System, a method and a computer program product for maneuvering of an air vehicle

An air vehicle system, comprising:

• a wing;
• a tiltable propulsion unit, tiltable to provide a thrust whose direction is variable at least between a general vertical thrust vector direction and a general longitudinal thrust vector direction with respect to the air vehicle;
• and
• a control unit, configured to issue controlling commands to a controller of the tiltable propulsion unit for controlling the acceleration of the air vehicle, wherein the controlling of the acceleration comprises:
• in a first part of the acceleration, in which the tiltable propulsion unit provides thrust in the general vertical thrust vector direction:
• (a) controlling an operation of the at least one tiltable propulsion unit for providing lift to the air vehicle, and (b) controlling a modifying of a tilt angle of the tiltable propulsion unit with respect to a fuselage of the air vehicle, based on:
• (i) a monitored airspeed of the air vehicle and (ii) an airspeed command;
• and
• following a tilting of the at least one tiltable propulsion unit, controlling in a second part of the acceleration an operation of the tiltable propulsion unit to provide thrust in the general longitudinal thrust vector direction for propelling the air vehicle,
• wherein the control unit is configured to issue a pitch command based on the monitored airspeed and the airspeed command and to control in the first part of the acceleration a modifying of a pitch angle of the air vehicle based on the pitch command, wherein the controlling of the modifying of the tilt angle is further based on the pitch command.

A method for controlling an acceleration of an air vehicle which comprises a tiltable propulsion unit that is tiltable to provide a thrust whose direction is variable at least between a general vertical thrust vector direction and a general longitudinal thrust vector direction with respect to the air vehicle, the method comprising:

• in a first part of the acceleration, in which the tiltable propulsion unit provides thrust in the general vertical thrust vector direction:
• (a) controlling an operation of the at least one tiltable propulsion unit for providing lift to the air vehicle, and (b) controlling a modifying of a tilt angle of the tiltable propulsion unit with respect to a fuselage of the air vehicle, based on:
• (i) the monitored airspeed and (ii) an airspeed command;
• following a tilting of the at least one tiltable propulsion unit, controlling in a second part of the acceleration an operation of the tiltable propulsion unit to provide thrust in the general longitudinal thrust vector direction for propelling the air vehicle, and
• issuing a pitch command based on the monitored airspeed and the airspeed command and controlling in the first part of the acceleration a modifying of a pitch angle of the air vehicle based on the pitch command, wherein the controlling of the modifying of the tilt angle is further based on the pitch command.

A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a computer readable code portion executable by the machine for controlling an acceleration of an air vehicle which comprises a tiltable propulsion unit that is tiltable to provide a thrust whose direction is variable at least between a general vertical thrust vector direction and a general longitudinal thrust vector direction with respect to the air vehicle, the computer readable code portion comprising instructions for:

• in a first part of the acceleration, in which the tiltable propulsion unit provides thrust in the general vertical thrust vector direction:
• (a) controlling an operation of the at least one tiltable propulsion unit for providing lift to the air vehicle, and (b) controlling a modifying of a tilt angle of the tiltable propulsion unit with respect to a fuselage of the air vehicle, based on:
• (i) the monitored airspeed and (ii) an airspeed command;
• following a tilting of the at least one tiltable propulsion unit, controlling in a second part of the acceleration an operation of the tiltable propulsion unit to provide thrust in the general longitudinal thrust vector direction for propelling the air vehicle, and
• issuing a pitch command based on the monitored airspeed and the airspeed command and controlling in the first part of the acceleration a modifying of a pitch angle of the air vehicle based on the pitch command, wherein the controlling of the modifying of the tilt angle is further based on the pitch command.