Aircraft

Abstract

The present invention concerns an aircraft having a plurality of lifting and thrust rotors, with an electric motor and an inverter for each motor. In order to provide an aircraft having a greater payload, connecting bars are provided between the motors. In that respect the invention is based on the realization that, if such connecting bars are arranged in the manner of a latticework, they can provide a light but nonetheless stable structure for the aircraft, and that structure can carry correspondingly greater loads.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application is a continuation of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 934,634, entitled “AIRCRAFT,” filed Sep. 3, 2004, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT / EP03 / 02210, filed Mar. 5, 2003, which in turn claims priority to DE Application No. 102 09 881.6, filed Mar. 6, 2002. All of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates to an aircraft for lifting heavy loads, and more particularly, to a barge type aircraft with a plurality of electric lifting and thrusting motors that travels only a short distance above the ground. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] A crane is usually required for erecting high buildings and constructions. That naturally also applies to tower-like buildings such as wind power installation...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] In a particularly preferred feature the aircraft is controlled from the ground by way of a wireless or wired remote control system. In that respect it is also possible to provide two or more remote control systems which act alternately on the aircraft. In that way it is possible to effect rough positioning such as lifting of the load and fundamentally determining the direction of flight from the ground, while fine positioning, for example of a section of the pylon of the installation, is effected from the pylon in a position from which the procedure can be precisely monitored.

[0014] In a particularly preferred feature the aircraft according to the invention has a device for automatic control of the flight attitude and / or the flight altitude. That device can also be coupled to a GPS system in order in that way to provide for automatically heading for a predeterminable position. In that way rough positioning of the aircraft according to the invention can be effected automatically.

[0015] In order to reduce the inherent weight of the aircraft to the minimum possible extent, even when the flight control system is installed on the aircraft, the device is preferably arranged with connecting bars between at least two motors. In that case the device is particularly preferably arranged beneath the plane in which the bars extend between the motors. In that way, even in the case of a flight without a load, the aircraft has a low center of gravity which contributes to the stability of its flight attitude.

[0018] So that the aircraft can be dimensioned as flexibly as possible and in dependence on the loads to be transported, fixed but releasable connections are provided between the connecting bars and the motors. That permits scaling of the aircraft according to the invention, insofar as, in dependence on the load to be transported, a desired number of motors is selected, the motors then being suitably connected by the connecting bars in the manner of a latticework to afford a stable aircraft.

Problems solved by technology

That in turn results in larger and heavier cranes.

Those cranes are then in turn more and more expensive and the expenditure for transporting such a crane from one building site to another also rises, as also the expenditure for assembly and dismantling of the crane.

A disadvantage with that known aircraft however is that the electric motors are mounted to a common platform.

That platform on the one hand is of a high inherent weight and, due to the construction involved, predetermines the possible numbers of motors and rotors respectively.

Images