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291results about "All-wing aircraft" patented technology

Manned/unmanned V.T.O.L. flight vehicle

A manned / unmanned, autotonomously or remotely directed, horizontal, or vertical take-off and landing (HOVTOL) aircraft. This air vehicle incorporates multiple vertical facing ducted fans (shrouded propellers) driven by at least one power plant. Control authority of said air vehicle when in vertical flight mode is maintained through varying and vectoring the thrust produced by said ducted fans. When in a conventional horizontal flight mode, the aircraft would rely on aerodynamic control surfaces. In one embodiment this air vehicle would have the ability to transition from vertical helicopter type flight to a conventional horizontal aircraft mode of flight and back again. In another embodiment, this aircraft would perform similar to a helicopter—using only its ducted fans to produce vertical lift and maneuver in three dimensions.
Owner:THE BOEING CO

Tethered system for power generation

A system for power generation comprises a wing, a turbine, a tether, and a tether tension sensor. The wing is for generating lift. The turbine is coupled to the wing and is used for generating power from rotation of a propeller or for generating thrust using the propeller. One end of the tether is coupled to the wing. The tether tension sensor is for determining a tension of the tether.
Owner:MAKANI TECH LLC +1

Delta-winged hybrid airship

In one aspect, a hybrid airship including an outer shell, a plurality of helium filled gas envelopes, and an all-electric propulsion system may have the shape of a delta-wing. In some embodiments, the hybrid airship may be launched using buoyancy lift alone and aerodynamic lift may be provided by the all-electric propulsion system. In one aspect, a photovoltaic array and a high energy density power storage system may be combined to power the propulsion system making the propulsion system regenerative. The delta-wing shape can provide a surface area large enough to accommodate very large circular or elliptical transmission devices. By continuously recharging the power storage system, the hybrid airship in accordance with some embodiments can stay aloft at an operational altitude of at least about 85,000 ft for months or even years. The hybrid airship may function as an airborne military communications relay platform.
Owner:THE BOEING CO

Delta-winged hybrid airship

In one aspect, a hybrid airship including an outer shell, a plurality of helium filled gas envelopes, and an all-electric propulsion system may have the shape of a delta-wing. In some embodiments, the hybrid airship may be launched using buoyancy lift alone and aerodynamic lift may be provided by the all-electric propulsion system. In one aspect, a photovoltaic array and a high energy density power storage system may be combined to power the propulsion system making the propulsion system regenerative. The delta-wing shape can provide a surface area large enough to accommodate very large circular or elliptical transmission devices. By continuously recharging the power storage system, the hybrid airship in accordance with some embodiments can stay aloft at an operational altitude of at least about 85,000 ft for months or even years. The hybrid airship may function as an airborne military communications relay platform.
Owner:THE BOEING CO

Blended Wing Body Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

InactiveUS20100123047A1Improve stabilityImproved safety characteristicUnmanned aerial vehiclesWing shapesComparable sizePropeller
A Blended Wing Body SUAV and MUAV is disclosed having a novel airfoil profile, wing configuration, rigging and tractor pull propeller placement that provide improved stability and safety characteristics over prior art SUAVs and MUAVs of comparable size and weight. This unique blended wing design includes wing twist on the outboard wing and an inverted “W” shaped planform to provide lateral and longitudinal stability, and smooth, even flight characteristics throughout the range of the expected flight envelope. These flight characteristics are crucial to providing a stable reconnaissance platform with favorable stall speeds, an increased payload and the ability to hand launch without the danger of exposing ones hands or wrist to a propeller.
Owner:WILLIAMS AEROSPACE

Fixed-wing and electric multi-rotor composite aircraft

The present invention discloses a fixed-wing and electric multi-rotor composite aircraft, including an electric multi-rotor dynamic system and a main controller, the fixed-wing dynamic system and electric multi-rotor dynamic system are mutually independent structurally, the main controller includes the fixed-wing control system and an electric multi-rotor control system which is used for controlling the operation of the electric multi-rotor dynamic system, the main controller is also used for controlling the fixed-wing control system and the electric multi-rotor control system to operate independently or synergistically, the rotor rotating plane of the electric multi-rotor dynamic system is parallel to the airframe central shaft. The aircraft is able to shift between two flying modes freely, and takes off, lands and flies like a helicopter as well as a fixed-wing aircraft. A fixed-wing aircraft-helicopter mixed mode can also be used in the take-off, landing and flying process.
Owner:YUNEEC TECH CO LTD

CMC airfoil with thin trailing edge

An airfoil (10) as may be used in a gas turbine engine includes a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) element (12) that extends to define a leading edge portion (14) and chord portion (16) of the airfoil, and a separately formed but conjoined trailing edge element (18) that defines a desirably thin trailing edge of the airfoil without the need for using an excessively small bend radius for reinforcing fibers in the CMC element. The trailing edge element may include a plurality of interlock elements (26) that extend through the trailing edge attachment wall (22) of the CMC element and provide mechanical attachment there between. Alternatively, the trailing edge element may be adhesively bonded or sinter bonded to the CMC element. A cooling air insert (60) may be disposed within a cooling air cavity (64) of the CMC element and may include cooling tubes (66) that extend into the trailing edge element to deliver cooling air there through.
Owner:SIEMENS ENERGY INC

Flying wing aircraft

The invention is an aircraft that includes a flying wing having a plurality of extendable flaps mounted on the trailing edge of the flying wing. A canard is mounted on the nose of said flying wing. A system is mounted in the flying wing for providing high pressure air over the canard and the flaps. A second system is provided for controlling the flow of air over the canard to provide pitch control of the aircraft.
Owner:NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYST CORP

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle adapted for hover and short / vertical take-off and landing (S / VTOL) is disclosed. The vehicle comprises: a body having an aspect-ratio less than two and having therein a payload volume, at least one propeller located forward of the body, at least one rudder. The body may have an inverse Zimmerman planform which provides lift as air flows across the body in horizontal flight / fixed wing mode, and further adapted such that during hover and / or short / vertical take-off and landing (S / VTOL) the vehicle operates as a rotorcraft with the body oriented with the at least one propeller substantially above the body. The vehicle is suited to a method of inspection, such as power line inspection where large distances can be analysed efficiently by flying in fixed wing mode, but by transitioning to hover mode allows detailed inspection of selected areas.
Owner:THE BOEING CO

Tailed flying wing aircraft

The “Tailed Flying Wing Aircraft” idea represents new aerodynamic concepts for large high subsonic aircraft. Large high subsonic aircraft based on these new aerodynamic concepts are having a significantly higher lift capacity and longer range, as well as a significantly lower fuel consumption of at least two times less than the aircraft based on classical fuselage concept with the same external dimensions. In addition, the aircraft based on the new concepts are having a significantly better longitudinal stability and maneuverability, as well as aerodynamic efficiency at high subsonic speed than aircraft based on “Tailless Flying Wing” concepts. The aircraft based on the “Tailed Flying Wing Aircraft” idea satisfy all safety requirements for civil aircraft. They also have simple shapes for manufacturing, hence this idea provides for new realistic advanced aerodynamic concepts for the next generations of large subsonic aircraft.
Owner:DIZDAREVIC FARUK +1

Communications system

This disclosure provides a communications system using a span-loaded flying wing, traveling at relatively slow speeds, that can remain airborne for long periods of time. The communications system uses the airplane as a long term high altitude platform that can serve at lest one of a number of potential functions. One function is to link to a ground station using radio wave signals and a satellite using optical signals. Another function is to serve as a relay station between ground communication nodes and individual end-users. Because the aircraft can tightly hold a station, the end-user's antennas do not need to be continuously adjustable. For such a system, a large number of aircraft can be used, with the end-user antennas being configured for a narrow beamwidth so as to allow frequency reuse for different communication links.
Owner:AEROVIRONMENT INC

Universal vehicle with improved stability for safe operation in air, water and terrain environments

ActiveUS20180244383A1Enhanced flight envelopeSafely transitioningAircraft navigation controlPropellersTerrainSystems design
The universal vehicle system is designed with a lifting body which is composed of a plurality of interconnected modules which are configured to form an aerodynamically viable contour of the lifting body which including a front central module, a rear module, and thrust vectoring modules displaceably connected to the front central module and operatively coupled to respective propulsive mechanisms. The thrust vectoring modules are controlled for dynamical displacement relative to the lifting body (in tilting and / or translating fashion) to direct and actuate the propulsive mechanism(s) as needed for safe and stable operation in various modes of operation and transitioning therebetween in air, water and terrain environments.
Owner:UNIV OF MARYLAND

Aircraft control method

This disclosure provides a solar rechargeable aircraft that is inexpensive to produce, is steerable, and can remain airborne almost indefinitely. The preferred aircraft is a span-loaded flying wing, having no fuselage or rudder. Traveling at relatively slow speeds, and having a two-hundred foot wingspan that mounts photovoltaic cells on most all of the wing's top surface, the aircraft uses only differential thrust of its eight propellers to turn. Each of five segments of the wing has one or more motors and photovoltaic arrays, and produces its own lift independent of the other segments, to avoid loading them. Five two-sided photovoltaic arrays, in all, are mounted on the wing, and receive photovoltaic energy both incident on top of the wing, and which is incident also from below, through a bottom, transparent surface. The aircraft includes hinges and actuators capable of providing an adjustable dihedral for the wing. The actuators can be motors or control surfaces. Alternately, the actuators can be movable masses within the wing, which may be capable of deforming the wing to alter the aerodynamics of the wing, and thereby actuate the hinges. Because of wing dihedral, the aircraft includes motors both above and below the center of drag, and the aircraft uses differential thrust to control aircraft pitch. The aircraft has a wide variety of applications, which include serving as a long term high altitude platform that serves to link a ground station using radio wave signals and a satellite using optical signals.
Owner:AEROVIRONMENT INC

Surface flow diverting and static charging ducted pores on wing or blade tip to reduce wake and BVI noise

InactiveUS20070252047A1Promoting interlayer movementInfluencers by generating vorticesWing shapesElectricityLeading edge
Air pressure distribution for airfoil lower and upper surfaces is utilized to divert airflow using ducts formed in space-curve shapes placed inside the airfoil volume, through span-wise located inlets from high pressure areas on the airfoil lower surface near the leading edge and through chord-wise spaced inlets on the side face of the airfoil wing tip correspondingly to the side face of the airfoil wing tip through chord-wise spaced outlets on the side face of the airfoil wing tip and to span-wise located outlets to the low pressure areas on the airfoil upper surface. Triboelectric materials on the wing surfaces are employed to static charge the air in drag. Inside the ducts, the employment of either triboelectric linings and materials, or HV-supplied electrodes, or both, help to static charge the diverted air flow to and from the airfoil wing tip side face to diffuse wing tip vortex core early.
Owner:PAL ANADISH KUMAR

Emissionless silent and ultra-efficient airplane using cfj airfoil

The present invention provides an aircraft having one or more fixed wings in a flying wing configuration, where the aircraft further includes a high performance co-flow jet (CFJ) circulating about at least a portion of an aircraft surface to produce both lift and thrust rather than a conventional propulsion system (i.e., a propeller or jet engine).
Owner:MIAMI UNIVERISTY OF

Non-planar adaptive wing solar aircraft

A system and method for assembling and operating a solar powered aircraft, composed of one or more modular constituent wing panels. Each wing panel includes at least one hinge interface that is configured to rotationally interface with a complementary hinge interface on another wing panel. When a first and second wing panel are coupled together via the rotational interface, they can rotate with respect to each other within a predetermined angular range. The aircraft further comprises a control system that is configured to acquire aircraft operating information and atmospheric information and use the same alter the angle between the wing panels, even if there are multiple wing panels. One or more of the wing panels can include photovoltaic cells and / or solar thermal cells to convert solar radiation energy or solar heat energy into electricity, that can be used to power electric motors. Further, the control system is configured to alter an angle between a wing panel and the horizon, or the angle between wing panels, to maximize solar radiation energy and solar thermal energy collection. A tail assembly for the aircraft includes a rotational pivot that allows the flight control surfaces to rotate to different orientations to avoid or reduce flutter loads and to increase solar radiation energy and / or solar thermal energy collection from photovoltaic cells and / or solar thermal cells the can be located on the tail structure associated with the flight control surfaces.
Owner:AURORA FLIGHT SCI CORP

Hybrid Axial/Cross-Flow Fan Multi-Rotor Aerial Vehicle

A hybrid axial / cross-flow fan aerial vehicle includes both axial and cross-flow fan propulsion for efficient hover and forward flight performance. The axial fans provide primarily vertical thrust, while the cross-flow fan provides horizontal, as well as vertical, thrust. The vehicle takes off vertically, is capable of hover, and can fly forward by vectoring the thrust of the cross-flow fan system. This approach provides large internal cargo capacity and high forward flight speeds.
Owner:PROPULSIVE WING

Deployable, rigidizable wing

A novel design and construction method for an inflatable, rigidizable wing for a terrestrial or planetary flying vehicle. The wing is caused to deploy from an initially packed condition and to assume its functional shape by means of an inflation gas. After inflation, the wing is rigidized by any of several means, such that the inflation gas is no longer required. The composite wing is fabricated from a base reinforcement material, often a fabric, which is coated with a polymer resin that hardens when exposed to a curing mechanism. Several activation mechanisms exist by which to initiate rigidization of such a structure, including elevated temperature, ultraviolet light, and chemical constituents of the inflation gas. The resultant wing has fundamental advantages compared to existing inflatable wings, including improved stiffness, and reduced susceptibility to structural failure in response to puncture.
Owner:ILC DOVER LP

Multi-Role Aircraft With Interchangeable Mission Modules

ActiveUS20140231593A1Without adding undue weightFuselage framesAll-wing aircraftAviationTrailing edge
A flight-operable, truly modular aircraft has an aircraft core to which one or more of outer wings members, fuselage, cockpit, leading and trailing edge couplings, and empennage and tail sections can be removably coupled and / or replaced during the operating life span of the aircraft. In preferred embodiments the aircraft core houses the propulsive engines, avionics, at least 80% of the fuel, and all of the landing gear. The aircraft core is preferably constructed with curved forward and aft composite spars, that transfer loads across the center section, while accommodating a mid-wing configuration. The aircraft core preferably has a large central cavity dimensioned to interchangeably carry an ordnance launcher, a surveillance payload, electronic countermeasures, and other types of cargo. Contemplated aircraft can be quite large, for example having a wing span of at least 80 ft.
Owner:KAREM ABE

Quiet airplane configuration

A blended wing aircraft reduces forward, aft, and sideline flyover noise and heat energy by reflecting it upward using the wing and vertical stabilizers positioned just outboard of the engines. The engines are located on top of the wing and forward of the trailing edge of the wing with the aft portion of the engines located over the wing. The nozzle exit perimeter is increased and shaped to increase shear and create vortices to move noise generation over the wing to cause the noise to be reflected upward off the wing and upward off of the canted vertical stabilizers. Engine thrust reversers cause the forwardly mounted engine's thrust to be directed toward the front of the aircraft in such a way as to create a download forward of the main landing gear to also secure the front landing gear.
Owner:THE BOEING CO

Aircraft control system

A span-loaded, highly flexible flying wing, having horizontal control surfaces mounted aft of the wing on extended beams to form local pitch-control devices. Each of five spanwise wing segments of the wing has one or more motors and photovoltaic arrays, and produces its own lift independent of the other wing segments, to minimize inter-segment loads. Wing dihedral is controlled by separately controlling the local pitch-control devices consisting of a control surface on a boom, such that inboard and outboard wing segment pitch changes relative to each other, and thus relative inboard and outboard lift is varied.
Owner:AEROVIRONMENT INC

Unmanned Aerial Surveillance Device

An aerial surveillance device is provided, comprising an image capturing device capable of being supported by an airframe structure above the ground. The airframe structure includes a body portion defining a longitudinal axis and configured to support the image-capturing device. A tail portion having control surfaces is operably engaged with the body portion along the axis. Transversely-extending wing portions are directly engaged with the body portion. Each wing portion is defined by longitudinally-opposed spars extending from a spaced-apart disposition at the body portion to a common connection distally from the body portion. The spars have a fabric extending therebetween to provide a wing surface. A support member extends along an aerodynamic center, transversely to the body portion, of each wing portion, to tension and rigidify the wing portions so as to provide a positive camber for the wing portions and to form an airfoil.
Owner:CHANG IND INC

Aircraft control method

This disclosure provides a solar rechargeable aircraft that is inexpensive to produce, is steerable, and can remain airborne almost indefinitely. The preferred aircraft is a span-loaded flying wing, having no fuselage or rudder. Traveling at relatively slow speeds, and having a two-hundred foot wingspan that mounts photovoltaic cells on most all of the wing's top surface, the aircraft uses only differential thrust of its eight propellers to turn. Each of five segments of the wing has one or more motors and photovoltaic arrays, and produces its own lift independent of the other segments, to avoid loading them. Five two-sided photovoltaic arrays, in all, are mounted on the wing, and receive photovoltaic energy both incident on top of the wing, and which is incident also from below, through a bottom, transparent surface. The aircraft includes hinges and actuators capable of providing an adjustable dihedral for the wing. The actuators can be motors or control surfaces. Alternately, the actuators can be movable masses within the wing, which may be capable of deforming the wing to alter the aerodynamics of the wing, and thereby actuate the hinges. Because of wing dihedral, the aircraft includes motors both above and below the center of drag, and the aircraft uses differential thrust to control aircraft pitch. The aircraft has a wide variety of applications, which include serving as a long term high altitude platform that serves to link a ground station using radio wave signals and a satellite using optical signals.
Owner:AEROVIRONMENT INC

Solar powered wing vehicle using flywheels for energy storage

InactiveUS20080308685A1Without the cost of an expensive launch vehicleWithout eventually creating orbital wastePropellersAircraft power plant componentsStored energyPropeller
A solar powered air vehicle that can stay aloft for indefinite periods of time. The vehicle employs photovoltaic solar cells for primary power and high speed counter-rotating flywheels for energy storage and steering of the vehicle. The flywheels are placed in the wing to reduce airfoil drag. A control law provides three-axis stabilized control of the vehicle by controlling propeller pitch to vary the speeds of the flywheels.
Owner:DECKER DARWIN KENT

Gun launched hybrid projectile

A Hybrid Projectile is provided for delivering an explosive payload to a target wherein the Hybrid Projectile may be steered in flight using relatively inexpensive means. The Hybrid Projectile is exteriorly configured in the same physical exterior configuration of conventional ammunition of various standard types so it can be launched in conventional manner from the same weapon systems. However, internal features allow the Hybrid Projectile to be transformed in flight from a command signal to deploy wings and fins, and in some projectiles to telescope open to deploy such wings and fins. An inexpensive televisual means is activated in the fore region of the round which through RF uplink command can be used to select a path, while motors on the wings can then be used to more precisely glide the projectile to a target, or otherwise to abort the target run.
Owner:UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE AS REPRESENTED BY THE SEC OF THE ARMY

Laminar flow wing optimized for supersonic cruise aircraft

A method of providing an aircraft having a fuselage and a wing configured for extensive laminar flow at design cruise conditions, the method characterized by a) providing wing biconvex-type airfoils having values of thickness, chord and shape along the wing span which provide substantially optimal aircraft range at design cruise conditions, considering the influences of wing drag and wing weight; b) providing wing leading edges, which are configured to effect laminar flow; c) providing fuselage and wing contours which, in combination, produce reduced total wave drag and produce extensive areas of laminar boundary layer flow on the wing; and d) providing wing sweep angularity that facilitates provision of a), b) and c).
Owner:AERION INTPROP MANAGEMENT CORP

Oblique blended wing body aircraft

An oblique wing aircraft (1) designed for reduced surface area to volume ratio. The aircraft has an oblique wing comprising a forward swept wing segment (27) on one side of the wing and an aft swept wing segment (29) on the opposite side of the wing. A center oblique airfoil section (25) connects the forward and aft swept wing segments. The center oblique airfoil section has a larger chord near its centerline than the chords of either of the forward or aft swept wing segments. The chord of the center oblique airfoil section tapers down more rapidly than the forward or aft wing segments as the center oblique airfoil section extends outboard toward the forward and aft swept wings. The center oblique airfoil section is not shaped solely to function as a circular fairing to fill the gap between an oblique wing and a fuselage at different oblique wing angles, nor is it a second wing in an X wing configuration. Preferably, the aircraft is an all-wing aircraft.
Owner:ADVANCED PROD DEV
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