Dual mode flight vehicle
AssigneeInsitu, Inc.
InventorPeter J. Kunz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fixed wing flight vehicle has wing, a center-mounted propulsion unit and a pod that is moveable between a center of the wing and a displaced position at or near one end of the wing. When the pod is at or near the center of the wing, that is, having a center of mass at or near a thrust vector of the propulsion unit, the flight vehicle flies with the characteristics of a regular fixed wing aircraft. However, when the pod is translated to the position at or near an end of the wing, an overall center of mass of the flight vehicle is substantially offset from the thrust vector of the propulsion unit. This causes the flight vehicle to spin like a samara, e.g., a maple seed, so that the flight vehicle can take off or land in a very limited space, much like a helicopter.
Claims20
An aerial vehicle comprising:
- a wing;
- a propulsion unit coupled to the wing;
- a pod moveably coupled to the wing;
- and
- a translation mechanism that selectively moves the pod laterally along the wing between a first flight mode with thrust from the propulsion unit substantially in line with the center of mass of the aerial vehicle and a second flight mode with the center of mass of the aerial vehicle offset from the lateral centerline of the fixed wing.
A method of enhancing operation of an aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing, in a first flight mode, for a center of mass of the aerial vehicle to be substantially along a lateral centerline of a fixed wing;
- providing, in the first flight mode, thrust substantially in line with the center of mass of the aerial vehicle;
- altering, in a second flight mode, the center of mass of the aerial vehicle to be offset from the lateral centerline of the fixed wing via a translation mechanism that selectively moves the pod laterally along the wing;
- and
- providing, in the second flight mode, thrust offset from the center of mass of the aerial vehicle that causes the aerial vehicle to rotate about a rotational axis.
A method of enhancing operation of an aerial vehicle having a pod moveably attached to a fixed wing of the aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
- setting the pod proximate to a centerline of the fixed wing for use in a first flight mode;
- launching the aerial vehicle in the first flight mode using a propulsion unit that provides a thrust vector generally aligned with a center of mass of the aerial vehicle;
- operating the aerial vehicle in the first flight mode as a fixed wing aerial vehicle;
- moving the pod distal to the centerline of the fixed wing for operation of the aerial vehicle in a second flight mode via a translation mechanism that selectively moves the pod laterally along the wing wherein the center of mass of the aerial vehicle is offset from a lateral centerline of the fixed wing of the aerial vehicle;
- recovering the aerial vehicle in the second flight mode using a vertical descent caused by rotation of the aerial vehicle about a rotational axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.