Patent classifications
B64U30/297
Radio controlled aircraft, remote controller and methods for use therewith
A radio controlled (RC) vehicle includes a receiver configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal from a remote control device. The RF signal indicates command data in accordance with a first coordinate system. The command data includes yaw-velocity command data. The RC vehicle includes motion sensors configured to generate motion data. The RC vehicle includes a processor coupled to the motion sensors and to the receiver. The processor is configured to transform the command data into control data based on the motion data and in accordance with a second coordinate system from a perspective of the RC vehicle. The control data includes yaw-velocity control data. The yaw-velocity control data is related to the yaw-velocity command data. The RC vehicle includes control devices coupled to the processor and configured to control motion of the RC vehicle based on the control data.
VTOL AIRCRAFT
A VTOL aircraft comprising a plurality of motor assemblies, each configured to generate thrust by movement of air past the motor assembly along a respective axis of thrust of the motor assembly, and a wing, wherein 1) the orientations of the axes of thrust are each fixed, during operation of the aircraft, at a constant respective pitch angle oblique to a pitch orientation of the wing; 2) the plurality of motor assemblies is operable together to both fully support the aircraft in a hovering mode, and to propel the aircraft forward in a forward flight mode; 3) the wing does not intersect with any right cylinder centered on any motor assembly and having a central longitudinal axis aligned with the axis of thrust of the motor assembly, and having a radius equal to a radius of a propeller of the motor assembly.
Air, sea and underwater tilt tri-rotor UAV capable of performing vertical take-off and landing
An air, sea and underwater tilt tri-rotor UAV capable of performing vertical take-off and landing. By the method for controlling a submerged floating device and a tilt tri-rotor device, the UAV is switched among the vertical take-off and landing mode, fixed wing mode, water surface sailing mode and underwater submerging mode.
Apparatus with Variable Pitch and Continuous Tilt for Rotors on an Unmanned Fixed Wing Aircraft
An apparatus providing continuous tilt and variable pitch for rotors on a fixed wing VTOL aircraft. An actuator on a housing rotates a first pivot point on a motor mount to tilt a motor to horizontal and vertical positions. Simultaneously, an actuator on the motor mount rotates a fork on a second pivot point on the motor mount to adjust the pitch of the rotors attached to a free end of the motor's drive shaft. A lower swash plate on the drive shaft is attached to the fork. An upper swash plate on the drive shaft is attached to the rotors. The swash plates are attached to each other with a shaft bushing attached to a shaft ball bearing. The shaft bushing allows both swash plates to move linearly along the shaft when the fork is rotated. The shaft ball bearing allows the upper swash plate to rotate with the drive shaft while the lower swash plate remains stationary.
Spring system varying stiffness with applied force for use in a torque dependent rotor of a rotary wing aircraft
Embodiments disclosed herein present a spring system for use in a torque dependent rotor assembly designed to operate in resonance, where changes in applied torque controls the blade pitch angle and ultimately the movements of a rotary wing aircraft. More specifically, the present invention relates to a spring system used in such a rotor assembly where the stiffness of an associated spring member is allowed to vary in response to the torque applied from a motor to the assembly.
Aerial system including foldable frame architecture
A frame assembly for an aerial system including a fuselage body and first and second rotor assemblies is described herein. The first and second rotor assemblies are coupled to the fuselage body by respective positioning assemblies. Each positioning assembly including a hinge assembly to enable the first and second rotor assemblies to pivot between a deployed position and a stowed position. A first positioning assembly including tapered positioning shaft. A second positioning assembly including a positioning sleeve having a tapered inner surface defining a cavity that is configure to receive the positioning shaft therein. The first positioning assembly being coupled to the second positioning assembly such that the first positioning assembly is rotatable about the rotor assembly rotational axis independent of the second rotor assembly.
VTOL aircraft for external load operations
An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft includes an airframe having first and second wings with first and second pylons extending therebetween. The first and second wings each having first and second outboard nacelle stations. A two-dimensional distributed thrust array is attached to the airframe. The thrust array including a plurality of outboard propulsion assemblies coupled to the first and second outboard nacelle stations of the first and second wings. A flight control system is coupled to the airframe and is operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. A cargo hook module is coupled to the airframe. The cargo hook module is operable for external load operations.
Two vehicle transportation system
A first and a second aircraft are detachably coupled where the first aircraft is configured to perform a vertical landing using a first battery while the first aircraft is unoccupied and the unoccupied first aircraft includes the first battery. In response to detecting a second, removable battery being detachably coupled to the first aircraft, a power source for the first aircraft is switched from the first battery to the second, removable battery. After the switch, the first aircraft takes off vertically using the second, removable battery while occupied. The detachably coupled first aircraft and second aircraft are flown using the second aircraft (the power to keep the detachably coupled first aircraft and second aircraft airborne comes exclusively from the second aircraft and not the first aircraft).
Propeller arrangement for an aircraft
A propeller arrangement for an aircraft, and an aircraft having a propeller arrangement of said type, are specified. The propeller arrangement has a first propeller blade and a second propeller blade, and a propeller mount on which both the first propeller blade and the second propeller blade are mounted. The propeller arrangement furthermore has a drive shaft with a holding unit, and a first connecting unit. The first propeller blade is rotatable about a first axis of rotation and the second propeller blade is rotatable about a second axis of rotation. The propeller mount is pivotable about a pivot axis. The first connecting unit is coupled to the first propeller blade and to the holding unit, such that, in the event of a pivoting of the propeller mount about the pivot axis, the first propeller blade is set in rotational motion about the first axis of rotation.
APPARATUS HAVING ELECTRIC-FIELD ACTUATED GENERATOR FOR POWERING ELECTRICAL LOAD WITHIN VICINITY OF POWERLINES
An apparatus in which electric power is generated for an electrical load from differentials in electric field strengths within a vicinity of powerlines includes: a plurality of electrodes separated and electrically insulated from one another for enabling differentials in voltage resulting from differentials in electric field strength experienced there at; and electrical components electrically connected therewith and configurable to establish one or more electric circuits whereby voltage differentials cause a current to flow through the established electric circuit for powering the electrical load. Preferably, the apparatus includes a control assembly having one or more voltage-detector components configured to detect relative voltages of the electrodes; and a processor enabled to configure—based on the detected voltages and based on voltage and electric current specifications for powering the electrical load—one or more of the electrical components to establish an electric circuit for powering the electrical load.