Ancillary aerodynamic structures for an unmanned aerial vehicle having ducted, coaxial counter-rotating rotors
US5419513A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 11, 1993 |
| Grant date | May 30, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 11, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64U50/14
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a toroidal fuselage and a rotor assembly including counter-rotating rotors coaxially mounted with respect to the toroidal fuselage incorporates ancillary aerodynamic structures aerodynamically configured and mounted in combination with the toroidal fuselage to provide a nose-down pitching moment to counteract the nose-up pitching moment generated by airflow over the toroidal fuselage during forward translational flight of the UAV. The ancillary aerodynamic structures have a cambered airfoil profile to provide high lifting forces. The ancillary aerodynamic structures may have centers of lift located significantly aft of the quarter-chord line of the airfoil, and are symmetrically mounted in combination with the lateral sides of the toroidal fuselage so that the centers of lift are located aftwardly of the fuselage axis of the toroidal fuselage in forward translational flight modes such that the ancillary aerodynamic structures generate a nose-down pitching moment to counteract the nose-up pitching moment due to airflow over the toroidal fuselage in forward translational flight. In a first embodiment, the ancillary aerodynamic structures are fi…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.