Back to results
US 9,957,042 B1Granted
Bimodal propeller aircraft
AssigneeKitty Hawk Corporation
InventorsDamon Vander Lind, Gregory Mainland Horn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bimodal propeller aircraft is disclosed. In various embodiments, the aircraft is flown using a cruise propeller and a hover propeller. The hover propeller has one or more folding blades optimized to provide lift to the aircraft in a first flight mode. The cruise propeller is optimized to provide thrust in a second flight mode. In the second flight mode, the one or more folding blades of the hover propeller may remain in a stowed position.
Claims16
An aircraft, comprising:
- a hover propeller comprising one or more folding blades optimized to provide lift to the aircraft in a first flight mode;
- a cruise propeller optimized to provide thrust in a second flight mode, wherein the hover propeller is configured such that in the second flight mode, the one or more folding blades remain in a stowed position;
- and
- wherein the cruise propeller comprises a bistable propeller that is mechanically stable in two or more different positions depending on a direction of rotation in which the propeller is rotated or a history of torque commands.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.