Gun hardened, rotary winged, glide and descent device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsFred J. Brandon, Michael S. L. Hollis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A payload carrying device which is inserted into a remote area of interest by means of a projectile carrier to obtain data, or the like, from the remote area. The device has counter rotating main blades as well as tail blades carried on a tail rotor. The particular payload is carried in a canister which may also include a power source, a command and control unit and a motor, if hover or lateral flight is desired. The pitch of the tail blades is variable as well as their orientation around an axis, the combination of which generates a thrust vector in a particular direction for controlled lateral flight.
Claims13
A gun hardened, rotary winged device adapted to be placed into a carrier projectile which is launched to an area above a remote location and thereafter ejected from the carrier, comprising:
- a counter rotating main blade assembly having a plurality of blades which are foldable so as to fit within said carrier and which spring to an operating position after said ejection;
- a payload canister;
- a shaft assembly connecting said canister with said main blade assembly, said shaft assembly and said canister being collinear and extending along an elongated axis, X;
- a tail rotor having a plurality of rotor blades which are adjustable in pitch;
- means including a tail boom connecting said tail rotor with said canister, said tail boom extending along an axis, Y;
- and
- means for collectively adjusting the pitch angle of said tail rotor blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.