System, apparatus and method for long endurance vertical takeoff and landing vehicle

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage;
• an empennage located at a tail end of the VTOL aircraft, wherein the empennage is configured to engage the ground during a launch operation to define a first ground contact point and a second ground contact point;
• a retractable pogo support to deploy from the fuselage during the launch operation,
• wherein a distal end of the retractable pogo support is configured to engage the ground to define a third ground contact point, and
• wherein the first, second, and third ground contact points define a tripod support to support the fuselage of the VTOL aircraft at a predetermined stand-up angle during the launch operation;
• a wing having a first wing tip and a second wing tip, the fuselage positioned between the first and second wing tips;
• and
• a first propulsor and a second propulsor, the first propulsor positioned on the wing left of the fuselage and the second propulsor positioned on the wing right of the fuselage.

A method for launching a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft having a propulsor, a fuselage, a retractable pogo support coupled to the fuselage, a wing, and an empennage located at a tail end of the VTOL aircraft, the method comprising:

• extending the retractable pogo support from said fuselage until a distal end of the retractable pogo support contacts the ground to define a first ground contact point;
• continuing to extend the retractable pogo support from said fuselage until at least two points on the empennage make contact with the ground to define a second ground contact point and a third ground contact point;
• continuing to extend the retractable pogo support from said fuselage until the fuselage of the VTOL aircraft is positioned at a predetermined stand-up angle relative to the ground, wherein the VTOL aircraft is supported by a tripod support defined by the first ground contact point, the second ground contact point, and the third ground contact point;
• and
• controlling the propulsor to launch the VTOL aircraft.