Abstract:
Le micro-véhicule aérien de type radiocommandé, à voilure fixe (par opposition à une voilure tournante), comportant des moyens de propulsion (23, 24), comporte des moyens de roulage au sol, attachés aux extrémités latérales d'une aile (18) de la voilure, l'axe de rotation Y1 des roues (25) étant disposé en avant du centre de gravité (31 ) du micro-drone (40), le centre de gravité (31 ) du micro-drone (40) étant situé en avant du centre aérodynamique (32) du micro-drone, l'axe de rotation Y1 des roues (18) étant situé dans l'alignement de l'axe de poussée des moyens de propulsion (23, 24), les moyens de roulage (25) comprenant des roues (25) dimensionnées de telle sorte que leur rayon D/2 est supérieur à la distance entre l'axe de rotation Y1 des roues et le bord de fuite de la voilure.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a vertical take-off and landing gyropendular craft or drone device (FIG. 18) able to move around in the following different physical environments: in the air, on land, at sea, underwater or in space, comprising upper and lower propulsion units, equipped with an annular fairing accommodating a certain number of electronically slaved wing or gas-powered drive or propulsion units situated in the continuation of the axis of this device, mounted on 3-D swivels at the ends of a certain number of telescopic rods, for example set at 120° apart at the periphery of the platform and orientable about the three axes according to the plane of flight of the multimodal multi-environment craft, a vertebral structure by way of a 3-D articulated central body of solid or hollow cylindrical shape for forming a stabilized function of stabilizing, maintaining the position and heading, and of an inertial rotary disc platform equipped underneath with a cabin of hemispherical shape extending from the vertebral structure, accommodating a payload or a useful application, designed for various fields of application e.g. the sector of defence or civil security, so as to perform functions of search and rescue, exploration, navigation, transport, surveillance and telecommunications infrastructure deployment in free space.
Abstract:
A vertical take off and landing (VTOL) aircraft (100), which may be a UAV aircraft, is disclosed. The VTOL includes a ducted fan assembly (120) that provides the capability of vertical takeoff and landing, hovering and traveling of slow speeds. In addition, a pusher fan assembly (140) of the VTOL permits high-speed forward flight, which increases the range of the aircraft.
Abstract:
Conventional bottom blade type flight vehicles have composite structures and composite flying controls in that a plurality of pairs of fixing plates, forward/backward adjustment blades, and left and right rotation adjustment blades are separately mounted and adjusted to remove an anti-torque of the flight vehicle caused by the rotation of propellers and to fly the vehicles, and thus have difficulties in scouting and surveillance in an indoor area due to the heavy weight and large volume of said flight vehicles. The present invention provides a flight vehicle characterized in that an anti-torque of the flight vehicle is not removed, and the flight vehicle continuously rotates by one adjustment blade and stops, rotates in the forward and backward directions, and flies in the left and right directions. The flight vehicle of the present invention is simple in structure and control, lightweight, and small in size, thus allowing for flight in a narrow space and scouting and surveillance in an indoor area, and improving power efficiency.
Abstract:
This disclosure involves aerial robots (1) that dispense conductive filament (110) or systems, methods, and software for supporting such aerial robots (1). One remotely powered aerial robot system includes an aerial robot (1) and a power source (100/200). The aerial robot comprises a body (25), a first propeller (3) coupled to the body and operable to provide thrust to the aerial robot, a rotatable spool (17) coupled to the body, and a conductive filament (110) that is dispensed from the spool by rotation of the spool is one direction and retrieved by rotation of the spool in another direction. The power source is coupled with, and remote from, the aerial robot via the conductive filament, where the conductive filament is operable to power the first propeller using power from the power source.
Abstract:
The present invention includes an embodiment defined as a flying vehicle having a pair of wings and a transition assembly partially housed within each of the pair of wings. The transition assembly has ends rotatable with respect to each other and separately secured to the wing in which the end is housed. The transition assembly has a first position defined as having each wing positioned at an angle offset from a substantial horizontal orientation and oriented in an opposite direction from the other wing. When the transition assembly is in the first position the vehicle spins and will fly in a substantially hovering vertical orientation. The transition assembly has a second position defined as having each wing positioned in a substantial horizontal position. When the transition assembly is in the second position the vehicle will fly in a substantially horizontal orientation.
Abstract:
A system and method for moving an aerial vehicle along a flight path includes rotatable hubs mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle. Elongated airfoils are mounted on the hubs parallel to a common hub axis for rotation about the hub axis on a blade path. Each airfoil defines a chord line and the system includes a gear assembly changeable, during hub rotation, between a first modality wherein airfoil chord lines remain tangential to the blade path (curtate flight), and a second modality wherein airfoil chord lines remain parallel to the flight path of the vehicle (prolate flight). Also, rotation of the hub can be stopped and the airfoils used for fixed wing flight.
Abstract:
A dual ducted fan arrangement in which the duct components (203), engine (10), and avionics/payload pods (300, 302) are capable of being quickly disassembled to fit within common backpacking systems. Each duct is identical in fan (201 ), stator (102), and control vane design. Assembly connections between ducted fans (203) and electronic modules are also identical. An engine (10) or APU drives the dual ducted fans (203) through a splined shaft (601) to a differential (600) or through electric motors. Energy is transferred to the ducted fans by a single gear mounted to the stator (102) hub. Relative speeds of the individual ducted fans are controlled through separate frictional or generator load control braking mechanisms (603) on each of the splined shafts (601) between the differential (600) and ducted fans (203). In the electric motor case relative speed is through electronic speed control. The fans (201 ) are counter rotating for torque balancing. The electronic module locations are vertically variable for longitudinal center of gravity for variations in payloads.
Abstract:
A vertical take-off and landing miniature aerial vehicle includes an upper fuselage segment (12) and a lower fuselage segment (14) that extend in opposite directions from a rotor guard assembly (16). A rotor (52) rotates within the rotor guard assembly (16) between the fuselage segments(12, 14). Plural turning vanes (28) extend from the rotor guard assembly (16) beneath the rotor (52). Moreover, plural grid fins (26) extend radially from the lower fuselage segment (14) below the turning vanes (28). The aerial vehicle is capable of taking off and landing vertically. During flight, the aerial vehicle can hover and transition between a horizontal flight mode and a vertical flight mode using the grid fins (26).
Abstract:
An aerial vehicle (10) including a toroidal fuselage (12) having a longitudinal axis (14), and a duct (16) extending along the longitudinal axis (14) between a leading edge (18) and a trailing edge (20) of the fuselage (12), first and second counter-rotating, variable pitch rotor assemblies (22, 24) coaxially mounted within the duct (16) of the fuselage (12), and at least one canard wing (26) secured to the toroidal fuselage (12) and having a leading edge (28) positioned out of the duct (16) of the fuselage (12) and axially forward of the leading edge of the fuselage (12), wherein at least a portion of the canard wing (26) comprises a control surface having a variable angle of attack. The invention provides an aerial vehicle (10) that can take-off and land vertically, hover for extended periods of time over a fixed spatial point, and operated in confined areas. The aerial vehicle (10) also has the ability to transition between a hover and high speed forward flight.