Patent · US Expired

Shroud geometry for unmanned aerial vehicles

US5150857A · kind A · utility

86Cited by
9References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 13, 1991
Grant dateSep 29, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 13, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB64U50/11
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle having a toroidal fuselage that surrounds a pair of coaxial, multi-bladed, counter-rotating rotors. The toroidal fuselage has an airfoil profile that is optimized to provide high hover efficiency and produce a pressure distribution that provide high lift forces. The airfoil profile is further optimized to counteract the undesirable nose-up pitching moments experienced by ducted rotary-type UAVs in forward translational flight.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.