US 5,683,060 A · Air vehicle

Abstract

An air vehicle that includes a body lower portion, a body intermediate portion, body lower portion, a solar panel, elevating apparatus, gimbling apparatus, and inflatable landing gear. The body lower portion has a body lower portion outer surface and contains a body lower portion chamber. The body intermediate portion has a body intermediate portion upper surface and contains a body intermediate portion chamber. The body intermediate portion is connected to the body lower portion. The body upper portion contains a body upper portion chamber and is displaced a distance above the body intermediate portion. The solar panel has a solar panel outer surface and contains a solar panel void. The solar panel connects the body upper portion to the body intermediate portion. The elevating apparatus raises and lowers the air vehicle and is disposed within the body upper portion chamber. The gimbling apparatus rotates, tilts, and laterally moves the air vehicle and is disposed on the body intermediate portion upper surface and passes through the solar panel void. An inflatable landing gear is disposed on the body lower portion so that the air vehicle can readily land on and take off from the sea.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An air vehicle, comprising:

a) a body lower portion having a body lower portion outer surface and containing a body lower portion chamber;
b) a body intermediate portion having a body intermediate portion upper surface and containing a body intermediate portion chamber, said body intermediate portion being connected to said body lower portion;
c) a body upper portion containing a body upper portion chamber and being displaced a distance above said body intermediate portion;
d) a solar panel structure having a solar panel outer surface and containing a solar panel structure opening, said solar panel structure connecting said body upper portion to said body intermediate portion;
e) elevating means for raising and lowering said air vehicle and being disposed within said body upper portion chamber;
f) gimbling means for rotating, tilting, and lateral moving of said air vehicle and being disposed on said body intermediate portion upper surface and passing through said solar panel structure opening;
and
g) inflatable landing gear disposed on said body lower portion so that said air vehicle can readily land on and take off from the sea.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Air vehicle

Life of this patent

Air vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14