Abstract:
Methods and systems are provided which may allow a first vehicle to recover a second air vehicle while both are moving. The first vehicle and the second air vehicle may be traveling at different velocities. An attachment member of the second air vehicle may attach to a recovery member of the first vehicle while the first vehicle and the second air vehicle are traveling at different velocities. The recovery member attached to the second air vehicle may move relative to and along an exterior surface of the first vehicle in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of travel of the first vehicle.
Abstract:
For retrieval of a hovering aircraft, a cable, bar, or similar fixture is suspended in an approximately horizontal orientation across the retrieval area between two well-separated supports. The aircraft slowly flies into this fixture, which then slides along the aircraft in a direction approximately parallel with the aircraft's thrust line. This leads to the aircraft becoming fastened to the fixture by an interceptor or aircraft capturer, which in alternative embodiments are respectively on the aircraft or the fixture or both. Thrust is then reduced, and the aircraft comes to rest hanging from the fixture for subsequent removal. Retrieval is thus accomplished with simple and economical apparatus, light and unobtrusive elements on the aircraft, low risk of damage, and only moderate piloting accuracy.
Abstract:
An unmanned air vehicle is provided, which includes an airframe and a parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system mounted on the airframe. The parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. A hybrid controller is configured to control both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor. A propeller is connected to a mechanical link. The mechanical link couples the internal combustion engine and the electric motor to the propeller to drive the propeller. An alternate unmanned air vehicle includes a second propeller driven by the electric motor. In this alternate unmanned air vehicle, the internal combustion engine is decoupled from the electric motor.
Abstract:
The disclosure provides a parachute release device which may include a connecting element capable of connecting to an aircraft and to a parachute and a locking mechanism capable of releasing the connecting element from the aircraft upon being actuated by an actuator, wherein the parachute may be connected to the connecting element by a multiplicity of points, wherein the locking mechanism is adapted to inhibit a force from being applied to the actuator and wherein the device may be suitable for use in small weights aircrafts due to its small size and weight. The disclosure further provides a method for releasing a parachute from an aircraft, the method may include activating an actuator capable of releasing a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is adapted to release a connecting element from an aircraft upon being actuated, wherein the connecting element is adapted to connect a parachute and wherein the locking mechanism is adapted to inhibit a force from being applied to the actuator.
Abstract:
Frangible fasteners and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, for example, an unmanned aircraft can include a fuselage portion, a wing portion, and a winglet carried by the wing portion. The aircraft can also include at least one frangible fastener coupling the winglet to the wing portion. The fastener is coupled to only partially release the winglet from the wing portion when a force on the winglet exceeds a threshold value.
Abstract:
A guided fire-retardant-containing bomb comprises a container with retractable wings, tail and elevators having the form factor of a conventional release vehicle, where the control surfaces are coupled via a controller to a GPS with inertial guidance control and an ability to receive external instructions, and a charge core to disintegrate and disperse the fire retardant or water.
Abstract:
Systems and/or methods for forming a multiple-articulated flying system (skybase) having a high aspect ratio wing platform, operable to loiter over an area of interest at a high altitude are provided. In certain exemplary embodiments, autonomous modular flyers join together in a wingtip-to-wingtip manner. Such modular flyers may derive their power from insolation. The autonomous flyers may include sensors which operate individually, or collectively after a skybase is formed. The skybase preferably may be aggregated, disaggregated, and/or re-aggregated as called for by the prevailing conditions. Thus, it may be possible to provide a “forever-on-station” aircraft.
Abstract:
For retrieval of a hovering aircraft, a cable, bar, or similar fixture is suspended in an approximately horizontal orientation across the retrieval area between two well-separated supports. The aircraft slowly flies into this fixture, which then slides along the aircraft in a direction approximately parallel with the aircraft's thrust line. This leads to the aircraft becoming fastened to the fixture by an interceptor or aircraft capturer, which in alternative embodiments are respectively on the aircraft or the fixture or both. Thrust is then reduced, and the aircraft comes to rest hanging from the fixture for subsequent removal. Retrieval is thus accomplished with simple and economical apparatus, light and unobtrusive elements on the aircraft, low risk of damage, and only moderate piloting accuracy.
Abstract:
An aircraft, particularly a solar powered, high altitude, long endurance, unmanned aerial vehicle, is equipped with a combination of canted down, raked back wing tips and trailing “tip tails” carried on booms from the tip regions of the mainplane. Each tip tail is positioned to be subject to the upwash field of the respective wing tip vortex, at least in the cruise condition of the aircraft. The wing tip form can achieve a reduction in induced drag and help to relieve wing root bending moment while the tip tails can act through their connections to the mainplane to provide torsional relief to the latter, particularly under lower incidence/higher speed conditions. In the higher incidence/lower speed cruise condition, however, the presence of the tip tails in the upwash fields of the wing tip vortices means that they can generate lift with a component in the forward direction of flight and hence contribute to the thrust requirements of the aircraft.
Abstract:
Systems and/or methods for forming a multiple-articulated flying system (skybase) having a high aspect ratio wing platform, operable to loiter over an area of interest at a high altitude are provided. In certain exemplary embodiments, autonomous modular flyers join together in a wingtip-to-wingtip manner. Such modular flyers may derive their power from insolation. The autonomous flyers may include sensors which operate individually, or collectively after a skybase is formed. The skybase preferably may be aggregated, disaggregated, and/or re-aggregated as called for by the prevailing conditions. Thus, it may be possible to provide a “forever-on-station” aircraft.