Abstract:
Disclosed is an aircraft, configured to have a wide range of flight speeds, consuming low levels of power for an extended period of time, while supporting a communications platform with an unobstructed downward-looking view. The aircraft includes an extendable slat at the leading edge of the wing, and a reflexed trailing edge. The aircraft comprises a flying wing extending laterally between two ends and a center point. The wing is swept and has a relatively constant chord. The aircraft also includes a power module configured to provide power via a fuel cell. The fuel cell stores liquid hydrogen as fuel, but uses gaseous hydrogen in the fuel cell. A fuel tank heater is used to control the boil-rate of the fuel in the fuel tank. The fuel cell compresses ambient air for an oxidizer, and operates with the fuel and oxidizer at pressures below one atmosphere. The aircraft of the invention includes a support structure including a plurality of supports, where the supports form a tetrahedron that affixes to the wing.
Abstract:
Apparatuses and methods for controlling the motion of a propeller blade are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus can include a first motor that rotates a propeller about a first axis with a first shaft. A first signal transmission portion, fixed relative to the first motor, can transmit signals to a second signal transmission portion that rotates with the first shaft. A second motor can be carried by the first shaft and can receive signals from the second signal transmission portion. The second motor can drive blades of the propeller about a second axis generally transverse to the first axis via a second shaft to vary the pitch of the blades.
Abstract:
This disclosure provides a solar rechargeable aircraft (10) that is inexpensive to produce, is steerable, and can remain airborne almost indefinitely. The preferred aircraft is a span-loaded flying wing, having no fuselage or rudder. Traveling at relatively slow speeds, and having a two-hundred foot wingspan that mounts photovoltaic cells on most all of the wing's (12) top surface (42), the aircraft uses only differential thrust of its propellers (16) to turn. Each segment of the wing has one or more motors (14) and photovoltaic arrays (32), and produces its own lift independent of the other segments, to avoid loading them. Five two-sided photovoltaic arrays, in all, are mounted on the wing, and receive photovoltaic energy both incident on top of the wing, and which is incident also from below, through a bottom, transparent surface. The aircraft includes hinges and actuators capable of providing an adjustable dihedral for the wing. The actuators can be motors or control surfaces. Alternately, the actuators can be movable masses within the wing, which may be capable of deforming the wing to alter the aerodynamics of the wing, and thereby actuate the hinges. Because of wing dihedral, the aircraft includes motors both above and below the center of drag, and the aircraft uses differential thrust to control aircraft pitch. The aircraft has a wide variety of applications, which include serving as a long term high altitude platform that serves to link a ground station using radio wave signals and a satellite using optical signals.
Abstract:
A propeller includes a hub coaxially surrounding a longitudinal axis. A ring shroud coaxially surrounds the longitudinal axis and is spaced radially from the hub. The ring shroud includes an inner ring surface and a radially spaced, oppositely facing outer ring surface. At least one propeller blade is fixedly attached to both the hub and the inner ring surface and extends radially therebetween for mutual rotation therewith. At least one extending blade has a first extending blade end radially spaced from a second extending blade end. The first extending blade end is fixedly attached to the outer ring surface. The second extending blade end is cantilevered from the first extending blade end and is radially spaced from the ring shroud.
Abstract:
The universal vehicle system is designed with a lifting body which is composed of a plurality of interconnected modules which are configured to form an aerodynamically viable contour of the lifting body which including a front central module, a rear module, and thrust vectoring modules displaceably connected to the front central module and operatively coupled to respective propulsive mechanisms. The thrust vectoring modules are controlled for dynamical displacement relative to the lifting body (in tilting and/or translating fashion) to direct and actuate the propulsive mechanism(s) as needed for safe and stable operation in various modes of operation and transitioning therebetween in air, water and terrain environments.
Abstract:
An asymmetric aircraft (1) and an aircraft (1) that can operate from small ships (8) and be stored in high density with three aircraft or more in one helicopter hangar (107) without needing a landing gear or wing fold. These aircraft slide into and out of the hangar on dollies (90) like circuit boards in a computer and are launched and recovered using a large towed parafoil (6).
Abstract:
Малогабаритная беспилотная авиационная система для воздушного наблюдения и разведки, включающая наземную станцию управления; бортовые и наземные средства радиосвязи, навигации и управления полетом; пусковое устройство и несущий полезную нагрузку разборный беспилотный летательный аппарат модульной конструкции, который может быть легко собран для полета и разобран для транспортировки в компактном контейнере, в которой повышение прочности и надежности конструкции беспилотного летательного аппарата при одновременном снижении его массы достигнуто за счет оригинальной конструкции центрального лонжерона фюзеляжа и замочных соединений со стопорными элементами для крепления частей крыла к фюзеляжу. Беспилотный летательный аппарат выполнен по аэродинамической схеме летающее крыло с толкающим воздушным винтом, электрической силовой установкой и снабжен парашютной системой для посадки.
Abstract:
A gust-insensitive unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for imaging the ground, the UAV comprising: an airframe which is substantially neutrally stable and comprises a fuselage and at least three wings which include control surfaces, wherein the wings are arranged in symmetrical relation about the fuselage and confer the UAV with a roll stability about the longitudinal axis of the fuselage for any roll angle, thereby allowing the roll angle of the UAV to be set to any required angle independent of the heading and pitch angle of the UAV; a propulsion device for propelling the UAV in flight; an image sensor for imaging the ground, wherein the image sensor has a footprint, the position of which is determined by the roll angle of the UAV; and a flight control system for controlling the in-flight operation of the UAV, wherein the flight control system includes flight control sensors and is operative to render the UAV gust insensitive in response to inputs from the flight control sensors, whereby the UAV exhibits substantially only linear displacements in response to wind gusts, and control the roll angle of the UAV to determine the position of the sensor footprint.
Abstract:
Vibration isolation devices and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, for example, an unmanned aircraft can include a fuselage having a first fuselage section and a second fuselage section adjacent to and at least approximately longitudinally aligned with the first fuselage section. The aircraft can also include at least one vibration isolation device coupling the first fuselage section to the second fuselage section. The vibration isolation device is translationally stiffer along a longitudinal axis than it is along a lateral and a vertical axis, and rotationally stiffer about a pitch and a yaw axis than it is about a roll axis.