Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft
OwnerThomas W. Melcherinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft has a boom, a propulsion assembly coupled to a first end of the boom, and at least one articulating wing extending from the boom. The propulsion assembly can be coupled to the boom by a rotating joint. The wing(s) can be coupled to the boom by one or more rotating joints. The boom houses an energy source to power the propulsion assembly. In flight, the wing(s) is/are configured to move between a first position, wherein the wing(s) is/are folded substantially parallel with the boom, and a second position, wherein the wing(s) is/are unfolded from the boom and oriented substantially perpendicular to the boom so as to generate lift when the aircraft is in at least one of the vertical flight mode or the horizontal flight mode.
Claims20
A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, comprising:
- a boom;
- a propulsion assembly coupled to a first end of the boom;
- and
- a pair of wings extending from the boom, the pair of wings includes a first wing coupled to the boom and a second wing coupled to the boom;
- wherein the boom is configured to be suspended substantially vertically from the propulsion assembly with the VTOL aircraft in a vertical flight mode, the propulsion assembly is configured to generate a vertical thrust during vertical flight mode;
- and
- wherein, in flight, the pair of wings is configured to move between a first position, wherein the pair of wings is folded substantially parallel with the boom, and a second position, wherein the pair of wings is unfolded from the boom and oriented substantially perpendicular to the boom so as to generate lift when the VTOL aircraft is in at least one of the vertical flight mode or a horizontal flight mode.
A VTOL aircraft, comprising:
- a boom;
- a propulsion assembly coupled to a first end of the boom, the propulsion assembly is configured to generate a vertical thrust when the VTOL aircraft is in a vertical flight mode;
- and
- a first wing extending from the boom;
- a second wing extending from the boom;
- wherein, with the VTOL aircraft in the vertical flight mode, the boom, the first wing, and the second wing are configured to rotate together relative to the propulsion assembly about a longitudinal axis of the boom.
A method of operating a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the method comprising:
- (a) generating vertical thrust with a propulsion assembly coupled to a first end of a boom, the propulsion assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades disposed within or proximate a shroud;
- (b) suspending the boom substantially vertically beneath the propulsion assembly during a vertical flight mode;
- (c) rotating, via a first rotating joint at a second end of the boom, a first wing from a first folded position substantially parallel to the boom to a first unfolded position extending outward from the boom;
- (d) rotating, via a second rotating joint at the first end of the boom, a second wing from a second folded position substantially parallel to the boom to a second unfolded position extending outward from the boom;
- (e) rotating the propulsion assembly with respect to the boom via the second rotating joint to vector thrust from a predominantly vertical direction to a horizontal direction;
- and
- (f) transitioning the VTOL aircraft from the vertical flight mode to a horizontal flight mode in response to the vectoring of thrust and the unfolding of the first wing and the second wing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.