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公开(公告)号:US10287012B2
公开(公告)日:2019-05-14
申请号:US15241436
申请日:2016-08-19
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: Daniel Bryan Robertson , Kirk Landon Groninga , Carlos Alexander Fenny
Abstract: A tail sitter aircraft includes a fuselage having a forward portion, an aft portion and a longitudinally extending fuselage axis. A main lifting surface is supported by the forward portion of the fuselage. A propulsion system is operably associated with the main lifting surface and operable to provide thrust during forward flight, vertical takeoff, hover and vertical landing. A tailboom assembly extends from the aft portion of the fuselage. The tailboom assembly includes a plurality of rotatably mounted tail arms having control surfaces and landing members wherein, in a forward flight configuration, the tail arms are radially retracted to reduce tail surface geometry and provide yaw and pitch control with the control surfaces and, wherein, in a landing configuration, the tail arms are radially extended relative to one another about the fuselage axis to form a stable ground contact base with the landing members.
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公开(公告)号:US10279900B2
公开(公告)日:2019-05-07
申请号:US15233897
申请日:2016-08-10
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: Daniel Bryan Robertson , Dudley Smith , Mark Dreier , Steve Ray Ivans , Kirk Landon Groninga
Abstract: In some embodiments, a rotorcraft includes a fuselage, a tailboom, a drive system and a variable thrust cross-flow fan system. The cross-flow fan system includes a cross-flow fan assembly that is mechanically coupled to a drive shaft and operable to rotate with the drive shaft about a longitudinal axis. The cross-flow fan assembly includes first and second driver plates having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted therebetween. The blades are disposed radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis and have a generally circular path of travel when the cross-flow fan assembly rotates about the longitudinal axis. The blades are moveable between a plurality of pitch angle configurations. A control assembly is coupled to the blades. The control assembly is operable to change the pitch angle configuration of the blades to generate variable thrust at a substantially constant rotational speed of the cross-flow fan assembly.
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公开(公告)号:US20190061925A1
公开(公告)日:2019-02-28
申请号:US15688165
申请日:2017-08-28
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: Kirk Landon Groninga , Daniel Bryan Robertson , Brett Rodney Zimmerman
Abstract: A cargo transportation system includes a cargo platform having an upper surface and a perimeter. A propulsion system is disposed about the perimeter of the cargo platform. The propulsion system includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies, each including a propulsion unit disposed within a housing defining an airflow channel having an air inlet for incoming air and an air outlet for outgoing air such that the outgoing air is operable to generate at least vertical lift. A power system disposed within the cargo platform provides energy to drive the propulsion system. A flight control system operably associated with the propulsion system and the power system controls flight operations of the cargo transportation system.
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公开(公告)号:US20180281936A1
公开(公告)日:2018-10-04
申请号:US15477582
申请日:2017-04-03
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: Daniel Bryan Robertson , Kirk Landon Groninga
Abstract: A helicopter has a fuselage, a main rotor system connected to the fuselage and configured to rotate in a rotor direction, the main rotor system comprising a retreating rotor blade side and an opposing advancing rotor blade side, and a first wing extending from the fuselage on the retreating rotor blade side. The helicopter comprises no tail rotor system and comprises no counter-rotating rotor system coaxial with the main rotor system.
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公开(公告)号:US20180208305A1
公开(公告)日:2018-07-26
申请号:US15860601
申请日:2018-01-02
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: John Lloyd , Kirk Landon Groninga
CPC classification number: B64C29/0033 , B60L50/61 , B60L50/90 , B60L53/12 , B60L2200/10 , B64C11/001
Abstract: Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a flight control system, a hybrid electrical or hybrid hydraulic propulsion system, and three ducted fan configuration. Each of two ducted fore fans include a single rotor system having multiple rotor blades, and a single ducted aft fan includes dual, coaxial, counter-rotating rotor systems each having multiple rotor blades. The aircraft is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft that is capable of operation in an airplane mode and a helicopter mode and designed to provide an urban air-taxi that would relieve ground traffic congestion, reduce carbon emissions, and increase productivity, thereby providing a faster, more efficient means of transportation.
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公开(公告)号:US20180057162A1
公开(公告)日:2018-03-01
申请号:US15251128
申请日:2016-08-30
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: Daniel Bryan Robertson , Kirk Landon Groninga , Frank Bradley Stamps
Abstract: A tail sitter aircraft includes a fuselage having a forward portion and an aft portion. The forward portion of the fuselage includes first and second rotor stations. A first rotor assembly is positioned proximate the first rotor station. A second rotor assembly is positioned proximate the second rotor station. A tailboom assembly extends from the aft portion of the fuselage. The tailboom assembly includes a plurality of landing members. In a vertical takeoff and landing mode of the aircraft, the first and second rotor assemblies rotate about the fuselage to provide vertical thrust. In a forward flight mode of the aircraft, the first rotor assembly rotates about the fuselage to provide forward thrust and the second rotor assembly is non-rotatable about the fuselage forming wings to provide lift.
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公开(公告)号:US20180057160A1
公开(公告)日:2018-03-01
申请号:US15253449
申请日:2016-08-31
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: Daniel Bryan Robertson , Kirk Landon Groninga
CPC classification number: B64C29/0033 , B64C23/02 , B64C29/02 , B64C39/005 , B64C39/006 , B64C39/12
Abstract: A tri-wing aircraft includes a fuselage having a longitudinally extending fuselage axis. Three wings extend generally radially outwardly from the fuselage axis and are circumferentially distributed generally uniformly about the fuselage at approximately 120-degree intervals. The wings have airfoil cross-sections including first and second surfaces having chordwise channels therebetween. A distributed propulsion system includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies. Each propulsion assembly includes a variable thrust cross-flow fan disposed within one of the chordwise channels of one of the wings. At least two variable thrust cross-flow fans are disposed within the chordwise channels of each of the wings. A flight control system is operably associated with the distributed propulsion system such that the flight control system and the distributed propulsion system are operable to generate a triaxial dynamic thrust matrix.
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公开(公告)号:US20200239134A1
公开(公告)日:2020-07-30
申请号:US16257696
申请日:2019-01-25
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: Daniel Bryan Robertson , Matthew Edward Louis , Kirk Landon Groninga
Abstract: A rotorcraft featuring a fuselage, a forward fuselage ducted fan located in the fuselage, and an aft fuselage ducted fan located in the fuselage. The rotorcraft is directly powered by electricity and can be supplemented with additional powers sources. Two sets of pivoting ducted fans provide additional lift and thrust as needed to control the rotorcraft.
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公开(公告)号:US10717526B2
公开(公告)日:2020-07-21
申请号:US15620310
申请日:2017-06-12
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: Levi Charles Hefner , Danielle Lynn Moore , Andrea Chavez , Kirk Landon Groninga , John Lloyd , Daniel Bryan Robertson
IPC: B64C39/02
Abstract: An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has a fuselage, a rotor system, and a wing configured for selective positioning during flight of the UAV to a deployed position, a stowed position, and to positions between the deployed position and the stowed position. The UAV has a flexible wing skin at least partially carried by a leading arm and the leading arm is rotatable relative to the fuselage.
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公开(公告)号:US10562618B2
公开(公告)日:2020-02-18
申请号:US15477582
申请日:2017-04-03
Applicant: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Inventor: Daniel Bryan Robertson , Kirk Landon Groninga
Abstract: A helicopter has a fuselage, a main rotor system connected to the fuselage and configured to rotate in a rotor direction, the main rotor system comprising a retreating rotor blade side and an opposing advancing rotor blade side, and a first wing extending from the fuselage on the retreating rotor blade side. The helicopter comprises no tail rotor system and comprises no counter-rotating rotor system coaxial with the main rotor system.
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