VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING AIRCRAFT

Abstract

A vertical take-off and landing aircraft of the tail-sitting type comprises a cockpit integrated into a body having delta wings in the rear section with respect to the cockpit and a propulsion system placed in the front section with respect to the cockpit. The propulsion system includes at least two coaxial counter-rotating propellers put into rotation by at least two electric engines powered by rechargeable batteries.

Claims

1-30. (canceled)

31. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft of the tail-sitting type, comprising a cockpit integrated in a body having delta wings in a rear section with respect to the cockpit and a propulsion system placed in a front section with respect to the cockpit, wherein the propulsion system includes at least a pair of coaxial counter-rotating propellers put in rotation by a respective pair of distinct electric engines powered by a battery unit comprising rechargeable batteries, wherein each of said electric engines is configured so as to put into rotation a respective propeller of said pair of counter-rotating propellers.

32. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein said electric engines are direct current powered brushless type engines.

33. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein said electric engines have fixed windings and rotating casing.

34. The aircraft according to claim 33, wherein each engine comprises a respective rotating casing, each casing being directly connected to a respective propeller.

35. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein said propellers are in direct drive with the respective engine, without interposition of gear reducers.

36. The aircraft according to claim 31, further comprising a pitch varying device of said propellers, said pitch varying device being configured so as to individually vary the pitch of each of said propellers.

37. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein said propellers are coaxial with respect to an axis of rotation (X), said engines being aligned with respect to said axis of rotation (X), a second engine of said pair of engines being directly facing a first engine of said pair.

38. The aircraft according to claim 31, further comprising a battery housing body within which said batteries are housed.

39. The aircraft according to claim 33, wherein said propellers are coaxial with respect to an axis of rotation (X), the aircraft further comprising a shaft that develops substantially parallel to the axis of rotation (X) on which said windings of said engines are supported.

40. The aircraft according to claim 39, further comprising a battery housing body within which said batteries are housed, wherein said shaft extends from the battery housing body, said shaft being supported on said housing body at a first end of said shaft.

41. The aircraft according to claim 38, wherein said battery housing body is supported on said cockpit.

42. The aircraft according to claim 39, wherein each propeller of said pair is supported on said shaft.

43. The aircraft according to claim 39, wherein said shaft is hollow.

44. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein said rechargeable batteries are solid state batteries.

45. The aircraft according to claim 31, further comprising a cooling system configured to liquid cool the electric engines and/or the rechargeable batteries.

46. The aircraft according to claim 45, wherein said propellers are coaxial with respect to an axis of rotation (X), said engines being aligned with respect to said axis of rotation (X), a second engine of said pair of engines being directly facing a first engine of said pair, the aircraft further comprising a battery housing body within which said batteries are housed, wherein said battery housing body, said cooling system and said propulsion system are aligned along the axis of rotation (X), and follow one another in that order along a direction running from the rear to the front of the aircraft.

47. The aircraft according to claim 45, wherein a first propeller of said pair is interposed between said cooling system and said first engine.

48. The aircraft according to claim 45, the aircraft further comprises a shaft that develops substantially parallel to the axis of rotation (X) on which said windings of said engines are supported, wherein said cooling system is supported on said shaft.

49. The aircraft according to claim 48, wherein said shaft is hollow, and wherein said cooling system comprises ducts for the passage of cooling liquid that develop inside said shaft.

50. The aircraft according to claim 31, further comprising a nose placed before said two coaxial counter-rotating propellers, wherein at least one ballistic safety parachute is preferably housed in said nose.

51. The aircraft according to claim 50, the aircraft further comprising a shaft that develops substantially parallel to the axis of rotation (X) on which said windings of said engines are supported, wherein said shaft comprises a second end projecting in axial direction with respect to a respective propeller of said pair, said nose being supported on said second end.

52. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein said cockpit, said battery unit, and said propulsion system formed by propellers and engines, are each made as a distinct component and are configured so as to be mounted in axial succession.

53. The aircraft according to claim 45, wherein said cooling system is made as a distinct component with respect to said cockpit, said battery unit, and said propulsion system, and is configured so as to be mounted between said battery unit and said propulsion system.

54. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein one or more airbags are arranged in the rear section of the body of the aircraft and/or of the cockpit to cushion the impact with the ground in the event of any emergency landing.

55. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein said cockpit comprises at least two side-by-side seats.

56. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein said cockpit comprises at least one tilting seat, said tilting seat being configured such that it rotates on command about an axis (Y) substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation (X) of said propellers and substantially parallel to the ground (S) when the aircraft is resting on the ground in a take-off/landing configuration.

57. The aircraft according to claim 56, wherein said cockpit comprises at least two side-by-side seats and said at least two side-by-side seats comprise at least two tilting seats with adjustable rotation.

58. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein said cockpit comprises at least one transparent tiltable shell, hinged in its front part to the body of the aircraft, to allow access by at least one pilot, and reclosable in safety during the flight.

59. The aircraft according to claim 56, wherein it comprises a programmable control unit for controlling and adjusting one or more of: the power of said at least two electric engines; the rotation of said tilting seat; the pitch of said propellers; the state of charge of said batteries; the flight attitude of the aircraft; the phases of transition between vertical flight and horizontal flight; and the route to be followed by the aircraft.

60. The aircraft according to claim 31, wherein at least the body of the aircraft is made with robust and lightweight materials comprising carbon fibres, aluminium or alloys thereof and titanium or alloys thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description, made by way of illustration and not limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0065] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aircraft in horizontal flight attitude according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0066] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the aircraft of FIG. 1, sitting on the ground with its tail;

[0067] FIGS. 3 and 3A are a sectional view of the aircraft according to plane III-III of FIG. 2 and a respective detailed view; and

[0068] FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the detail of the cockpit in the shell opening condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] With reference initially to FIG. 1 a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of the tail-sitting type according to an embodiment of the present invention is overall indicated with reference numeral 10. In FIG. 1 the aircraft 10 is represented in a horizontal flight attitude.

[0070] The aircraft 10 comprises a cockpit 20 integrated in a body 30 having delta wings 31 and provided with movable ailerons 32 in the rear section with respect to the cockpit 20. In the front section with respect to the cockpit 20 there is provided a propulsion system 4 which includes two coaxial counter-rotating propellers 41 and 42 put into rotation by two respective distinct electric engines 43 and 44. In preferred embodiments the propellers 41, 42 rotate with respect to a same axis of rotation X. In preferred embodiments a nose 40 is arranged in front of the propellers 41 and 42.

[0071] In the view of FIG. 1 the upper and lower drifts, or vertical tail planes, 33 provided with respective rudders 34 are also visible.

[0072] Advantageously, the wings 31 and the drifts 33 are provided with wheels 35 that allow the aircraft 10 to rest on the ground with the tail section, as visible for example in the following FIGS. 2-4. In preferred embodiments the wheels 35 are located at respective ends of wings and drifts distal with respect to the cockpit 20.

[0073] FIG. 2 illustrates an elevational view of the aircraft 10 in the vertical position resting on the ground S with the tail section. The two side-by-side seats in the cockpit 20 are highlighted, which are accessed by tilting a transparent shell 22 (FIG. 4) placed on each of the access sides to the cockpit 20.

[0074] A programmable control unit 50 is also highlighted, with interface placed in the cockpit 20, which allows to control and adjust various functions of the aircraft 10, such as for example the power of the electric engines 43 and 44, the state of charge of the batteries, the flight attitude of the aircraft 10, the phases of transition between vertical flight and horizontal flight, the route to be followed by the aircraft 10 and, in general, all the signalling functions and the automations that allow the flight of the aircraft 10 in safe conditions.

[0075] Airbags 60 are preferably provided in the cockpit 20 as further safety systems for the occupants of the aircraft 10.

[0076] In the sectional view of FIG. 3 and in the relative detail of FIG. 3A, the electric engines 43 and 44 and the arrangement of the battery unit 7, as well as of relative rechargeable solid state batteries 70, responsible for their supply are highlighted. The electric engines 43 and 44 can be for example brushless type direct current engines installed with fixed windings 43A, 44A and rotating casings 43B, 44B, each of the casings being mechanically connected to a respective propeller 41 and 42.

[0077] In preferred embodiments, the rotating casings of each engine, which form the rotor thereof, are directly connected to the respective propeller. In other words, the propellers are in direct drive with the respective engine, without interposition of gear reducers or other motion transmission systems.

[0078] In some embodiments the windings 43A, 44A, which more generally define stator units of the motor, are arranged between the two propellers.

[0079] In some embodiments, not illustrated in the figures, the two engines may use a single stator unit comprising a support on which the windings 43A, 44A of each engine are fixed. In this way, a common cooling circuit can be used for the two windings, always for the benefit of simplicity of construction and ease of assembly.

[0080] As can best be noted from FIG. 3A, in preferred embodiments the two electric engines comprise a first electric engine 43 and a second electric engine 44, arranged in front of the first electric engine 43.

[0081] Preferably the engines 43 and 44 are aligned with respect to the axis of rotation X of the propellers 41, 42, with the second engine 44 directly facing the first engine 43.

[0082] The aircraft 10 may further comprise a shaft 45 which develops parallel to the axis of rotation X on which the stator units of the engines 43, 44 are supported.

[0083] In preferred embodiments, the battery unit 7 comprises a battery housing body 71 within which the batteries 70 are housed.

[0084] The shaft 45 preferably extends from the battery housing body 71, on which it is supported at a first end 45A. The battery housing body 71 is in turn supported on the cockpit 20.

[0085] According to one aspect of the invention, the propellers 41 and 42 are also supported on the shaft 45, by means of respective bearings, not illustrated in the figure.

[0086] The shaft 45 can also be hollow so as to allow the passage of the electrical connections, not illustrated in the figure, which allow both to supply power to the engines, and to manage the control of the same.

[0087] In some embodiments, a cooling system 74, preferably with liquid, is arranged between the engines 43, 44 and the battery housing body 71 to cool the engines and/or the batteries in combination with the airflow generated by the propellers 41 and 42 during the flight.

[0088] In fact, it should be noted that the battery housing body 71, the cooling system 74 and the engines 43, 44 are aligned along the axis of rotation X, and follow one another in said order along a direction running from the rear to the front of the aircraft 10.

[0089] Advantageously, the first propeller 41 is also interposed between the cooling system 74 and the first engine 43.

[0090] In the nose 40 there is obtained a housing 48 containing at least one ballistic safety parachute that can be operated in case of malfunction of the aircraft 10 to guarantee a descent at reduced speed and the subsequent tail contact with the ground.

[0091] The shaft 45 may advantageously comprise a second end 45b projecting in axial direction with respect to the second propeller 44 so as to allow the fixing of the nose 40.

[0092] It will be appreciated that the cockpit 20, the battery unit 7, the cooling system 74, and the propulsion system formed by propellers 41, 42 and engines 43, 44, may be made as distinct components.

[0093] When assembling the aircraft, these components can be assembled according to the axial succession described above, possibly in combination by means of the shaft 45.

[0094] In the view of FIG. 3 a pilot P is illustrated sitting on a seat 80 which is in the position it assumes during the flight. Each seat 80 in the cockpit 20 is a tiltable seat that can be operated and adjusted on command in rotation. In fact, as illustrated in FIG. 4, to allow the pilot P, and any passenger, to access or leave the cockpit 20, the seat 80 is in a suitable position to allow the pilot P and any passenger to be seated, who access the cockpit 20 after having tilted the respective transparent shell 22. The latter is then safely reclosed before the flight begins.

[0095] For this purpose it can be envisaged that the seat can rotate about an axis Y, illustrated in FIG. 2, substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation X and substantially parallel to the ground when the aircraft is resting thereon on the wheels 35.

[0096] The take-off phase can then take place, with the aircraft 10 resting on the ground S on the wheels 35, with the seat 80 in a rotated position, i.e. with the passenger positioned seated, with essentially standing torso, i.e. substantially aligned with the vertical, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0097] After take-off, the seat 80 can be rotated about the aforementioned axis Y to bring the seated passenger back into alignment with the vertical.

[0098] It will be appreciated that this feature makes the aircraft of the present invention more easily usable, facilitating access and making the cruising phases comfortable.

[0099] The aircraft 10 may further comprise a pitch varying device 47 of the propellers, illustrated only schematically in FIG. 3A, preferably configured to act during the transition between take-off/landing and horizontal flight phase.

[0100] The pitch varying device may act so as to individually vary the pitch of each of the propellers by adjusting the propulsive thrust of the propellers without varying their number of turns.

[0101] This allows to have a greater thrust during take-off/landing and a lower thrust during flight, thus allowing to increase the autonomy of the aircraft.

[0102] Various modifications may be made to the embodiments described and depicted hereinabove. For example, the arrangement of engines and batteries in the aircraft may also be different from that described so far in the various embodiments, as well as the arrangement of airbags within the cockpit and/or the arrangement of the cooling system of engines and batteries.