An electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure and working method thereof

Through the design of the tilt propeller and variable distance mechanism, combined with the multi-rotor and fixed wing layout, the problems of low cruising efficiency and poor endurance performance of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles are solved, and efficient aircraft performance improvement and safety guarantee are achieved.

CN113525679BActive Publication Date: 2025-08-29SHANGHAI TCAB TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
View PDF 2 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202111005488.3
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-08-30
Publication Date
2025-08-29
Estimated Expiration
2041-08-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles have low cruising efficiency and poor endurance.

Method used

The tilt propeller and variable distance mechanism design is adopted, combined with multi-rotor and fixed wing layout, to achieve efficient conversion of the propeller during vertical take-off and landing and cruise phases, and optimize the working status of the propeller through the tilt mechanism and variable distance mechanism.

Benefits of technology

It significantly improves the take-off and cruising performance of the aircraft, improves the cruising flight speed, reduces cruising drag, improves endurance, and improves safety through a multi-power system.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN113525679B_ABST
    Figure CN113525679B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of urban air traffic technology and discloses an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure and a working method thereof, comprising a fuselage component, a wing component (2) connected to the left and right sides of the upper middle portion of the fuselage component, and a horizontal tail component connected to the left and right sides of the tail portion of the fuselage component; tilt propellers are provided at the ends of the left and right wing components and the ends of the left and right horizontal tail components; a nacelle component is connected to the middle of the left and right wing components, and a foldable propeller is provided on the nacelle component. The tilt propulsion system of the present invention has higher take-off and cruising performance, and the increase in cruising flight speed significantly improves the operating efficiency of the aircraft; a propeller tilt mechanism is designed to meet the vertical take-off and landing function while also providing heading thrust for cruising; a pitch-changing mechanism is designed to change the propeller pitch, so that the propeller operates in a high-efficiency range under both low-speed incoming flow during vertical take-off and landing and high-speed incoming flow during cruising, thereby improving the endurance performance of the entire aircraft.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of urban air traffic, and in particular to an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure and a working method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing density of vehicles on urban roads, daily commuting times are increasing. Capitalizing on the untapped availability of low- and medium-altitude airspace in cities, the concept of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has been proposed. Electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) aircraft, with their environmentally friendly nature and minimal reliance on infrastructure, have become the leading UAM solution. Currently, two common layouts exist in the industry. One is the multi-rotor layout: This type of aircraft relies on multiple lift rotors for vertical take-off and landing, as well as forward flight propulsion. Because they lack the complex mechanical structure of helicopter rotors, their flight speed is limited by rotor loads, and their endurance is poor due to lower flight efficiency. The other common layout is the "lift + thrust" combination: This type of aircraft combines a traditional fixed-wing layout with multiple lift rotors to achieve vertical take-off and landing. During cruise, the lift rotors are deactivated, relying solely on propulsion for forward flight. The drag generated by these lift rotors during cruise significantly reduces flight efficiency.

[0003] To this end, we designed an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure, which solves the problems of low cruising efficiency and poor endurance performance of existing equipment.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0006] An electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure comprises a fuselage component (1), wing components (2) connected to the left and right sides of the upper middle portion of the fuselage component (1), and a horizontal tail component (3) connected to the left and right sides of the tail portion of the fuselage component (1); tilting propellers are provided at the ends of the left and right wing components (2) and the ends of the left and right horizontal tail components (3); and nacelle components (4) are respectively connected to the middle portions of the left and right wing components (2), and foldable propellers are provided on the nacelle components (4).

[0007] Preferably, the left and right wing components (2) are symmetrical about the symmetric plane of the aircraft, adopt an upper single gull wing arrangement and are swept back; a wing tilt nacelle (21) is installed on one side of the outside of the left and right wing components (2), and the end of the wing tilt nacelle (21) is connected to the first tilt propeller (22); an inner aileron (23) and an outer aileron (24) are installed on the other side of the outside of the left and right wing components (2), and the inner aileron (23) and the outer aileron (24) are driven by two internal servos respectively.

[0008] Preferably, the wing tilt nacelle (21) is tilted by an internal tilt mechanism; a motor, a controller and a pitch-changing mechanism are installed inside the wing tilt nacelle (21), and a tilt propeller is connected to the motor output shaft.

[0009] Preferably, the left and right horizontal tail components (3) are symmetrical about the symmetric plane of the aircraft, adopt a conventional tail arrangement, and have a swept vertical tail; a horizontal tail tilt nacelle (31) is installed on one side of the exterior of the left and right horizontal tail components (3), and the end of the horizontal tail tilt nacelle (31) is connected to a second tilt propeller (32); an elevator (33) is installed on the other side of the exterior of the left and right horizontal tail components (3), and the elevator (33) is driven by an internal steering gear; the horizontal tail tilt nacelle (31) is tilted by an internal tilting mechanism (5).

[0010] Preferably, the horizontal tail tilt nacelle (31) is tilted by an internal tilt mechanism; a motor, a controller and a pitch-changing mechanism are installed inside the wing tilt nacelle (21), and the tilt propeller is connected to the motor output shaft.

[0011] Preferably, the tilt mechanism comprises a tilt rod (51), a joint (52), a tilt servo (53), a servo collar (54) and a mounting base (55), wherein the tilt rod (51) is fixedly connected to the inner end wing structure and the joint (52), the joint (52) and the output end of the tilt servo (53) are relatively rotated through a fisheye bearing, the tilt servo (53) and the servo collar (54) are connected through threads, the servo collar (54) and the mounting base (55) are mutually rotated through bearings, and the mounting base (55) is fixedly connected to the wing tilt nacelle (21) through fasteners.

[0012] Preferably, the pitch-changing mechanism (6) specifically includes a pitch-changing motor protective cover (61), a blade (63), a blade fastener (64), a pitch-changing screw slider (65) and a slip ring (66). The pitch-changing motor is arranged in the pitch-changing motor protective cover (61), the blade (63) is fixed to the blade (63) by the blade fastener (64), and is evenly installed around the blade bearing. One end of the blade bearing is connected to the pitch-changing screw slider (65), the pitch-changing motor protective cover (61) is installed on the pitch-changing screw slider (65), and a slip ring (66) is arranged at one end of the blade bearing.

[0013] Preferably, the left and right nacelle components (4) are symmetrical about the symmetry plane of the aircraft; a motor and a controller are installed in the nacelle component (4); a foldable propeller (41) is installed upward at the end of the nacelle component (4); and the foldable propeller (41) is installed on the output shaft of the motor.

[0014] Preferably, a landing gear (7) is also installed at the bottom of the fuselage component (1), and the landing gear (7) is a fixed front three-point landing gear and is installed on the fuselage bulkhead.

[0015] The present invention also provides a method for operating an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure, comprising:

[0016] Initial stage: The aircraft is initially in multi-rotor mode. In this state, the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are rotated to 90 degrees upward, and the foldable propellers on the nacelles are unfolded into four-blade propellers.

[0017] Flight phase: After passengers have boarded, the six power systems consisting of the left and right wings, left and right horizontal tail components, and left and right nacelles provide lift for vertical takeoff and fly to a safe altitude;

[0018] The left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are controlled to slowly tilt forward to provide forward thrust for the aircraft; the forward flight speed of the aircraft continuously increases until it reaches a specific speed, the foldable propellers on the left and right nacelle components are folded, feathered, and completely closed, the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are rotated to 0°, and the pitch is gradually increased; the tilt propellers on the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles provide thrust to ensure the aircraft's cruise phase;

[0019] Approach phase: The left and right foldable propellers are activated to provide lift, and the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are gradually rotated from 0° to 90°, causing the aircraft's forward flight speed to gradually decrease until it reaches a hovering state. During the hovering state, the propeller pitch gradually decreases;

[0020] Final stage: Six power systems consisting of left and right wing components, left and right horizontal tail components, and left and right nacelle components provide lift for vertical landing to the destination, completing the flight mission.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0022] 1. The tilt-rotation propulsion system of the present invention significantly improves the performance of the traditional "lift + thrust" layout, providing higher takeoff and cruise performance. The increased cruise flight speed significantly improves the operational efficiency of the aircraft.

[0023] 2. Design a propeller tilt mechanism that not only meets the requirements of vertical take-off and landing but also provides directional thrust for cruising, effectively reducing cruising resistance, improving the lift-to-drag ratio, and enhancing endurance performance;

[0024] 3. A variable pitch mechanism is designed to change the propeller pitch, allowing the propeller to operate in a high-efficiency range under both low-speed inflow during vertical takeoff and landing and high-speed inflow during cruising, thereby improving the aircraft's endurance performance.

[0025] 4. In multi-rotor mode, 6 power systems provide power for the entire aircraft, which can effectively prevent safety issues that may be caused by single point failure; in fixed-wing mode, 4 power systems provide power for the entire aircraft, which can effectively prevent safety issues that may be caused by single point failure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the left wing components;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the left horizontal tail component;

[0029] Figure 4 is a state diagram of the tilt mechanism when the corresponding tilt nacelle is in the fixed-wing state;

[0030] Figure 5 is a state diagram of the tilt mechanism when the corresponding tilt nacelle is in a multi-rotor state;

[0031] Figures 6-8 Schematic diagram of the pitch-changing mechanism;

[0032] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of pitch change effect;

[0033] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the aircraft initially in a multi-rotor state;

[0034] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the aircraft transition state;

[0035] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the fixed-wing state of the aircraft.

[0036] In the figure: 1. Fuselage components; 2. Wing components; 3. Horizontal tail components; 4. Nacelle components; 5. Tilt mechanism; 6. Pitch mechanism; 7. Landing gear; 21. Wing tilt nacelle; 22. First tilt propeller; 23. Inboard aileron; 24. Outboard aileron; 31. Horizontal tail tilt nacelle; 32. Second tilt propeller; 33. Elevator; 41. Folding propeller; 51. Tilt rod; 52. Connector; 53. Tilt servo; 54. Servo collar; 55. Mounting base; 61. Pitch motor protective cover; 62. Blade; 63. Blade; 64. Blade fastener; 65. Pitch screw slider; 66. Slip ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] See Figure 1 An electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure includes a fuselage component 1, wing components 2 connected to the left and right sides of the upper and middle portion of the fuselage component 1, and a horizontal tail component 3 connected to the left and right sides of the tail portion of the fuselage component 1; tilt propellers are provided at the ends of the left and right wing components 2 and the ends of the left and right horizontal tail components 3; and a nacelle component 4 is connected to the middle of the left and right wing components 2, respectively, and foldable propellers are provided on the nacelle components 4. Preferably, a total of four sets of tilt propellers, i.e., four power systems, are provided at the ends of the left and right wing components 2 and the ends of the left and right horizontal tail components 3, and a total of two sets of foldable propellers, i.e., two power systems, are provided on the nacelle components of the left and right wing components 2. In the multi-rotor state, six power systems provide power to the entire aircraft, which can effectively prevent safety issues that may be caused by single-point failures. In the fixed-wing state, four power systems provide power to the entire aircraft, which can effectively prevent safety issues that may be caused by single-point failures.

[0040] Specifically, the left and right wing components 2 are symmetrical about the symmetric plane of the aircraft to form the wing structure of the aircraft. The upper single gull wing is arranged and swept back to increase the ground clearance, which can reduce the risk of passengers being injured when boarding and leaving the aircraft; a wing tilt nacelle 21 is installed on one side of the outside of the left and right wing components 2, and the end of the wing tilt nacelle 21 is connected to the first tilt propeller 22 (including the first left tilt propeller connected to the left wing tilt nacelle and the first right tilt propeller connected to the right wing tilt nacelle). The other side of the outside of the left and right wing components 2 is installed with an inner aileron 23 and an outer aileron 24. The inner aileron 23 and the outer aileron 24 are driven by two internal servos respectively. Each wing is designed with two sets of ailerons, which can serve as backup redundancy to improve safety ( Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the left wing component. The structure of the right wing component is symmetrical with that of the left wing component and will not be described in detail).

[0041] The left and right horizontal tail components 3 are symmetrical about the symmetric plane of the aircraft, adopt a conventional tail arrangement, and the vertical tail is swept back to increase the tail moment arm, forming the tail structure of the aircraft; a horizontal tail tilt nacelle 31 is installed on one side of the outer side of the left and right horizontal tail components 3, and the end of the horizontal tail tilt nacelle 31 is connected to the second tilt propeller 32 (including the second left tilt propeller connected to the left horizontal tail tilt nacelle and the second right tilt propeller connected to the right horizontal tail tilt nacelle), and an elevator 33 is installed on the other side of the outer side of the left and right horizontal tail components 3. The elevator 33 is driven by an internal steering gear ( Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the left horizontal tail component. The structure of the right horizontal tail component is symmetrical to that of the left horizontal tail component and will not be described in detail).

[0042] The wing tilt nacelles 21 and the horizontal tail tilt nacelles 31 are both tilted from -10° to 110° via an internal tilt mechanism 5 (i.e., a first internal tilt mechanism is provided inside the wing tilt nacelle 21, and a second internal tilt mechanism is provided inside the horizontal tail tilt nacelle 31). The propeller tilt design not only meets the requirements for vertical take-off and landing but also provides directional thrust for cruising, effectively reducing cruising resistance, improving the cruise lift-to-drag ratio, and enhancing endurance performance.

[0043] Specifically, the tilt mechanism 5 includes a tilt rod 51, a joint 52, a tilt servo 53, a servo collar 54 and a mounting base 55, wherein the tilt rod 51 is fixedly connected to the inner end wing structure (not shown in the schematic diagram) and the joint 52, the joint 52 and the output end of the tilt servo 53 are rotated relative to each other through a fisheye bearing, the tilt servo 53 is connected to the servo collar 54 through a thread, the servo collar 54 and the mounting base 55 are rotated relative to each other through a bearing, and the mounting base 55 is fixedly connected to the wing tilt nacelle 21 through fasteners. The entire nacelle rotates around the tilt rod 51 through the tilt mechanism 5 as the output end of the tilt servo 53 is extended or retracted to realize the tilt function. Figure 4 The state corresponds to the tilt nacelle being in the fixed-wing state. Figure 5 The state corresponds to the tilt nacelle being in the multi-rotor state.

[0044] In addition, a motor, a controller, and a pitch-changing mechanism 6 are installed inside the wing tilt nacelle 21 and the horizontal tail tilt nacelle 31 (i.e., a first pitch-changing mechanism is installed inside the wing tilt nacelle 21, and a second pitch-changing mechanism is installed inside the horizontal tail tilt nacelle 31). The output shaft of the motor is connected to the tilt propeller. The pitch-changing mechanism can change the blade angle, so that the propeller can operate in a high-efficiency range under both low-speed inflow during vertical take-off and landing and high-speed inflow during cruising, thereby improving the endurance performance of the entire aircraft and ensuring that the aircraft has ideal propeller efficiency in both multi-rotor and fixed-wing states.

[0045] Specifically, if Figures 6-8As shown, the pitch-changing mechanism is driven by a linear motor to change the propeller pitch; the pitch-changing mechanism (6) specifically includes a pitch-changing motor protective cover 61, a blade hub 62, a blade 63, a blade hub fastener 64, a pitch-changing screw slider 65 and a slip ring 66. The pitch-changing motor is arranged in the pitch-changing motor protective cover 61, the blade hub 62 and the blade 63 are fixed by the blade hub fastener 64, and are evenly installed around the blade bearing, one end of the blade bearing is connected to the pitch-changing screw slider 65, the pitch-changing motor protective cover 61 is installed on the pitch-changing screw slider 65, and a slip ring 66 is arranged at one end of the blade bearing.

[0046] When working, the pitch motor converts the rotation output by the motor into the linear motion of the pitch screw slider through the working principle of the lead screw, driving it to move up and down; the root of the blade is connected to the groove structure of the pitch screw slider. When the pitch motor drives the pitch screw slider up and down, the pitch screw slider will drive the blade to rotate to achieve the purpose of pitch change; the propeller hub is divided into two parts, the upper and lower parts are installed and clamped by the propeller hub fasteners, and the propeller blades achieve pitch change rotation through the blade bearings; the pitch motor is powered by slip rings and brushes, and the pitch change effect is as follows Figure 9 shown.

[0047] Nacelles 4 are located in the middle of each wing assembly 2, symmetrically arranged about the plane of symmetry. Each nacelle 4 houses a motor and controller. A foldable propeller 41 is mounted upward at the end of the nacelle 4, attached to the motor output shaft. Foldable propellers 41 are preferably four-bladed, with the propeller disk normal oriented vertically upward. During vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), they coordinate with the rest of the propulsion system to provide lift for the aircraft. During cruising, they fold to two blades and feather to reduce drag, minimizing any additional drag and improving endurance.

[0048] Preferably, the tilt-rotating propeller adopts a 5-blade design and the foldable propeller adopts a 4-blade design, which can balance the unbalanced load generated by the forward and backward blades. Compared with the 2-blade design, it can effectively reduce the amplitude of the alternating load, effectively reduce the fatigue of the corresponding structure caused by the alternating load and thus the reduction in life, and effectively reduce the wingtip linear speed. Combined with the larger diameter and lower propeller disk load of the multi-blade propeller, these can effectively reduce noise and reduce noise pollution during operation.

[0049] Furthermore, a landing gear (7) is installed at the bottom of the fuselage component. The landing gear (7) is a fixed front three-point landing gear and is installed on the fuselage bulkhead. The use of the fixed front three-point landing gear provides the aircraft with the ability to taxi and land. When the vertical landing function fails due to a certain fault, the possibility of installing the landing is retained for the aircraft, which can improve the safety of the aircraft.

[0050] When the aircraft provided by the present invention is used for urban air traffic operations: the aircraft is initially in a multi-rotor state (see Figure 10 ), in this state, the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are rotated to 90 degrees upward, and the foldable propellers on the nacelles are unfolded into four-blade propellers; after the passengers are boarded, the six power systems provide lift for vertical takeoff and fly to a safe altitude. Subsequently, the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are controlled to slowly tilt forward to provide forward thrust for the aircraft (transition state, see Figure 11 The forward flight speed of the aircraft increases continuously until a certain speed is reached. The foldable propellers on the left and right nacelles are folded, feathered and completely closed. The left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles rotate to 0°, and the propeller pitch gradually increases (for fixed-wing state, see Figure 12 Thrust is then provided by propellers on the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles during the aircraft's cruise phase. During the approach phase, the left and right foldable propellers activate to provide lift. The left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles gradually rotate from 0° to 90°, gradually reducing the aircraft's forward speed until it reaches a hovering state. During this process, the propeller pitch gradually decreases. Six power systems then provide lift for a vertical landing at the destination, completing the mission.

[0051] In addition, the tilt-rotor powered aircraft provided by the present invention can provide a thrust of 2 / 3 times the maximum take-off weight during cruising, thereby significantly improving the take-off and cruising performance of the aircraft, and the increase in cruising flight speed will significantly improve the operating efficiency of the aircraft.

[0052] Example 2

[0053] A second embodiment of the present invention provides a method for operating an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure, comprising:

[0054] Initial stage: The aircraft is initially in multi-rotor mode. In this state, the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are rotated to 90 degrees upward, and the foldable propellers on the nacelles are unfolded into four-blade propellers.

[0055] Flight phase: After passengers have boarded, the six power systems consisting of the left and right wings, left and right horizontal tail components, and left and right nacelles provide lift for vertical takeoff and fly to a safe altitude;

[0056] The left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are controlled to slowly tilt forward to provide forward thrust for the aircraft; the forward flight speed of the aircraft continuously increases until it reaches a specific speed, the foldable propellers on the left and right nacelle components are folded, feathered, and completely closed, the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are rotated to 0°, and the pitch is gradually increased; the tilt propellers on the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles provide thrust to ensure the aircraft's cruise phase;

[0057] Approach phase: The left and right foldable propellers are activated to provide lift, and the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are gradually rotated from 0° to 90°, causing the aircraft's forward flight speed to gradually decrease until it reaches a hovering state. During the hovering state, the propeller pitch gradually decreases;

[0058] Final stage: Six power systems consisting of left and right wing components, left and right horizontal tail components, and left and right nacelle components provide lift for vertical landing to the destination, completing the flight mission.

[0059] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure, characterized in that: The aircraft structure is a manned aircraft used for urban air traffic operations, comprising a fuselage component (1), wing components (2) connected to the left and right sides of the upper middle portion of the fuselage component (1), and a horizontal tail component (3) connected to the left and right sides of the tail of the fuselage component (1); tilt propellers are provided at the ends of the left and right wing components (2) and the ends of the left and right horizontal tail components (3); nacelle components (4) are respectively connected to the middle portions of the left and right wing components (2), and foldable propellers (41) are provided on the nacelle components (4); A total of four sets of tilting propellers, i.e., four power systems, are provided at the ends of the left and right wing components (2) and the ends of the left and right horizontal tail components (3). A total of two sets of foldable propellers, i.e., two power systems, are provided on the nacelle components of the left and right wing components (2). In the multi-rotor state, six power systems provide power to the entire aircraft to prevent safety problems caused by single-point failures. In the fixed-wing state, four power systems provide power to the entire aircraft to prevent safety problems caused by single-point failures. A wing tilt nacelle (21) is installed on one side of the outside of the left and right wing components (2), and the end of the wing tilt nacelle (21) is connected to a first tilt propeller (22), including a first left tilt propeller connected to the left wing tilt nacelle and a first right tilt propeller connected to the right wing tilt nacelle. An inner aileron (23) and an outer aileron (24) are installed on the other side of the outside of the left and right wing components (2). The inner aileron (23) and the outer aileron (24) are driven by two internal servos respectively. Each wing is designed with two sets of ailerons, which serve as backup redundancy to improve safety. A horizontal tail tilt nacelle (31) is installed on one side of the exterior of the left and right horizontal tail components (3). The ends of the horizontal tail tilt nacelle (31) are connected to a second tilt propeller (32), including a second left tilt propeller connected to the left horizontal tail tilt nacelle and a second right tilt propeller connected to the right horizontal tail tilt nacelle. An elevator (33) is installed on the other side of the exterior of the left and right horizontal tail components (3). The elevator (33) is driven by an internal steering gear. The foldable propeller (41) is a 4-blade propeller with a propeller disk normal direction vertically upward, which cooperates with the rest of the power system to provide lift for the aircraft during vertical take-off and landing. In the cruising state, it folds into a 2-blade state and feathers the propeller to reduce resistance, thereby minimizing the additional resistance generated by it and improving endurance performance. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure working method specifically includes: Initial stage: The aircraft is initially in multi-rotor mode. In this state, the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are rotated to 90 degrees upward, and the foldable propellers on the nacelles are unfolded into four-blade propellers. Flight phase: After passengers have boarded, the six power systems consisting of the left and right wings, left and right horizontal tail components, and left and right nacelles provide lift for vertical takeoff and fly to a safe altitude; The left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are controlled to slowly tilt forward to provide forward thrust for the aircraft; the forward flight speed of the aircraft continuously increases until it reaches a specific speed, the foldable propellers on the left and right nacelle components are folded, feathered, and completely closed, the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are rotated to 0°, and the pitch is gradually increased; the tilt propellers on the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles provide thrust to ensure the aircraft's cruise phase; Approach phase: The left and right foldable propellers are activated to provide lift, and the left and right wing tilt nacelles and the left and right horizontal tail tilt nacelles are gradually rotated from 0° to 90°, causing the aircraft's forward flight speed to gradually decrease until it reaches a hovering state. During the hovering state, the propeller pitch gradually decreases; Final stage: Six power systems consisting of left and right wing components, left and right horizontal tail components, and left and right nacelle components provide lift for vertical landing to the destination, completing the flight mission.

2. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left and right wing components (2) are symmetrical about the symmetric plane of the aircraft, and adopt an upper single gull wing arrangement and are swept back; a wing tilt nacelle (21) is installed on one side of the outside of the left and right wing components (2), and the end of the wing tilt nacelle (21) is connected to a first tilt propeller (22); an inner aileron (23) and an outer aileron (24) are installed on the other side of the outside of the left and right wing components (2), and the inner aileron (23) and the outer aileron (24) are driven by two internal servos respectively.

3. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wing tilt nacelle (21) is tilted by an internal tilt mechanism; a motor, a controller and a pitch-changing mechanism are installed inside the wing tilt nacelle (21), and a tilt propeller is connected to the motor output shaft.

4. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left and right horizontal tail components (3) are symmetrical about the symmetric plane of the aircraft, adopt a conventional tail arrangement, and have a swept vertical tail; a horizontal tail tilt nacelle (31) is installed on one side of the outside of the left and right horizontal tail components (3), and the end of the horizontal tail tilt nacelle (31) is connected to a second tilt propeller (32); an elevator (33) is installed on the other side of the outside of the left and right horizontal tail components (3), and the elevator (33) is driven by an internal steering gear; the horizontal tail tilt nacelle (31) is tilted by an internal tilting mechanism (5).

5. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The horizontal tail tilting nacelle (31) is tilted by an internal tilting mechanism; a motor, a controller and a pitch-changing mechanism are installed inside the wing tilting nacelle (21), and a tilting propeller is connected to the motor output shaft.

6. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that: The tilt mechanism comprises a tilt rod (51), a joint (52), a tilt servo (53), a servo collar (54) and a mounting base (55), wherein the tilt rod (51) is fixedly connected to the inner end wing structure and the joint (52), the joint (52) and the output end of the tilt servo (53) are relatively rotated through a fisheye bearing, the tilt servo (53) and the servo collar (54) are connected through threads, the servo collar (54) and the mounting base (55) are mutually rotated through bearings, and the mounting base (55) is fixedly connected to the wing tilt nacelle (21) through fasteners.

7. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that: The pitch-changing mechanism (6) specifically includes a pitch-changing motor protective cover (61), a blade (62), a blade (63), a blade fastener (64), a pitch-changing screw slider (65) and a slip ring (66). The pitch-changing motor is arranged in the pitch-changing motor protective cover (61). The blade (62) and the blade (63) are fixed by the blade fastener (64) and are evenly installed around the blade bearing. One end of the blade bearing is connected to the pitch-changing screw slider (65). The pitch-changing motor protective cover (61) is installed on the pitch-changing screw slider (65). A slip ring (66) is arranged at one end of the blade bearing.

8. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left and right nacelle components (4) are symmetrical about the symmetric plane of the aircraft; a motor and a controller are installed in the nacelle component (4); a foldable propeller (41) is installed upward at the end of the nacelle component (4); and the foldable propeller (41) is installed on the output shaft of the motor.

9. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A landing gear (7) is also installed at the bottom of the fuselage component (1). The landing gear (7) is a fixed front three-point landing gear and is installed on the fuselage bulkhead.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Efficient tilting rotor-wing unmanned aerial vehicle

    CN108394556A

  • Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft structure

    CN218288118U