Aircraft having omnidirectional ground maneuver capabilities
US10661892B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 26, 2017 |
| Grant date | May 26, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 7, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64C39/08
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An aircraft having omnidirectional ground maneuver capabilities. The aircraft includes an airframe and a plurality of propulsion assemblies attached to the airframe. Each of the propulsion assemblies includes a nacelle having a mast axis, a rotor assembly having a tilting degree of freedom relative to the mast axis and a tail assembly rotatable about the mast axis. The tail assembly includes at least one wheel having a rotational axis. A flight control system is operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies including tilting each rotor assembly and rotating each tail assembly. For each propulsion assembly, the rotor assembly and the tail assembly have complementary configurations in which a thrust vector generated by the rotor assembly has a horizontal component that is generally perpendicular to the rotational axis of the wheel, thereby enabling omnidirectional ground maneuvers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.