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US 8,979,016 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for vertical short takeoff and landing
AssigneeRadeus Labs, Inc.
InventorRaymond Don Hayden, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for vertical or short takeoff and landing. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises two or more counter driven rings with one or more airfoils attached. In one variant, there is an upper ring and a lower ring, each with multiple airfoils attached. In one variant, lift is generated largely via ambient air currents, allowing for long term on-station operation of the device.
Claims17
A vertical short takeoff and landing (VSTOL) apparatus, comprising:
- two or more power rings each having a plurality of airfoils attached thereto via respective first connection elements;
- an articulation system comprising:
- two or more control rings each having the plurality of airfoils attached thereto via respective second connection elements, the two or more control rings each configured to rotate with respective ones of the two or more power rings;
- the first connection elements configured to be received within respective apertures contained within each of the two or more control rings;
- and
- an articulation apparatus configured to raise or depress at least a portion of the two or more control rings with respect to the two or more power rings thereby articulating at least one of the plurality of airfoils;
- one or more motors, the one or more motors configured to rotate the two or more power rings in a substantially counter-rotating fashion;
- and
- one or more power sources, the one or more power sources configured to provide power to the one or more motors.
6 more elements
A lift generation system comprising:
- a pair of rotatable power rings;
- a plurality of airfoils disposed on the pair of rotatable power rings and attached thereto via respective first connection elements;
- a pair of control rings that are each disposed external to respective ones of the pair of rotatable power rings, the pair of control rings each being configured to rotate with respective ones of the pair of rotatable power rings;
- a drive apparatus coupled to an energy source and configured to contra-rotate each of the rotatable power rings of the pair of rotatable power rings;
- and
- an articulation system, comprising:
- a plurality of second connection elements, each of the second connection elements coupled between a respective airfoil and one of the pair of control rings;
- wherein the first connection elements are configured to be received within respective apertures contained within each of the pair of control rings;
- and
- an articulation apparatus configured to raise or depress at least a portion of the pair of control rings with respect to the pair of rotatable power rings thereby articulating at least one of the plurality of airfoils;
- wherein the lift generation system is configured to generate lift via airflow around the airfoils during contra-rotation of the rings of the pair.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.