公开(公告)号：US20230150691A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-18

申请号：US17455376

申请日：2021-11-17

Applicant: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Inventor： Michael Joseph Allwein ,  James William Groves ,  Kevin David Koller ,  Ryan Bylard ,  Roy Hultenius

IPC: B64F1/02 ,  B64C39/02

CPC classification number: B64F1/029 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/182

Abstract: Features for in-flight recovery of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A towline may be deployed by a host aircraft in-flight to recover an in-flight target UAV. The towline or portion thereof may be oriented nearly vertical. The towline may have a fitting thereon. A capture mechanism on the target UAV may have one or more deployable flaps that engage with the near vertical towline and fitting. The flaps may stow to secure the target aircraft to the towline and fitting. The host aircraft may then retract the towline to pull in the target UAV to the host aircraft using a hoist system having a winch. A latching system located in a pylon of the host aircraft, which may be under a wing, may have a towline connector that engages with and secures the target UAV. The host aircraft may have multiple hoist systems for deployment and/or recovery of multiple target UAV's.

公开(公告)号：US20240017857A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-18

申请号：US18350648

申请日：2023-07-11

Applicant: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Inventor： Michael Joseph Allwein ,  Roy Hultenius ,  James William Groves ,  Arthur Siemens ,  Sebastian Kaser ,  Elijah Abelovski ,  Celestino Morales

IPC: B64U70/20 ,  B64D1/10

CPC classification number: B64U70/20 ,  B64D1/10 ,  B64D3/00

Abstract: Embodiments of a recovery and deployment pylon for recovering and launching/relaunching a target aircraft that can include a housing configured to be coupled with an aircraft, a motorized winch, a towline coupled with the winch and configured to be paid out and reeled in using the winch, a fitting coupled with the towline, and a first latching mechanism configured to selectively engage with a first lug of the target aircraft when the target aircraft is in a first position relative to the recovery and deployment pylon. The target aircraft can be in the first position when the target aircraft is within a predetermined proximity of the device.

公开(公告)号：US11820531B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-21

申请号：US17455376

申请日：2021-11-17

Applicant: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Inventor： Michael Joseph Allwein ,  James William Groves ,  Kevin David Koller ,  Ryan Bylard ,  Roy Hultenius

IPC: B64C39/02 ,  B64F1/02 ,  B64U70/30

CPC classification number: B64F1/029 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64U70/30

Abstract: Features for in-flight recovery of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A towline may be deployed by a host aircraft in-flight to recover an in-flight target UAV. The towline or portion thereof may be oriented nearly vertical. The towline may have a fitting thereon. A capture mechanism on the target UAV may have one or more deployable flaps that engage with the near vertical towline and fitting. The flaps may stow to secure the target aircraft to the towline and fitting. The host aircraft may then retract the towline to pull in the target UAV to the host aircraft using a hoist system having a winch. A latching system located in a pylon of the host aircraft, which may be under a wing, may have a towline connector that engages with and secures the target UAV. The host aircraft may have multiple hoist systems for deployment and/or recovery of multiple target UAV's.