A method and apparatus for supporting takeoff and landing of a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle in the air
By using a tilt-hexacoach to carry fixed-wing UAVs for take-off and landing, the problem of high site requirements for fixed-wing UAV take-off and landing has been solved, enabling take-off and landing without a runway and improving mission efficiency and applicability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BEIHANG UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2023-01-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-17
AI Technical Summary
The take-off and landing methods of fixed-wing UAVs have high site requirements. Traditional take-off and landing methods are not suitable for use in mountainous areas or on ships, and existing improved methods have problems such as increased weight, fragile structure, or high difficulty of operation.
Using a tiltrotor aircraft as a take-off and landing platform, a fixed-wing UAV is carried into flight. Through the coordinated operation of the rotor assembly and the tilt assembly, take-off and landing are achieved. The take-off and landing platform provides the fixed-wing aircraft with take-off speed and landing site, enabling it to take off and land in the air.
No runway needs to be built, which increases the mission duration and working range of fixed-wing UAVs, reduces weight, improves mission efficiency, is suitable for complex occasions, and ensures a smooth and reliable take-off and landing process.
Smart Images

Figure CN115924080B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and particularly relates to a method and apparatus for supporting the take-off and landing of fixed-wing UAVs. Background Technology
[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are unmanned aircraft that are controlled and operated by radio remote control equipment and preset programs, or by an onboard flight control computer, either completely or intermittently. Based on their flight platform configuration, they are classified into fixed-wing UAVs, vertical take-off and landing UAVs, unmanned airships, helicopter UAVs, multi-rotor UAVs, and paraglider UAVs.
[0003] Compared with manned aircraft, drones have advantages such as small size, low cost, ease of use, low requirements for the combat environment, and strong battlefield survivability. Since the 21st century, with the development of drone technology and the reduction of operating costs, drones have been widely used in reconnaissance, aerial photography, inspection, disaster relief, surveying and exploration.
[0004] Fixed-wing drones are widely used in industrial and military fields due to their advantages such as high speed, long endurance, and high payload.
[0005] However, fixed-wing UAVs must reach a minimum takeoff speed before takeoff. To meet this condition, the takeoff and landing methods for fixed-wing UAVs can be divided into the following categories:
[0006] 1) Traditional fixed-wing UAVs use landing gear for take-off and landing. This take-off and landing method has high site requirements. In actual use, such as in mountainous areas and ships, it is inconvenient to build runways. Moreover, the landing gear and its retraction device will occupy part of the load.
[0007] 2) Some small fixed-wing drones can take off by hand-launching or catapult and land by crashing into a net or using a skyhook for recovery; however, this take-off and landing method is prone to impact and is not suitable for small fixed-wing drones with large wing area, low wing loading and fragile structure. In addition, the skyhook recovery operation is difficult, the docking accuracy is high and the connection strength is poor, which makes it difficult to popularize.
[0008] 3) Some new fixed-wing UAVs can be equipped with rotors to provide vertical thrust for takeoff and landing. However, the rotor assembly is quite heavy, which not only increases the takeoff weight of the fixed-wing UAV, but also becomes dead weight during flight, affecting the payload. At the same time, the presence of the rotor assembly also leads to an increase in air resistance. Summary of the Invention
[0009] This invention provides a method and apparatus for supporting the take-off and landing of fixed-wing UAVs, based on existing fixed-wing UAV take-off and landing technology. It utilizes a tilt-rotor aircraft as a take-off and landing platform, carrying the fixed-wing UAV. Once the platform accelerates to the take-off speed of the fixed-wing UAV, it releases the fixed-wing UAV and follows it at the same speed to ensure a smooth landing. The platform provides the fixed-wing UAV with take-off speed and landing space, enabling it to take off, land, and be recovered in the air. Throughout the process, the platform (tilt-rotor aircraft) becomes an aerial runway for the fixed-wing UAV, offering convenience, flexibility, and high docking accuracy.
[0010] The aforementioned aerial take-off and landing device for fixed-wing UAVs specifically includes: a fuselage, a control component, a power component, and a take-off and landing component.
[0011] The fuselage is square, with a support leg installed at each of its four corners to allow for stable and vertical landing on the ground. A landing assembly, including struts and a landing net, is mounted on top of the fuselage. A strut is fixed at each of the four corners of the fuselage, with two struts in each group, symmetrically and detachably connected to the fuselage. The other end of each strut is detachably connected to a square landing net. The mesh size of the landing net is smaller than the opening width of the fixed-wing UAV's clamping mechanism, allowing the clamping mechanism to easily pass through the mesh and clamp onto the landing net.
[0012] Along the left and right edges of the fuselage, four rotor arms extend out, namely the left front, left rear, right front, and right rear. At the same time, on the vertical center lines of the left and right sides, the left rotor arm and the right rotor arm extend symmetrically. One end of the rotor arm is fixedly connected to the fuselage body, and the other end is fixedly connected to the power unit.
[0013] The power assembly consists of a tilting assembly and a rotor assembly. The main body of the tilting assembly is a servo motor and its servo arm. The servo motor is fixedly connected to the rotor arm below, and the servo arm is fixedly connected to the rotor assembly. The servo motor drives the servo arm to rotate along a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotor arm, thereby changing the orientation of the rotor assembly.
[0014] The rotor assembly consists of two parts: a DC motor and blades. The blades are driven by the DC motor to rotate at high speed and generate the power required for flight. When the tilt assembly does not move, the power generated by all rotor assemblies is directed upwards. When the total power is greater than the weight of the device, the device can take off vertically. When the total power is less than the weight of the device, the device can land vertically.
[0015] When the four tilting components (left front, left rear, right front, and right rear) move synchronously, the total power generates a forward or backward component, which is symmetrical left and right and equal in length front and back. At this time, when all four power components generate forward power, the fuselage is subjected to a forward pull, enabling the entire takeoff and landing system to propel the fixed-wing UAV forward. Simultaneously, this increases the power output of all power components to compensate for the upward power loss caused by the change in power direction. The same principle applies to backward flight; when all four power components generate backward power, the fuselage is subjected to a backward pull, enabling the entire takeoff and landing system to propel the fixed-wing UAV backward. This also increases the power output of all power components to compensate for the upward power loss caused by the change in power direction. During both forward and backward flight, the left and right power components maintain a vertical attitude without tilting, generating upward power to provide sufficient lift for the fixed-wing UAV to take off.
[0016] When the power units on the left and right rotor arms move synchronously, the fuselage receives symmetrical leftward or rightward thrust components, enabling left-right flight. Simultaneously, when both power units tilt to the left, the thrust provided by the two rotor assemblies generates a leftward component, allowing the takeoff and landing system to propel the fixed-wing UAV to the left. This also increases the power output of all power units to compensate for the lift loss caused by the change in thrust direction. Similarly, for right-hand flight, when both power units tilt to the right, the thrust provided by the two rotor assemblies generates a rightward component, allowing the takeoff and landing system to propel the fixed-wing UAV to the right. This also increases the power output of all power units to compensate for the lift loss caused by the change in thrust direction. During left-right flight, the four power units (left front, left rear, right front, and right rear) maintain a vertical attitude without tilting, generating upward lift.
[0017] Based on the above flight principles, the main body of the fuselage can move horizontally forward, backward, left, and right in the air without generating pitch, roll, or yaw moments. The take-off and landing net can always remain horizontal, ensuring the stable parking of the fixed-wing UAV.
[0018] The control components include a battery and power supply module, a flight control module, and a navigation module, which are used to collect position and speed information of the fixed-wing UAV and take-off and landing device, and control the power components to complete the flight mission.
[0019] Furthermore, it is preferable that the four sets of power components on the left front, right front, left side, and right side are installed facing upwards to provide thrust; the remaining two sets of power components are installed facing downwards to provide thrust. This reduces the risk of rotor tilting and collision with rotor arms, increases the tilting angle of the power components, and enables the four rotors to generate greater forward thrust, allowing the take-off and landing device to achieve greater forward flight speed.
[0020] Furthermore, it is preferable to replace the clamping mechanism of the fixed-wing UAV with the landing gear and its retraction assembly, or to replace the clamping mechanism with one that can be remotely opened and closed.
[0021] The specific steps of the method for supporting the take-off and landing of fixed-wing UAVs are as follows:
[0022] Step 1: Before the fixed-wing UAV takes off, the clamping mechanism below passes through the mesh of the take-off and landing net and rests on the main body of the air take-off and landing device.
[0023] Step 2: The power unit keeps the tilting component still, all rotor components start simultaneously to generate lift, and the air take-off and landing device takes off with the fixed-wing UAV.
[0024] Step 3: After reaching the set launch altitude, the four tilting components on the left front, left rear, right front, and right rear tilt, generating a forward power component, and the air take-off and landing device accelerates forward; when the air take-off and landing device reaches the preset take-off speed and remains stable, the control clamping mechanism disengages, and the fixed-wing UAV is launched.
[0025] Step 4: When the distance between the fixed-wing UAV and the air take-off and landing device is greater than the preset value, the four tilting components of the left front, left rear, right front and right rear tilt in the opposite direction, generating a backward power component, and the air take-off and landing device moves backward.
[0026] Step 5: When the air takeoff and landing device approaches the designated landing site, all tilt components reset, all rotor components reduce power output, and the air takeoff and landing device descends vertically.
[0027] Step Six: When the fixed-wing UAV completes its mission and is ready to land, the airborne landing device takes off again and heads to the location of the fixed-wing UAV to rendezvous with it; by tilting left and right to adjust the flight path, the airborne landing device is finally positioned directly in front of the fixed-wing UAV and flies at the same speed as the fixed-wing UAV.
[0028] During takeoff, when the main fuselage tilts due to disturbance, the rotor assembly rotates differentially, generating a torque to counteract the disturbance and thus restore the flight attitude to level.
[0029] Specifically, when the main body of the fuselage tilts to the right, the three rotor components on the left front, left rear and left side are controlled to decelerate, while the three rotor components on the right front, right rear and right side are controlled to accelerate, maintaining a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated on the left side is less than that on the right side, causing the main body of the fuselage to generate a counterclockwise rolling torque, which cancels out the tilt.
[0030] When the fuselage body tilts to the left, the three rotor components on the right front, right rear and right sides are controlled to decelerate, while the three rotor components on the left front, left rear and left sides are controlled to accelerate, maintaining a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated on the right side is less than that on the left side, causing the fuselage body to generate a clockwise rolling torque, which cancels out the tilt.
[0031] When the main fuselage tilts forward, the left and right rotor assemblies remain stationary, the left front and right front rotor assemblies accelerate their rotation, and the left rear and right rear rotor assemblies decelerate their rotation to maintain a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated in front is greater than that in rear, causing the main fuselage to generate a pitching moment that cancels out the tilting.
[0032] When the main fuselage tilts backward, the left and right rotor assemblies remain stationary, the left rear and right rear rotor assemblies accelerate their rotation, and the left front and right front rotor assemblies decelerate their rotation to maintain a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated at the rear is greater than that at the front, causing the main fuselage to generate a nose-down moment that cancels out the tilting.
[0033] Step 7: When the distance between the two is less than the preset value, control the clamping mechanism to open and clamp the fixed-wing UAV onto the take-off and landing net. At the same time, control the rotor assembly to rotate differentially and adjust the center of gravity. After the fixed-wing UAV decelerates and lands on the take-off and landing net, the aerial take-off and landing device and the fixed-wing UAV decelerate together and return to the starting point or go to the next mission location. After reaching the landing area, it will land vertically for the fixed-wing UAV to be recovered and reused.
[0034] The advantages of this invention are:
[0035] (1) An aerial take-off and landing device that supports fixed-wing UAVs, through the coordinated cooperation of rotor assembly and tilt assembly, can drive the take-off and landing net to take off and land vertically and fly in the air, so that fixed-wing UAVs can take off and land on the take-off and landing net, or carry fixed-wing UAVs to accelerate and decelerate in the air, send them to a designated recovery location for landing and recovery or to be released again, which can increase the mission duration and working range of fixed-wing UAVs, and eliminate the need to build runways, thus solving the problem of relatively complex deployment conditions for fixed-wing UAVs to a certain extent.
[0036] (2) An aerial take-off and landing device for supporting fixed-wing UAVs, wherein the take-off and landing net remains horizontal during the flight of the device and facilitates the smooth landing of fixed-wing UAVs, and is not easy to tilt or deviate from the take-off and landing net.
[0037] (3) An aerial take-off and landing device for supporting fixed-wing UAVs, wherein the special arrangement of the power components can provide the entire platform with a large forward flight speed, which is conducive to quickly reaching the take-off and landing speed of fixed-wing UAVs and can be applied to fast fixed-wing UAVs.
[0038] (4) A method for supporting the take-off and landing of a fixed-wing UAV without the need for landing gear, requiring only a smaller and lighter clamping mechanism to be installed on the fixed-wing UAV, which facilitates weight reduction and improves mission efficiency of the fixed-wing UAV. Attached Figure Description
[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an aerial take-off and landing device for a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention;
[0040] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of an aerial take-off and landing device for a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention;
[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle described in this invention;
[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the fixed-wing UAV take-off and landing method described in this invention;
[0043] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the fixed-wing UAV take-off and landing method described in this invention;
[0044] In the diagram: 1-Fuselage; 2-Rotor arm; 3-Support leg; 4-Connector; 5-Tilting assembly; 6-Rotor assembly; 7-Strut; 8-Landing net; 9-Clamping mechanism; 10-Fixed-wing UAV. Detailed Implementation
[0045] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail and clearly with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0046] This invention, based on the tilt-rotor flight principle, provides a method and apparatus for supporting the take-off and landing of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the aerial take-off and landing device supporting fixed-wing UAVs specifically includes: fuselage, control components, power components, and take-off and landing components.
[0047] The control component collects speed and position information and controls the flight of the platform device; the take-off and landing component carries the fixed-wing UAV for vertical take-off and landing and for acceleration and deceleration; the power component, through reasonable configuration, keeps the take-off and landing net and the fixed-wing UAV stable, thus achieving in-flight take-off and in-flight recovery of the fixed-wing UAV. The take-off and landing method and device described in this invention can meet the take-off and landing conditions of fixed-wing UAVs without the need for runways. Furthermore, replacing the landing gear with a clamping mechanism can reduce the weight of the fixed-wing UAV, improve its mission efficiency, and enable rapid deployment in more complex situations. This is beneficial for the practical use of fixed-wing UAVs in border areas, mountainous regions, and other locations where runways are difficult to construct.
[0048] The fuselage body 1 is square, with a support leg 3 installed at each of its four corners to allow for stable and vertical landing on the ground. A landing assembly, including struts 7 and a landing net 8, is mounted on top of the fuselage body 1. A strut 7 is fixed at each of the four corners of the body, divided into two groups of two struts each, symmetrically and detachably connected to the fuselage body. The other end of each strut 7 is detachably connected to a square flexible landing net 8. The mesh size of the landing net 8 is smaller than the opening width of the clamping mechanism 9 of the fixed-wing UAV 10, allowing the clamping mechanism 9 to easily pass through the mesh and clamp onto the landing net. Figure 3 As shown.
[0049] Along the left and right edges of the fuselage body 1, rotor arms 2 extend in four directions: left front, left rear, right front, and right rear, respectively. At the same time, on the vertical center lines of the left and right sides, left rotor arm 2 and right rotor arm 2 extend symmetrically. One end of the rotor arm 2 is fixedly connected to the fuselage body 1, and the other end is fixedly connected to the power unit.
[0050] The power unit consists of a tilting component 5 and a rotor component 6. The rotor component 6 is fixedly connected to the tilting component 5 and is driven by a DC motor. It rotates at high speed to generate thrust or pull. The tilting component 5 can change the direction of the force generated by the rotor component 6 by rotating.
[0051] The main body of the tilt assembly 5 is a servo motor and its servo arm. The servo motor is fixedly connected to the rotor arm 2 below, and the servo arm is fixedly connected to the rotor assembly 6. The servo motor drives the servo arm to rotate along a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotor arm, thereby changing the orientation of the rotor assembly 6.
[0052] The rotor assembly 6 consists of a DC motor and blades. The blades are driven by the DC motor and rotate at high speed to generate the power required for flight. When the tilt assembly 5 does not move, the power generated by all rotor assemblies 6 is directed upwards. When the total power is greater than the weight of the device, the device can take off vertically. When the total power is less than the weight of the device, the device can land vertically.
[0053] When the four tilting components 5 (left front, left rear, right front, and right rear) move synchronously, the total power generates a forward or backward component, which is symmetrical left and right and equal in length front and back. At this time, when all four power components generate forward power, the fuselage 1 experiences a forward pull, enabling the entire takeoff and landing system to propel the fixed-wing UAV forward, while simultaneously increasing the power output of all power components to compensate for the upward power loss caused by the change in power direction. Similarly, during backward flight, when all four power components generate backward power, the fuselage 1 experiences a backward pull, enabling the entire takeoff and landing system to propel the fixed-wing UAV backward, while simultaneously increasing the power output of all power components to compensate for the upward power loss caused by the change in power direction. During both forward and backward flight, the left and right power components maintain a vertical attitude without tilting, generating upward power to provide sufficient lift for the fixed-wing UAV to take off.
[0054] When the power units on the left and right rotor arms move synchronously, the fuselage receives symmetrical leftward or rightward thrust components, enabling left-right flight. Simultaneously, when both power units tilt to the left, the thrust provided by the two rotor assemblies generates a leftward component, allowing the takeoff and landing system to propel the fixed-wing UAV to the left. This also increases the power output of all power units to compensate for the lift loss caused by the change in thrust direction. Similarly, for right-hand flight, when both power units tilt to the right, the thrust provided by the two rotor assemblies generates a rightward component, allowing the takeoff and landing system to propel the fixed-wing UAV to the right. This also increases the power output of all power units to compensate for the lift loss caused by the change in thrust direction. During left-right flight, the four power units (left front, left rear, right front, and right rear) maintain a vertical attitude without tilting, generating upward lift.
[0055] Based on the above flight principles, the main body of the fuselage can move horizontally forward, backward, left, and right in the air without generating pitch, roll, or yaw moments. The take-off and landing net can always remain horizontal, ensuring the stable parking of the fixed-wing UAV.
[0056] The control components include a battery and power supply module, a flight control module, and a navigation module, which are used to collect position and speed information of the fixed-wing UAV and take-off and landing device, and control the power components to complete the flight mission.
[0057] Furthermore, it is preferable that the four sets of power components on the left front, right front, left side, and right side are installed facing upwards to provide thrust; the remaining two sets of power components are installed facing downwards to provide thrust. This reduces the risk of rotor tilting and collision with rotor arms, increases the tilting angle of the power components, and enables the four rotors to generate greater forward thrust, allowing the take-off and landing device to achieve greater forward flight speed.
[0058] Furthermore, it is preferable to replace the clamping mechanism of the fixed-wing UAV with the landing gear and its retraction assembly, or to replace the clamping mechanism with one that can be remotely opened and closed.
[0059] The method for supporting the take-off and landing of fixed-wing UAVs, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the specific steps are as follows:
[0060] Step 1: Before the fixed-wing UAV takes off, the clamping mechanism below passes through the mesh of the take-off and landing net and rests on the main body of the air take-off and landing device.
[0061] Step 2: The power unit keeps the tilting component still, all rotor components start simultaneously to generate lift, and the air take-off and landing device takes off with the fixed-wing UAV.
[0062] Step 3: Upon reaching the set launch altitude, the four tilting components (left front, left rear, right front, and right rear) tilt, generating a forward thrust component, accelerating the takeoff and landing device forward. Once the device reaches the preset takeoff speed and remains stable, the clamping mechanism disengages, releasing the fixed-wing UAV. Simultaneously, the device descends.
[0063] Step 4: When the distance between the fixed-wing UAV and the air take-off and landing device is greater than the preset value, the four tilting components of the left front, left rear, right front and right rear tilt in the opposite direction, generating a backward power component, and the air take-off and landing device moves backward.
[0064] Step 5: When the air takeoff and landing device approaches the designated landing site, all tilt components reset, all rotor components reduce power output, and the air takeoff and landing device descends vertically.
[0065] Step Six: When the fixed-wing UAV completes its mission and is ready to land, the airborne landing device takes off again and heads to the location of the fixed-wing UAV to meet it; by tilting left and right using the tilting mechanisms on both sides, the flight path is adjusted so that the airborne landing device is located directly in front of the fixed-wing UAV and flies at the same speed as the fixed-wing UAV.
[0066] During takeoff, when the main fuselage tilts due to disturbance, the rotor assembly rotates differentially, generating a torque to counteract the disturbance and thus restore the flight attitude to level.
[0067] Specifically, when the main body of the fuselage tilts to the right, the three rotor components on the left front, left rear and left side are controlled to decelerate, while the three rotor components on the right front, right rear and right side are controlled to accelerate, maintaining a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated on the left side is less than that on the right side, causing the main body of the fuselage to generate a counterclockwise rolling torque, which cancels out the tilt.
[0068] When the fuselage body tilts to the left, the three rotor components on the right front, right rear and right sides are controlled to decelerate, while the three rotor components on the left front, left rear and left sides are controlled to accelerate, maintaining a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated on the right side is less than that on the left side, causing the fuselage body to generate a clockwise rolling torque, which cancels out the tilt.
[0069] When the main fuselage tilts forward, the left and right rotor assemblies remain stationary, the left front and right front rotor assemblies accelerate their rotation, and the left rear and right rear rotor assemblies decelerate their rotation to maintain a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated in front is greater than that in rear, causing the main fuselage to generate a pitching moment that cancels out the tilting.
[0070] When the main fuselage tilts backward, the left and right rotor assemblies remain stationary, the left rear and right rear rotor assemblies accelerate their rotation, and the left front and right front rotor assemblies decelerate their rotation to maintain a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated at the rear is greater than that at the front, causing the main fuselage to generate a nose-down moment that cancels out the tilting.
[0071] This method is used to handle air turbulence or instability caused by drones taking off and landing on the landing gear.
[0072] Step 7: When the distance between the two is less than the preset value, control the clamping mechanism to open and clamp the fixed-wing UAV onto the take-off and landing net. At the same time, control the rotor assembly to rotate differentially and adjust the center of gravity. After the fixed-wing UAV decelerates and lands on the take-off and landing net, the aerial take-off and landing device and the fixed-wing UAV decelerate together and return to the starting point or go to the next mission location. After reaching the landing area, it will land vertically for the fixed-wing UAV to be recovered and reused.
[0073] Furthermore, the control components of the take-off and landing platform collect the position and speed information of the fixed-wing UAV and the take-off and landing device itself, and the maximum flight speed of the take-off and landing device is greater than or equal to the take-off speed and landing speed of the fixed-wing UAV.
[0074] When a fixed-wing UAV takes off, if the clamping mechanism disengages and the distance between it and the landing device is greater than a preset value, the landing device decelerates and descends, releasing the fixed-wing UAV and returning to base. When a fixed-wing UAV lands, if the landing device and the fixed-wing UAV are moving at the same speed and the distance between them is less than a preset value, the clamping mechanism is opened, and the fixed-wing UAV decelerates and lands on the landing net.
[0075] Example:
[0076] In this embodiment, the take-off and landing method and take-off and landing device proposed in this invention are applied to a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle. The following will describe this embodiment in detail with reference to the above-mentioned drawings.
[0077] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the fuselage body 1 is connected to four struts 7 via connectors 4, and a landing net 8 is fixedly connected to the ends of the struts. Six rotor arms 2 are fixedly connected to the fuselage body 1, and the other end of each rotor arm is fixedly connected to a tilting assembly 5. A rotor assembly 6 is fixedly connected above the tilting assembly 5, and the two together form the platform's power assembly, providing flight power to the platform. The control assembly is located above the fuselage body 1 and is used to power the platform, collect position and speed information of the platform and the fixed-wing UAV, and control the platform's flight. Support legs 3 are fixedly connected to the four corners of the bottom of the fuselage body, supporting the entire system to stand stably on the ground.
[0078] like Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the fixed-wing UAV 10 is connected to the middle of the landing net 8 via a clamping mechanism 9 before takeoff or after landing. The clamping mechanism is a small mechanical claw controlled by a servo motor, which is detachably and fixedly connected to the underside of the fixed-wing UAV 10 and can be removed when the fixed-wing UAV is not in use. The mechanical claw has two states: open and closed. It is normally in the closed state. When the fixed-wing UAV 10 detaches from the landing net 8 for takeoff or grabs the landing net 8 for landing, the servo motor is controlled to open the mechanical claw.
[0079] Through the above design, the platform can fly at high speed independently, or it can carry the fixed-wing UAV 10 for vertical take-off and landing and acceleration / deceleration. The fixed-wing UAV 10 can take off or land on the take-off and landing net 8 by controlling the opening and closing of the clamping mechanism. The entire process does not require the use of a runway and landing gear, making the deployment of the fixed-wing UAV 10 more convenient, reducing its weight, and improving its efficiency.
[0080] Specifically, the connector 4 is fixed inside the fuselage body 1 and extends outward, making the landing net 8 rectangular in shape. This support method is relatively stable, and the strut 7 is less likely to collide with the power mechanism. In some embodiments, the strut and connector can be located anywhere on the fuselage body, can be connected to a sufficiently long rotor arm, or can use other arrangements such as a surrounding arrangement. The strut length, angle, and landing net area can be modified according to the actual size of the fixed-wing UAV.
[0081] Optionally, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the fixed-wing UAV 10 and the take-off and landing net 8 are connected and disconnected by a clamping mechanism 9, and the connection method is mechanical gripping. In some embodiments, the connection and disconnection between the fixed-wing UAV and the take-off and landing net can be achieved by magnetic attraction, hooks, or other methods, and are not limited thereto.
[0082] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the take-off and landing method includes:
[0083] Step S1: Provide the platform device described in this invention, and install the clamping mechanism 9 on the fixed-wing UAV 10;
[0084] Step S2: The fixed-wing UAV 10 is clamped onto the take-off and landing net 8, and the combined structure takes off vertically;
[0085] Step S3: The combined vehicle accelerates into flight and starts the engines of the fixed-wing UAV in preparation for takeoff;
[0086] Step S4: The clamping mechanism opens, the take-off and landing net 8 separates from the fixed-wing UAV 10, and the platform device returns to base and waits;
[0087] Step S5: When the fixed-wing UAV completes its mission and is ready to land, the platform device takes off and heads there;
[0088] Step S6: The fixed-wing UAV shuts off its power and decelerates, the clamping mechanism opens, and it lands on the take-off and landing net 8;
[0089] Step S7: The clamping mechanism closes, the combined vehicle decelerates and lands to return to base or proceeds to the next takeoff point to wait, and the flight mission is completed.
[0090] In this implementation scheme, for step S3, the combined vehicle can accelerate to fly only after reaching a preset altitude, and when it reaches a speed less than 10 times the takeoff speed of the fixed-wing UAV, the engine of the fixed-wing UAV is turned on to prepare for takeoff.
[0091] In this implementation scheme, for step S4, when the clamping device opens and the distance between the take-off and landing net 8 and the fixed-wing UAV 10 reaches a preset value, the platform device decelerates and lands, completely detaches from the fixed-wing UAV, and then returns to base.
[0092] In this implementation scheme, for step S5, after the platform device moves to the vicinity of the fixed-wing UAV 10, it adjusts its own speed and position relative to the fixed-wing UAV 10 according to the collected speed and position information. When the two reach the same speed and the distance between them is less than a preset value, the platform device controls the fixed-wing UAV to shut down its engine and open the clamping device, so that the relative displacement and contact impact generated when the fixed-wing UAV 10 contacts the take-off and landing net 8 are small and it is not easy to cause damage.
Claims
1. An aerial take-off and landing device for supporting fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles, characterized in that, This includes the fuselage, control components, power components, and takeoff and landing components; The fuselage body is square, with a support leg installed at each of the four corners to enable it to land stably and vertically on the ground; a take-off and landing assembly is installed on the top of the fuselage body, including a strut and a take-off and landing net; the mesh size of the take-off and landing net is smaller than the opening width of the fixed-wing UAV clamping mechanism, allowing the clamping mechanism to easily pass through the mesh and clamp onto the take-off and landing net; Above each of the four corners of the fuselage body, a support rod is fixed. The other end of the support rod is detachably connected to a square landing net. The support rods are divided into two groups, left and right, with two rods in each group, and are symmetrically and detachably connected to the fuselage body. A rotor arm extends from the front left, rear left, center left, front right, rear right, and center right of the fuselage body. One end of the rotor arm is fixedly connected to the fuselage body, and the other end is fixedly connected to the power unit. The power unit consists of a tilting assembly and a rotor assembly that are fixedly connected. The rotor assembly is driven by a DC motor and rotates at high speed to generate thrust or pull. The tilting assembly changes the direction of the force generated by the rotor assembly by rotating. The four sets of power components on the left front, right front, left side, and right side are installed facing upwards to provide pull; the remaining two sets of power components are installed facing downwards to provide thrust. This reduces the risk of rotor tilting and rotor arm collision, increases the tilting angle of the power components, and enables the four rotors to generate greater forward pull, allowing the take-off and landing device to obtain greater forward flight speed. When the four tilting components (left front, left rear, right front, and right rear) move synchronously, the total power generates a forward or backward component, which is symmetrical left and right and equal in length and width. At this time, when all four power components generate forward / backward power, the fuselage is subjected to forward / backward pull, enabling the overall take-off and landing device to drive the fixed-wing UAV to fly forward / backward. At the same time, it increases the power output of all power components to compensate for the upward power loss caused by the change in power direction. During forward and backward flight, the left and right power components maintain a vertical attitude without tilting, generating upward power to provide sufficient lift for the fixed-wing UAV to take off. When the power units on the left and right rotor arms move synchronously, the fuselage is subjected to symmetrical leftward or rightward thrust components, enabling left-right flight. At this time, when the two power units tilt to the left / right synchronously, the thrust provided by the two sets of rotor components will generate a leftward / rightward component, enabling the take-off and landing device to drive the fixed-wing UAV to fly left / right, while increasing the power output of all power units to compensate for the lift loss caused by the change in power direction. During left-right flight, the four power units—left front, left rear, right front, and right rear—maintain a vertical attitude without tilting, generating upward lift. Based on the above flight principles, the main body of the fuselage can move horizontally forward, backward, left, and right in the air without generating pitch, roll, or yaw moments. The take-off and landing net remains horizontal, ensuring the stable parking of the fixed-wing UAV.
2. The aerial take-off and landing device for supporting fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The control components are fixed on the main body of the fuselage and include a battery and power supply module, a flight control module and a navigation module. They are used to collect the position and speed information of the fixed-wing UAV and the take-off and landing device, and to control the power components to complete the flight mission.
3. The aerial take-off and landing device for supporting fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the tilting assembly is a servo motor and its servo arm. The servo motor is fixedly connected to the rotor arm below, and the servo arm is fixedly connected to the rotor assembly. The servo motor drives the servo arm to rotate along a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotor arm, thereby changing the orientation of the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly consists of two parts: a DC motor and blades. The blades are driven by the DC motor to rotate at high speed and generate the power required for flight. When the tilt assembly does not move, the power generated by all rotor assemblies is directed upwards. When the total power is greater than the weight of the device, the device can take off vertically. When the total power is less than the weight of the device, the device can land vertically.
4. The aerial take-off and landing device for supporting fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism of the fixed-wing UAV can be replaced with landing gear and its retraction assembly, or the clamping mechanism can be replaced with a remotely controllable opening and closing mechanism.
5. A method for take-off and landing of a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on the aerial take-off and landing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific steps are as follows: Before the fixed-wing UAV takes off, the clamping mechanism below passes through the mesh of the take-off and landing net and rests on the main body of the air take-off and landing device; the power unit keeps the tilting component inactive, and all the rotor components start up at the same time to generate lift, and the air take-off and landing device takes off with the fixed-wing UAV. Once the set takeoff altitude is reached, the four tilting components on the left front, left rear, right front, and right rear tilt, generating a forward power component, and the air takeoff and landing device accelerates forward; when the air takeoff and landing device reaches the preset takeoff speed and remains stable, the control clamping mechanism disengages, and the fixed-wing UAV is launched. When the distance between the fixed-wing UAV and the air take-off and landing device is greater than the preset value, the four tilting components of the left front, left rear, right front and right rear tilt in opposite directions, generating a backward force component, and the air take-off and landing device moves backward. When the air takeoff and landing device approaches the designated landing site, all tilt components reset, all rotor components reduce power output, and the air takeoff and landing device lands vertically. When the fixed-wing UAV completes its mission and prepares to land, the airborne landing device takes off again and heads to the location of the fixed-wing UAV to rendezvous with it; by tilting left and right to adjust its course, the airborne landing device is finally positioned directly in front of the fixed-wing UAV and flies at the same speed as the fixed-wing UAV. During takeoff, when the main fuselage tilts due to disturbance, the rotor assembly rotates differentially, generating a torque to counteract the disturbance and thus restore the flight attitude to level. When the distance between the two is less than the preset value, the clamping mechanism opens to clamp the fixed-wing UAV onto the take-off and landing net. At the same time, the rotor assembly is controlled to rotate differentially to adjust the center of gravity. After the fixed-wing UAV decelerates and lands on the take-off and landing net, the aerial take-off and landing device and the fixed-wing UAV decelerate together to return to their home base or head to the next mission location. After reaching the landing area, it lands vertically for the fixed-wing UAV to be recovered and reused.
6. The aerial takeoff and landing method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, During takeoff, when the fuselage tilts due to disturbance, the rotor assembly rotates differentially, generating a torque to counteract the disturbance, specifically: When the main body of the fuselage tilts to the right, the three rotor components on the left front, left rear and left side are controlled to decelerate, while the three rotor components on the right front, right rear and right side are controlled to accelerate, so as to maintain a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated on the left side is less than that on the right side, causing the main body of the fuselage to generate a counterclockwise rolling torque, which cancels out the tilt. When the main body of the fuselage tilts to the left, the three rotor components on the right front, right rear and right sides are controlled to decelerate, while the three rotor components on the left front, left rear and left sides are controlled to accelerate, so as to maintain a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated on the right side is less than that on the left side, causing the main body of the fuselage to generate a clockwise rolling torque, which cancels out the tilt. When the main fuselage tilts forward, the left and right rotor assemblies remain stationary, the left front and right front rotor assemblies accelerate their rotation, and the left rear and right rear rotor assemblies decelerate their rotation to maintain a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated in front is greater than that in rear, causing the main fuselage to generate a pitching moment that cancels out the tilting. When the main body of the fuselage tilts backward, the left and right rotor assemblies remain stationary, the left rear and right rear rotor assemblies accelerate their rotation, and the left front and right front rotor assemblies decelerate their rotation to maintain a constant total lift. At this time, the lift generated at the rear is greater than that at the front, causing the main body of the fuselage to generate a nose-down moment, which cancels out the tilting.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Take-off and landing method of floating type air mobile airport platform carrying fixed-wing aircraft
CN113716048A