality of blades and that is pivotable about a vane axis that is oriented toward the nominal yaw axis.
Claims20
A ducted-rotor aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
- and
- first and second ducts coupled to the fuselage, the first and second ducts located on opposed sides of the fuselage and spaced from a nominal yaw axis of the aircraft, each duct comprising:
- a rotor that is disposed in an opening that extends through the duct, the rotor having a plurality of blades;
- and
- a control vane that is mounted aft of the plurality of blades and is pivotable about a vane axis,
- wherein the first and second ducts are located forward or rearward of the nominal yaw axis, and
- wherein the vane axis of each of the first and second ducts is oriented toward a nominal yaw axis of the aircraft.
A duct for a ducted-rotor aircraft, the duct comprising:
- a cowling that defines an annular opening that extends through the duct;
- a rotor that is disposed within the opening, the rotor having a plurality of blades;
- and
- a control vane that is mounted aft of the plurality of blades and is pivotable about a vane axis,
- wherein the duct is configured to be coupled to a fuselage forward or aft of a nominal center of gravity of the aircraft, such that the vane axis is oriented toward the nominal center of gravity of the aircraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.