Multi-copter with angled rotors

Abstract

A multicopter with angled rotors is disclosed. In various embodiments, a multicopter as disclosed herein includes a fuselage and a plurality of rotors. At least some of the rotors are disposed on opposite sides of the fuselage and are each oriented at a corresponding angle relative to a generally horizontal plane of the aircraft, the angle having a magnitude such that a plane of rotation of the rotor does not intersect at least a key portion of the fuselage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a multirotor with angled rotors. This is a divisional application, with parent application number 201780063710.0, application date October 16, 2017, and invention title "Multirotor with Angled Rotors". Background Technology

[0002] Multirotor aircraft typically include multiple horizontally oriented rotors (sometimes referred to as "lift fans") to provide lift, stability, and control. A flight control system (sometimes referred to as a "flight controller" or "flight computer") may be provided to convert inputs from the pilot or other operator and / or corrections calculated by an onboard computer, such as based on sensor data, into forces and torques and / or further convert such forces and torques into a set of actuators (e.g., lift rotors, propellers, control surfaces such as ailerons, etc.) and / or associated parameters (e.g., lift fan power, speed, or torque) to provide the required forces and torques.

[0003] For example, pilot or other operator input may indicate desired changes in the aircraft's speed, direction, and / or orientation, and / or wind or other forces may act on the aircraft, thus requiring the use of lift fans and / or other actuators to maintain the desired aircraft attitude (roll / pitch / yaw), speed, and / or altitude.

[0004] Aircraft are typically considered to have six degrees of freedom of movement, including forces along the forward / backward, lateral / lateral, and up / down directions (e.g., Fx, Fy, and Fz) and moments about the longitudinal (roll), lateral (pitch), and vertical (yaw) axes (e.g., Mx, My, and Mz). If an aircraft has more actuators than degrees of freedom, it is necessary to determine how the various actuators will be used to act on the aircraft in response to commands received via manual and / or automated control. For a given set of one or more pilot commands in a given situation, some combinations of actuators capable of acting on the aircraft to achieve the results indicated by the pilot commands may be more efficient and / or effective than others. For example, some actuators may consume more or less power and / or fuel than others, provide a smoother transition from the current state than others, and so on.

[0005] The rotor can rotate at high speeds and may pose a danger to the occupants of a manned multirotor and / or to equipment housed in the fuselage or other structures including the multirotor. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0007] Figure 1This is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the flight control system.

[0008] Figure 2A This is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a multi-rotor aircraft with angled rotors.

[0009] Figure 2B It is a display Figure 2A A block diagram of the front view of the multi-rotor aircraft 200.

[0010] Figure 2C This is a block diagram illustrating an example of an angled rotor as implemented in an embodiment of a multi-rotor aircraft having an angled rotor.

[0011] Figure 2D This is a block diagram showing a top view of an embodiment of a multirotor aircraft with angled rotors.

[0012] Figure 2E This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the forces and torques that can be generated by the angled rotor in an embodiment of a multi-rotor aircraft having an angled rotor.

[0013] Figure 2F It is a display Figure 2A A block diagram of the side view of the multi-rotor aircraft 200.

[0014] Figure 2G It is a display Figure 2A A block diagram of the side view of the multi-rotor aircraft 200. Detailed Implementation

[0015] This invention can be implemented in a variety of ways, including as a process, apparatus, system, composition, computer program product embodied on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor, such as a processor configured to execute instructions stored on and / or provided by memory linked thereto. In this specification, these embodiments or any other form in which the invention may take place can be referred to as technology. Generally, the order of steps of the disclosed process can be varied within the scope of this invention. Unless otherwise stated, a component (such as a processor or memory) described as being configured to perform a task can be implemented as a general component temporarily configured to perform that task at a given time or manufactured as a specific component to perform that task. As used herein, the term "processor" means one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores configured to process data (such as computer program instructions).

[0016] The appendix below, together with the appendix illustrating the principles of the invention, Figure 1This description provides a detailed account of one or more embodiments of the invention. The invention is described in conjunction with such embodiments, but is not limited to any particular embodiment. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims, and the invention includes many alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. These details are provided for illustrative purposes, and the invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. For clarity, technical materials known in the art related to the invention have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the invention.

[0017] A multirotor aircraft with angled rotors is disclosed. In various embodiments, the multirotor aircraft disclosed herein includes a plurality of lift fans or other rotors arranged in a configuration around a fuselage and / or other centrally located structure of the aircraft. In some embodiments, a first subgroup of rotors may be disposed on one side of the aircraft, and a second subgroup of rotors may be disposed on the opposite side of the aircraft. In various embodiments, each of at least one subgroup of rotors is mounted from the horizontal plane of the aircraft at a corresponding non-zero angle. In some embodiments, the angle at which each rotor is mounted is at least partially determined by the position of the rotor relative to the fuselage and / or any portion of it occupied by a person or other object, and this angle is at least partially determined to ensure that the plane in which the rotor rotates primarily does not intersect the fuselage and / or any portion of it occupied by a person or other object. In various embodiments, the corresponding angles at which at least one sub-group of rotors is mounted can be determined at least partially to provide the ability to generate a lateral force component in the horizontal plane of the aircraft at the rotor mounting location (which is offset from the center of gravity of the aircraft in the horizontal plane), thereby providing the ability to control the yaw (i.e., rotation about the vertical axis of the aircraft) of the aircraft by applying a torque about the vertical axis.

[0018] Figure 1This is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a flight control system. In the illustrated example, the flight control system 100 includes a flight control input source 102 configured to provide flight control input 104 to a controller 106 (e.g., a flight control computer). In some embodiments, the input source 102 may include, for example, pilot input via manual flight control and one or both of autopilot or other self-navigation technologies. For example, in a self-navigating aircraft, input 104 may be generated by the self-navigation program / computer 102. In various embodiments, the input source 102 may include a manual input device (sometimes referred to as a “receiver”) configured to be manipulated by a pilot or other operator to control the flight of the aircraft, such as a joystick, throttle, rudder, collective stick, control stick, thumbstick, and / or other manual control / input device. Such a receiver device and / or associated electronics and / or self-navigation program, computer, or module may be configured to provide one or more of roll direction, roll rate, yaw direction, yaw rate, pitch angle, pitch rate, altitude, altitude rate, and / or forward or other propulsion input signals as input signal 104. In the illustrated example, controller 106 also receives sensor data 118 from sensor 116, such as wind speed, air temperature, etc. Flight controller 106 converts, aggregates, and / or otherwise processes and / or interprets the received flight control inputs 104 and / or sensor data 118 to generate and provide associated forces and / or torques 108 as outputs to be applied to the aircraft via its control manipulators (e.g., propellers, rotors, lift fans, aerodynamic control surfaces, etc.; sometimes referred to herein as “actuators”) to manipulate the aircraft in a manner determined at least in part based on the flight control inputs 104 and / or sensor data 118. In various embodiments, the forces / torques 108 may include forces and / or torques along and / or around one or more axes of the aircraft (such as x, y, and z axes) that, in various embodiments, correspond to the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical axes of the aircraft, respectively.

[0019] Further reference Figure 1 The flight control system 100 includes an online optimizer / mixer 110 configured to receive force / torque 108. The online optimizer / mixer 110 receives force / torque 108 as input and dynamically (online) calculates a set of actuators and associated commands / parameters 112 to achieve the requested force / torque 108. In some embodiments, the optimizer minimizes total power given a desired combination of force and torque. Actuators 114 are configured to operate in response to actuator commands / parameters 112 provided by the online optimizer / mixer 110.

[0020] In the illustrated example, sensor 116 provides sensor data 118 to the online optimizer / mixer 110. Examples of sensor 116 and / or sensor data 118 may include one or more of the following: air speed, temperature, or other environmental conditions; actuator availability, malfunction, and / or health information; aircraft attitude, altitude, and / or other location information; presence / absence of other aircraft, debris, or other obstacles in the vicinity of the aircraft; actuator location information; etc. In various embodiments, the online optimizer / mixer 110 may be configured to take sensor data 118 into account when determining the optimal mix of actuators and associated parameters to achieve a requested set of forces and torques. For example, in some embodiments, six or more lift fans may be provided to lift the aircraft into the air, enable the aircraft to hover, control the aircraft attitude relative to a horizontal plane, etc. In some embodiments, a lift fan failure can be reflected in sensor data 118, resulting in a seamless response from an online optimizer / mixer 110 that provides an optimal set of actuators and parameters 112 that ignores (and is not dependent on) the failed lift fan. Similarly, in some embodiments, sensor data reflecting reduced power / performance, overheating, etc., can be taken into account, for example, by mapping actuator parameters to the expected effect on the affected actuators on the aircraft.

[0021] Figure 2A This is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a multi-rotor aircraft with angled rotors. In various embodiments, the flight control system (such as...) Figure 1 The flight control system 100 can be included in an aircraft (such as...) Figure 2A In the example shown, aircraft 200 includes a fuselage (body) 202 and wings 204. A set of three underwing spars 206 is disposed under each wing. Two lift fans 208 are mounted on each spars 206, one forward of the wing and one aft of the wing. Each lift fan 208 can be driven by an associated drive mechanism (such as a dedicated electric motor). One or more batteries (not shown) and / or an onboard generator (e.g., a small gas turbine) can be used to drive the lift fans 208 and / or charge / recharge the onboard batteries.

[0022] In various embodiments, such as in combination Figure 2B –2E describes it more fully, each beam 206 is positioned at an angle relative to the vertical axis of the aircraft, such that the lift fan 208 is mounted thereon at the associated angle.

[0023] exist Figure 2AIn the example shown, propeller 210 is mounted on fuselage 202 and configured to propel the aircraft through the air in a forward (e.g., x-axis) direction. Propeller 210 is positioned between a pair of tail beams 212 that extend rearward and are joined at their rear ends by a tail structure on which aerodynamic control surfaces, including elevator 216 and rudder 218, are mounted. In various embodiments, each of the inboard beams 206 at least partially forms part of the corresponding port / starboard tail beam 212. In some embodiments, tail beam 212 includes a rearward extension from the corresponding inboard beam 206. For example, tail beam 212 may be formed as part of the rear end of the corresponding inboard beam 206 or fastened (e.g., bolted) to the rear end of the corresponding inboard beam 206. Additional control surfaces include ailerons 214 mounted on the trailing edge of wing 204.

[0024] In the illustrated example, four ailerons 214 are included to provide redundancy. In some embodiments, if a single aileron 214 is lost or fails, the remaining three ailerons 214 are sufficient to control the aircraft. Similarly, in some embodiments, the loss of a rudder 218 results in a remaining rudder providing a degree of yaw control along with the lift fan. Finally, in some embodiments, four elevators 216 are provided for loss / failure tolerance.

[0025] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2A The aircraft 200 shown may have the following approximate dimensions: Wingspan: 36.0 feet • From start to finish: 21.4 feet • Centerline of the first beam: 6.1 feet • Distance between internal beams: 12.2 feet • Spacing between beams (on the same wing): 4.0 feet • Propeller sweep range: 6.5 feet • Lift fan sweep range: 4.2 feet • Distance between fan centers (on the same beam): 8.7 feet.

[0026] Figure 2B It is a display Figure 2A A block diagram of the front view of a multi-rotor aircraft 200. The coordinate axes indicate the z (vertical) and y (lateral) directions. Figure 2BThe front view shown illustrates the corresponding angles, flank, mid-course, and inboard, of the lift fan 206 deviating from the vertical axis (labeled as the z-axis) in its orientation, sometimes referred to herein as the “tilt angle.” In various embodiments, as indicated, adjusting the angle of the lift fan can provide additional options for controlling the aircraft, particularly at or near hover. For example, different combinations of fans can be used to practice yaw control (e.g., rotation around the z-axis) to slide laterally or counteract wind forces while hovering (y-axis), and so on.

[0027] In various embodiments, the orientation of the lift fan 208 may be determined at least in part based on several safety considerations, such as increasing the likelihood that debris centrifugally ejected from the lift fan in the event of a split will be propelled along a trajectory and / or in a plane that does not intersect with the human-occupied portion of the fuselage 202. In some embodiments, two side-by-side seats are provided for passengers in the forward portion of the fuselage 202. Batteries for powering the lift fan 208 and / or driving the propeller 210 may be located at the center / above of the wing portion of the fuselage 202, and in some embodiments, as disclosed herein, the human-occupied and battery-occupied portions of the fuselage are at least partially protected by tilting the beams / lift fan.

[0028] In some embodiments, the lift fan tilt angle can be at least partially determined through a constrained optimization design process. The fan ramp (e.g., roll and pitch fan angles) can be determined through an optimization process aimed at minimizing the amount of torque required by any single motor for multiple trim or balancing conditions, including angular acceleration, any multiple fan failures, crosswinds, and center of gravity changes. In some embodiments, the optimization is constrained by preventing the plane of the fan blades from intersecting with the crew in the event of a catastrophic fan failure. Another example of a constraint that can be applied is ensuring the fan is aligned with the local flow angle used for forward flight, where the fan stops and aligns with the beam.

[0029] In various embodiments, the effective force and torque that can be provided by each corresponding lift fan can be stored on the aircraft 200 in a memory or other data storage device associated with the onboard flight control system. In various embodiments, matrices, tables, databases, or other data structures may be used.

[0030] In some embodiments, the effectiveness under different operating conditions can be stored. For example, the effectiveness of a lift fan or control surface may vary depending on conditions such as air velocity, temperature, etc. In some embodiments, the force and torque expected to be generated by a lift fan or other actuator under given conditions can be reduced or otherwise decreased by factors determined, for example, at least in part, based on environmental or other variables, such as measures of lift fan motor health.

[0031] In such a state Figure 2B In the example shown, an aircraft with angled lift fans can generate forces and moments that can be produced by a given lift fan, reflecting the angle at which each lift fan is mounted. For example, a lift fan mounted at an angle relative to the horizontal plane of the aircraft will produce horizontal and vertical force components, and each force can generate a torque about one or more axes of the aircraft, depending on the position of the fan relative to the center of gravity of the aircraft.

[0032] Figure 2C This is a block diagram illustrating an example of an angled rotor as implemented in an embodiment of a multi-rotor aircraft having an angled rotor. In the illustrated example, an installation as shown... Figure 2A and 2B The approximate angle of the left (front view) rotor of the aircraft 200 is shown. Specifically, the leftmost (outside) lift fan is shown mounted at an angle θ1 relative to the aircraft's vertical (and therefore horizontal / lateral) axis, tilted away from the fuselage 202. This results in the lift fan's plane of rotation, indicated by the dashed arrow extending away from the lift fan, not intersecting the fuselage 202. In some embodiments, the plane of rotation may intersect the fuselage but not its human-occupied portion or other critical parts.

[0033] Similarly, in the example shown, the intermediate lift fan and the inboard lift fan are angled toward the fuselage 202, causing their respective planes of rotation to rotate downwards by a corresponding angle so that they do not intersect with the fuselage 202.

[0034] In various embodiments, adjusting the angle of the lift fan or other rotor toward or away from the fuselage or its critical parts and / or other critical structures can reduce the risk that debris ejected centrifugally from the rotor will strike the fuselage or other structures.

[0035] Figure 2D This is a block diagram showing a top view of an embodiment of a multirotor aircraft with angled rotors. Specifically, in Figure 2D In the middle, it is displayed Figure 2A A top view of the aircraft 200. The coordinate axes are indicated along the x (forward) and y (lateral) directions. In the example shown, the aircraft 200 includes twelve lift fans 208, six on each side of the fuselage 202. On each side of the fuselage 202, three lift fans are mounted forward of the wing 204, and three are mounted aft of the wing 204. The lift fans 208 are mounted in pairs on corresponding beams 206 mounted below the wing 204. The outermost beam is inclined away from the fuselage 202, while the middle and inner beams are inclined towards the fuselage, as shown... Figure 2B and 2C As shown in the image.

[0036] Figure 2E This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the forces and torques that can be generated by the angled rotor in an embodiment of a multirotor aircraft having an angled rotor. Figure 2E In the middle, it is displayed Figure 2D The fuselage 202 of the aircraft 200 has a center of gravity 220. Figure 2E Each circle in the diagram represents a corresponding one of the lift fans 208. Marked as F y1 F y2 The arrows indicate that the lift generated by the angled lift fan 208 is due to its angled mounting and are displayed. Figure 2A – The corresponding lateral (y-axis) component of the force in 2D. The rear (rear) fan is shown as being mounted at an x-axis distance x1 from the center of gravity of 220. Therefore, as shown, the y-axis component of the rear lift fan will result in a torque of a corresponding magnitude proportional to the distance x1 around the vertical axis (z-axis, using…). Figure 2A –As shown in 2E (the convention) is applied to the aircraft. The torque contributed by any given rear lift fan will be determined by the lift generated by the lift fan when actuated by the flight control system, where the direction (counterclockwise or clockwise) depends on the position of the lift fan and whether it is tilted away from or towards the fuselage 202. For example, the leftmost rear lift fan will contribute a lateral force F. y1 This results in a counterclockwise torque component contributing to the force around the center of gravity 220. (On the right side, as...) Figure 2E (as shown) Rear interior and middle lift fan (F) y4 F y5 Similarly, it will contribute a counterclockwise torque component. In contrast, this is different from the lateral force component F. y2 F y3 and F y6 The associated lift fan will contribute a clockwise torque component.

[0037] Similar to the rear lift fan, the front lift fan (in this example, with the lateral force component F) y7 –F y12 (Associated) will contribute a torque component that is proportional to its x-axis distance x2 relative to the center of gravity 220.

[0038] In various embodiments, the respective lift fan 208 can rotate alternately in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, for example, to balance the lateral forces associated with the direction of rotation. Figures 2A-2EThe example shown includes a total of twelve lift fans 208. In various embodiments, an even number of lift fans, each with at least four lift fans, may be included, and they may be evenly distributed on each side of the fuselage. In the event of a missing or malfunctioning lift fan, the corresponding lift fan on the opposite side of the aircraft may be deactivated to maintain balance. For example, the loss of a clockwise rotating lift fan at the front end of the innermost beam on the port side of the aircraft may result in a counterclockwise rotating lift fan at a complementary location on the opposite side (such as the rear end of the innermost beam on the opposite side) being shut down and ignored in subsequent optimization calculations (e.g., adding zero RPM / torque as a constraint for that lift fan) to determine the blending of actuators and associated parameters to achieve the desired force and torque.

[0039] Figure 2F It is a display Figure 2A A block diagram of a side view of a multirotor aircraft 200. In the example shown, the lift fan 208 is mounted with a specified forward tilt relative to the horizontal plane of the aircraft 200. The beam 206 is shown mounted approximately aligned with the horizontal plane of the aircraft 200 in level flight. The wing 204 sweeps slightly upward as it extends away from the fuselage 202. In various embodiments, this can be at least partially based on... Figure 2B and 2C The same considerations shown in the diagram determine the forward tilt angle of the lift fan 208, i.e., to ensure that, in the event of a lift fan split, debris centrifugally ejected from the lift fan will not intersect with at least the human-occupied or other critical parts of the cockpit or cabin section of the fuselage 202. In some embodiments, the forward tilt angle of the lift fan 208 may be selected, at least in part, to minimize drag, turbulence, or other undesirable dynamic effects of the lift fan as the aircraft 200 flies forward (e.g., propelled by the propeller 210).

[0040] Figure 2G It is a display Figure 2A A block diagram of a side view of a multirotor aircraft 200. In the example shown, arrows 242 and 244 indicate approximate airflow patterns. Arrow 242 shows air flowing with minimal drag above the front lift fan 208, and continuing relatively unobstructed above the wing 204, partly due to the forward tilt of the front lift fan 242, and over the rear lift fan 208 (or, in some embodiments, flowing along a relatively low-drag path above it, partly due to its forward tilt). Arrow 244 shows air flowing / over the front lift fan 208 below the wing 204, and flowing above the rear lift fan 208 in a relatively low-drag manner, at least partly due to the forward tilt of the rear lift fan 208.

[0041] In some embodiments, the wing 204 may not sweep upwards to meet the... Figure 2F and 2G As shown in the diagram, and in some such embodiments, the rear lift fan may be more in the same horizontal plane as the front lift fan 208 and wing 204. In some such embodiments, the rear lift fan 208 may be tilted slightly rearward rather than forward in order to provide a continuous, relatively low-impedance path for airflow over the front lift fan 208, wing 204, and rear lift fan 208, for example, when the aircraft 200 is in forward flight mode.

[0042] In various embodiments, as disclosed herein, flight control systems (such as...) Figure 1 The flight control system 100 is configured to determine a mixture of actuator and corresponding actuator parameters (including parameters of the lift fan 208) to include achieving the desired force and torque by taking into account the torque about the z-axis generated by the lift fan being angled and applied to the aircraft 200.

[0043] In various embodiments, the techniques disclosed herein can be used to provide a multirotor aircraft with angled lift fans and / or rotors. Each rotor can be mounted at an angle such that debris centrifugally ejected from the lift fan in the plane of rotation of the lift fan will not intersect with the fuselage or other critical structures of the aircraft. In various embodiments, as disclosed herein, adjusting the rotor angle can, for example, provide a degree of power (control or influence) to manage the yaw of the aircraft during hovering or vertical takeoff (lift) or landing operations.

[0044] While the foregoing embodiments have been described in detail for clarity, the invention is not limited to the details provided. Many alternative ways of implementing the invention exist. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising: body; as well as Multiple rotors are disposed on opposite sides of the fuselage. The multiple rotors include a first subgroup of rotors disposed on both sides of the fuselage and a second subgroup of rotors disposed on both sides of the fuselage. Each rotor is oriented at a corresponding angle relative to the approximate horizontal plane of the aircraft. The angle for the first subgroup of rotors causes the first subgroup of rotors to tilt away from the fuselage, and the angle for the second subgroup of rotors causes the second subgroup of rotors to tilt towards the fuselage.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The multiple rotors are mounted on multiple beams, and each beam is fixed to the corresponding wing of the aircraft.

3. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein, Each rotor is oriented at the corresponding angle at least in part by mounting a corresponding beam at the corresponding angle.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The front subgroup includes one or more rotors of the plurality of rotors mounted in front of the center of gravity of the aircraft, and the rear subgroup includes one or more rotors of the plurality of rotors mounted behind the center of gravity.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The rotor is oriented at a corresponding angle, resulting in a lateral force component of the corresponding lift generated by the rotor and applied to the aircraft.

6. The aircraft of claim 5, further comprising a flight control system including a processor configured to use the lateral force component to control yaw about a generally vertical yaw axis of the aircraft.

7. The aircraft of claim 5, further comprising a flight control system including a processor configured to determine a set of actuators and associated actuator parameters to apply a set of requested forces and torques to the aircraft, the set of requested forces and torques including a torque about a generally vertical yaw axis of the aircraft, and wherein, The processor is configured to, when determining the set of actuators and associated actuator parameters, take into account the lateral force components generated by the plurality of rotors and applied to the aircraft, as well as the corresponding contribution of the lateral force components to the net torque about the generally vertical yaw axis of the aircraft.

8. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The fuselage includes a portion occupied by people.

9. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The corresponding rotation plane of the first sub-group rotor is oriented outward relative to the fuselage at the corresponding angle, such that the corresponding rotation plane of the first sub-group rotor does not intersect with the fuselage.

10. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The corresponding rotation plane of the second sub-rotor is oriented inward relative to the fuselage at the corresponding angle, such that the corresponding rotation plane of the second sub-rotor does not intersect with the fuselage.

11. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The first subgroup of rotors is positioned further away from the fuselage than the second subgroup of rotors.

12. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, One half of the rotor in the first subgroup rotates in a first direction and is located on the starboard side of the fuselage, while the other half of the rotor in the first subgroup rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction and is located on the port side of the fuselage.

13. The aircraft according to claim 12, wherein, One half of the rotor in the second subgroup rotates in the second direction and is located on the starboard side of the fuselage, while the other half of the rotor in the second subgroup rotates in the first direction and is located on the port side of the fuselage.

14. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of rotors includes at least four rotors on the starboard side of the aircraft and an equal number of rotors on the port side of the aircraft.

15. The aircraft of claim 14, further comprising a flight control system including a processor configured to detect that a first rotor on a first side of the aircraft has malfunctioned, and to deactivate a second rotor corresponding to the first rotor on a second side of the aircraft opposite to the first side.

16. The aircraft according to claim 15, wherein, The first rotor rotates in a first direction and the second rotor rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

17. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising: Multiple sensors are configured to collect data associated with the aircraft, flight path, or environmental conditions; as well as A flight control system, comprising a processor configured to receive data from the plurality of sensors and control the plurality of rotors based on the data received from the plurality of sensors.

18. An aircraft comprising: body; The port wing is attached to the fuselage. The starboard wing is attached to the fuselage. Two or more beams are mounted on each of the wings, each beam having: a front end extending forward of the corresponding wing to which the beam is mounted and a rear end extending behind the corresponding wing to which the beam is mounted; and Multiple rotors are mounted on the beam, wherein the multiple rotors and the beam on which they are mounted have the same angle relative to the approximate vertical axis of the aircraft; Each of the first subgroups of the beams is mounted to the port wing or the starboard wing at a non-zero angle relative to the generally vertical axis of the aircraft, such that the beams are tilted inward toward the fuselage. Each of the second subgroups of the beams is mounted at a non-zero angle to the port or starboard wing relative to the approximate vertical axis of the aircraft, such that the beams are tilted outward away from the fuselage.

19. The aircraft according to claim 18, wherein, The port side wing and the starboard side wing each include a single wing structure mounted to the fuselage, such that the port side wing includes a port side portion of the single wing structure extending to the port side of the fuselage, and the starboard side wing includes a starboard side portion of the single wing structure extending to the starboard side of the fuselage.

20. The aircraft of claim 18, further comprising a separate beam structure extending rearward from each of a pair of inboard beams of the beam, the separate beam structure comprising a port side beam and a starboard side beam, the port side beam and the starboard side beam extending rearward of the fuselage and joined at the rear end of the separate beam structure via a tail structure.

21. The aircraft according to claim 20, wherein, Each of the beams, including the pair of inboard beams, at least partially forms part of a corresponding one of the port side beam and the starboard side beam.

22. The aircraft according to claim 18, further comprising: The first plurality of lifting rotors, each of the first plurality of lifting rotors being mounted on the front end of a corresponding beam in the beam; as well as The second plurality of lifting rotors, each of the second plurality of lifting rotors being mounted on the rear end of a corresponding beam in the beam; Each of the first plurality of lifting rotors and each of the second plurality of lifting rotors generates a vertical thrust independently of the level of vertical thrust generated by the other rotors.

23. The aircraft according to claim 22, wherein, Each of the port side wing and the starboard side wing has three beams mounted thereto, and wherein the first plurality of lifting rotors is six, and the second plurality of lifting rotors is six.

24. The aircraft according to claim 22, wherein, The first and second lift rotors are driven by electric motors.

25. An aircraft comprising: body; The port wing is attached to the fuselage. The starboard wing is attached to the fuselage. Each of the wings has two or more beams mounted thereto, each beam having: a front end extending forward of the corresponding wing to which the beam is mounted and a rear end extending behind the corresponding wing to which the beam is mounted; A first plurality of lifting rotors, each of the first plurality of lifting rotors being mounted on the front end of a corresponding one of the beams; and The second plurality of lifting rotors, each of the second plurality of lifting rotors being mounted on the rear end of the corresponding one of the beams; Each of the first plurality of lifting rotors and each of the second plurality of lifting rotors generates a vertical thrust independently of the horizontal vertical thrust generated by the other rotors; Each of the first subgroups of the beams is mounted to the port or starboard wing at a non-zero angle relative to the approximate vertical axis of the aircraft, such that the beams are tilted inward toward the fuselage; and Each of the second subgroups of the beams is mounted at a non-zero angle to the port or starboard wing relative to the approximate vertical axis of the aircraft, such that the beams are tilted outward away from the fuselage.

26. The aircraft according to claim 25, wherein, Each of the port side wing and the starboard side wing has three beams mounted thereto, and wherein the first plurality of lifting rotors is six, and the second plurality of lifting rotors is six.

27. The aircraft according to claim 25, wherein, The first and second lift rotors are driven by electric motors.

28. The aircraft according to claim 25, wherein, The port side wing and the starboard side wing each include a single wing structure mounted to the fuselage, such that the port side wing includes a port side portion of the single wing structure extending to the port side of the fuselage, and the starboard side wing includes a starboard side portion of the single wing structure extending to the starboard side of the fuselage.

29. The aircraft of claim 25, further comprising a separate beam structure extending rearward from each of a pair of inboard beams of the beam, the separate beam structure comprising a port side beam and a starboard side beam, the port side beam and the starboard side beam extending rearward of the fuselage and joined at the rear end of the separate beam structure via a tail structure.

30. The aircraft according to claim 29, wherein, Each of the beams, including the pair of inboard beams, at least partially forms part of a corresponding one of the port side beam and the starboard side beam.

Images