Unmanned air vehicle and method of flying an unmanned air vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

• a fuselage defining a forward portion, an aft portion, a port side and a starboard side;
• a port retractable wing interconnected to the port side of the fuselage and retractable along the port side and aft portion of the fuselage;
• a starboard retractable wing interconnected to the starboard side of the fuselage and retractable along the starboard side and aft portion of the fuselage;
• a movable mass interconnected to the fuselage and positionable between the forward portion and aft portion of the fuselage;
• an actuator interconnecting the fuselage and the movable mass, and capable of positioning the movable mass between the forward portion and the aft portion of the fuselage;
• a port propeller motor and propeller interconnected to an aft section of the port retractable wing,
• a starboard propeller motor and propeller interconnected to an aft section of the starboard retractable wing;
• and
• a wheel interconnected to the aft portion of the fuselage to permit rotation of the wheel in a direction of flight over ground during landing and disposed to permit laminar flow of air between the wheel and propellers when retracted.

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

• a fuselage defining a forward portion, an aft portion, a port side and a starboard side;
• a port retractable wing interconnected to the port side of the fuselage and retractable along the port side and aft portion of the fuselage;
• a starboard retractable wing interconnected to the starboard side of the fuselage and retractable along the starboard side and aft portion of the fuselage;
• a port propeller motor and propeller interconnected to an aft section of the port retractable wing;
• a starboard propeller motor and propeller interconnected to an aft section of the starboard retractable wing;
• and
• a wheel interconnected to the aft portion of the fuselage to permit rotation of the wheel in a direction of flight over ground during landing, and disposed to permit laminar flow of air between the wheel and propellers when retracted.

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

• a fuselage having a forward portion and an aft portion;
• a wing surface interconnected to the fuselage;
• at least one propeller motor and propeller interconnected to the fuselage;
• a port nose fairing pivotably attached to the forward portion of the fuselage and extending outwardly from the fuselage to a port side of the fuselage;
• a port nose fairing actuator interconnected to the port nose fairing to permit the actuator to pivot the port nose fairing;
• a port nose wheel interconnected to an outward portion of the port nose fairing to permit rotation of the port nose wheel in a direction of flight over ground during landing;
• a starboard nose fairing pivotably attached to the forward portion of the fuselage and extending outwardly from the fuselage to a starboard side of the fuselage;
• a starboard nose fairing actuator interconnected to the starboard nose fairing to permit the actuator to pivot the starboard nose fairing;
• and
• a starboard nose wheel interconnected to an outward portion of the starboard nose fairing to permit rotation of the starboard nose wheel in a direction of flight over ground during landing.

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

• a fuselage having a forward portion and an aft portion;
• a wing surface interconnected to the fuselage;
• a port retractable wing interconnected to the port side of the fuselage and retractable along the port side and aft portion of the fuselage;
• a starboard retractable wing interconnected to the starboard side of the fuselage and retractable along the starboard side and aft portion of the fuselage;
• at least one propeller reversible motor-generator interconnected to the fuselage permitting motor operation and freewheeling electric generator operation;
• and
• a propeller interconnected to the at least one propeller motor-generator capable of freewheeling by air passage through the propeller;
• a port propeller motor and propeller interconnected to an aft section of the port retractable wing;
• a starboard propeller motor and propeller interconnected to an aft section of the starboard retractable wing;
• and
• a wheel interconnected to the aft portion of the fuselage to permit rotation of the wheel in a direction of flight over ground during landing, and disposed to permit laminar flow of air between the wheel and propellers when retracted.

A method of flying an unmanned aerial vehicle having pivotable port and starboard nose fairings, port and starboard nose fairings each having a wheel, the method comprising:

• individually pivoting the port and starboard nose fairings to control direction of flight of the vehicle;
• pivoting the port and starboard nose fairings downwardly;
• and
• landing the vehicle on the wheels while the port and starboard nose fairings are pivoted downwardly.

A method of flying an unmanned aerial vehicle having port and starboard retractable wings and a nose fairing comprising:

• retracting the port and starboard wings on the unmanned air vehicle from a normal flying position;
• positioning a nose fairing to achieve a downward angle permitting a ballistic glide path toward earth;
• positioning a mass from fore to aft with respect to the unmanned air vehicle;
• and
• positioning the nose fairing to achieve an ascent position of the unmanned air vehicle with respect to the ground.

A method of flying an unmanned aerial vehicle having port and starboard propeller motor-generators interconnected to retractable port and starboard wings respectively, the method comprising:

• retracting the port and starboard wings from a normal flying position;
• freewheeling the propeller while the wings are retracted;
• and
• generating an electrical current at an output of the motor generator from the freewheeling propeller.

A nose assembly for an unmanned air vehicle comprising:

• a support structure capable of being interconnected to the unmanned air vehicle;
• a port nose fairing pivotably attached to the support structure extending outwardly from the support structure to a port side of the fuselage;
• a port nose fairing actuator interconnected to the port nose fairing to permit the actuator to pivot the port nose fairing;
• a port nose wheel interconnected to an outward portion of the port nose fairing to permit rotation of the port nose wheel in a direction of flight over ground during a landing of the unmanned air vehicle;
• a starboard nose fairing pivotably attached to the support structure extending outwardly from the support structure to a starboard side of the fuselage;
• a starboard nose fairing actuator interconnected to the starboard nose fairing to permit the actuator to pivot the starboard nose fairing;
• and
• a starboard nose wheel interconnected to an outward portion of the starboard nose fairing to permit rotation of the starboard nose wheel in a direction of flight over ground during a landing of the unmanned air vehicle.