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US 2026/0225716 A1Published application
Aircraft tow system
OwnerDoron Appelboiminventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is an unmanned, autonomous, cargo transport system comprising at least one towed aircraft coupled to a tractor aircraft for inflight towing.
Claims20
A cargo transport system comprising:
- an engine powered tractor aircraft;
- at least one unmanned autonomous towed aircraft, which is connected to the tractor aircraft for inflight towing by the tractor aircraft;
- an autopilot system in the towed aircraft, wherein the autopilot system is configured to autonomously control taxing, takeoff, flight, and landing of the towed aircraft;
- a sensor system configured to sense flight parameters including relative locations of the tractor aircraft and the towed aircraft and to communicate the sensed flight parameters to the autopilot system of the towed aircraft;
- and
- at least one towing element comprising at least one cable coupled between the towed aircraft and the tractor aircraft.
3 more elements
An in-flight switch method for a towed aircraft chain, comprising:
- disconnecting a first towed aircraft from a first tractor aircraft, and connecting the first towed aircraft to a second tractor aircraft, wherein disconnecting and connecting of the first towed aircraft are performed in flight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.