Latching system and method for vtol vehicles

A UAV landing method, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a first UAV configured with a latchable structure which comprises two spaced bars that downwardly extend from an undersurface of said first UAV and at least one interconnecting bar which is interconnected between an end of each of said two spaced bars;
• b) providing a second UAV irremovably connected to a latching mechanism which comprises a surrounding element and with an element in releasable contact with the surrounding element that yields and changes its shape upon being contacted by the at least one interconnecting bar of the latchable structure to initiate a latching operation therewith, wherein a cable extending from an underside of said second UAV to power said second UAV is movably connected to a landing platform of a ground station;
• c) by a controller in data communication with said first UAV, said second UAV and a winch operatively connected to a spool mounted to the landing platform and about which the cable is wound, upon determining that said first UAV is separated from the ground station by less than a predetermined distance, dispatching said second UAV upwardly from the ground station towards said first UAV;
• d) by said controller, commanding controlled displacement of one or both of said first UAV and said second UAV while said second UAV is located below, or horizontally spaced from, said first UAV until the yielding element of said latching mechanism is contacted in midair by the at least one interconnecting bar of the latchable structure and the yielding element together with the surrounding element encircle the at least one interconnecting bar, to complete the latching operation between said first UAV and said second UAV;
• and
• e) by said controller, causing said first UAV to land at the landing platform by commanding operation of the winch to reduce a length of the cable from said second UAV to the landing platform.