A large-wingspan, curled-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial delivery system

Abstract

This invention relates to an aerial deployment system for large-wingspan, folded-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising a UAV, a deployment vehicle, and a deployment control system. The UAV is mounted on the deployment vehicle with its wings folded. After being released from the deployment vehicle, the UAV automatically takes flight. The deployment vehicle carries the UAV with its folded wings to a designated deployment altitude. After the UAV reaches the designated deployment altitude, the deployment control system controls the UAV to unfold its folded wings and adjusts its attitude to stability before releasing the UAV from the deployment vehicle. This invention proposes a solution for efficiently storing large-wingspan, lightweight, low-wing-load UAVs by folding their wings and deploying them in the air using a vehicle. This overcomes the limitations of traditional ground-based takeoff and landing systems, which have high requirements for airspace, runways, and weather conditions, enabling rapid aerial deployment. It is adaptable to various vehicles such as airships, airborne vehicles, and rockets, and can achieve swarm deployment, greatly expanding the operational flexibility of large-wingspan, lightweight, low-wing-load UAVs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and relates to an aerial delivery system for a large-wingspan, curled-wing UAV. Background Technology

[0002] The main technical approach for designing ultra-long endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) currently involves a high aspect ratio aerodynamic layout combined with a lightweight, low wing loading structure to achieve a high lift-to-drag ratio. If solar power is used, the UAV can achieve sustained flight. However, this layout presents several challenges. First, the UAV's takeoff and landing are significantly affected by near-surface winds; ground gusts and crosswinds impact takeoff and landing safety, requiring waiting for a suitable launch window. Second, lightweight, low-wing loading, high aspect ratio UAVs have relatively low climb rates, typically taking several hours to climb to cruising altitude (generally above the troposphere), requiring high airspace clearance and impacting deployment efficiency. Third, large-wingspan UAVs place high demands on hangar and runway space, as well as on storage and transportation support. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem solved by this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and propose an aerial delivery system for large-wingspan, curled-wing UAVs, providing a feasible solution for the storage, transportation, distribution, and recycling of curled-wing UAVs, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of large-wingspan, lightweight, and low-wing-load UAVs.

[0004] The solution of the present invention is:

[0005] An aerial delivery system for a large-wingspan, curled-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes the UAV, a delivery vehicle, and a delivery control system.

[0006] The drone is mounted on the delivery vehicle with its wings curled up; after being released from the delivery vehicle, the drone takes off automatically.

[0007] The delivery vehicle carries the drone, with its wings curled, to the designated delivery altitude;

[0008] After the drone reaches the designated deployment altitude, the deployment control system controls the drone to unfold its curled wings and adjusts the drone's attitude to a stable state before releasing the drone from the deployment vehicle.

[0009] Preferably, the UAV includes wings, nose, fuselage, tail strut, V-tail, power strut, rear fuselage sling, and front fuselage sling;

[0010] The nose, fuselage, and tail strut are fixedly connected in sequence and arranged along the centerline of the wing. The V-tail is located at the tail of the tail strut. Power struts are symmetrically installed on the wings on both sides of the fuselage. The forward fuselage sling is fixedly connected to the fuselage, and the aft fuselage sling is fixedly connected to the tail strut. Holes are opened above the aft and forward fuselage slings for ropes to pass through.

[0011] The wing includes a spars, flexible ribs, and skin. The spars are the load-bearing components of the wing and are made of carbon fiber. They consist of two identical Ω-shaped pod-like segments and pins. The pins are used to fix the edges of the two pod-like segments together. When pressure is applied to the spars from above and below, the two Ω-shaped pod-like segments fit tightly together. A roller is used to curl the spars into a ball, achieving the curling and folding of the large-span wing. A series of ribs are connected at equal intervals along the span of the wing. The ribs are covered with flexible skin, forming the upper and lower surfaces of the wing. The ribs are made of carbon fiber and can be flattened together with the spars.

[0012] Once the restraints are released, the wings can deploy automatically.

[0013] Preferably, the nose adopts a streamlined design and is equipped with avionics equipment including navigation, flight control, flight management, payload system and aircraft condition monitoring equipment.

[0014] Preferably, the delivery control system includes a delivery controller and a rope restraint system;

[0015] The rope restraint system includes a wingtip restraint rope, a forward fuselage restraint rope, and a rear fuselage restraint rope; the wingtip restraint rope connects the wingtip to the launch rack, and a first rope cutter is installed on the rope; the forward fuselage restraint rope connects the forward fuselage shackle to the launch rack, and a second rope cutter is installed on the rope; the rear fuselage restraint rope connects the rear fuselage shackle to the launch rack, and a third rope cutter is installed on the rope.

[0016] Before the wings are deployed, the wingtip restraint ropes are taut and under tension, supporting the weight of the entire aircraft. A portion of the length of the forward fuselage restraint ropes and the aft fuselage restraint ropes are rolled up with the wings, while the remaining portion extends from the front of the wings and connects to the launch rack. At this time, the forward fuselage restraint ropes and the aft fuselage restraint ropes are slack and not under tension.

[0017] After the wing curling constraint is released, the wing unfolds vertically downwards under the action of the wingtip constraint rope. Once unfolded, the aircraft is in a vertical position under the action of the three constraint ropes, at which point all three constraint ropes are under tension.

[0018] The ground control station sends a rope-cutting command to the delivery controller through the UAV flight control system. The delivery controller sends a cutting command to the first cutter. The first rope cutter works, the wingtip restraint rope is disconnected, and the wing rolls around the fuselage axis under the action of gravity and the front and rear fuselage restraint ropes, and gradually swings to a horizontal state.

[0019] The onboard status monitoring equipment of the drone monitors the drone's pitch and roll status in real time and sends the data to the ground. After the drone's pitch and roll reach stability, the ground sends a cutting command to the second and third rope cutters. The front and rear fuselage restraint ropes are disconnected, and the drone changes from a downward dive to a level flight. At the same time, after the second and third rope cutters cut the ropes, the drone's propellers start at a set time interval, and the drone's pitch attitude gradually changes to a level flight state. After that, the drone's flight control system controls the drone to fly automatically.

[0020] Preferably, the initial pitch angle of the UAV can be adjusted by adjusting the lengths of the front fuselage restraint rope and the rear fuselage restraint rope.

[0021] Preferably, the delivery vehicle is, but is not limited to, a booster rocket, an airship, a manned aircraft, an unmanned aircraft, or a carrier aircraft; the delivery vehicle can carry one or more unmanned aircraft with their wings curled up at a time.

[0022] Preferably, when the airship is an airship, the delivery vehicle carries several drones with their wings curled up via a pod.

[0023] Preferably, when the aerostat is a balloon, the drone is mounted vertically with its nose facing upwards, and multiple drones are arranged in series from top to bottom, with the center of gravity of the balloon and each drone on the same center line.

[0024] The drone is connected to the corresponding launcher via a restraint rope that passes through the internal cavity of the drone's fuselage; after the lower drone has completed its launch, the upper drone continues to launch drones.

[0025] Preferably, when the delivery vehicle is a booster rocket, the booster rocket includes a rocket booster, a transition section, a fairing section, and a booster rocket delivery rack. Two UAVs with curled wings are integrated inside the fairing. The rocket booster and the transition section are connected by pyrotechnic explosive bolts. After reaching the set position, the pyrotechnics ignite, the rocket booster separates, and the transition section and fairing section fly under inertia. The outer skirt of the transition section can open outward to expand the frontal area and assist the remaining projectile in deceleration. After deceleration to a predetermined range, the deceleration parachute pack inside the transition section opens, deploying the deceleration parachute. The deceleration parachute opens backward, and the deceleration parachute-fairing assembly continues to decelerate. After reaching the safe deployment speed of the UAV, the pyrotechnics inside the fairing ignite, and the fairing separates into two halves, exposing the curled-wing UAV inside. The UAV completes the aerial delivery according to instructions.

[0026] Preferably, each drone is connected to the delivery vehicle via a delivery rack.

[0027] The advantages of this invention compared to the prior art are:

[0028] (1) This invention overcomes the shortcomings of traditional large-wingspan, low-speed UAVs that require high ground airspace support for ground take-off and landing. Specifically, in the past, large-wingspan, lightweight, low-dynamic UAVs typically had large wingspans (up to tens of meters), requiring high ground hangars, runways, storage, and transportation capacity. Furthermore, the UAVs were susceptible to unstable wind fields near the ground during take-off and landing, limiting the take-off and landing window. It usually took several hours for the UAVs to climb to an altitude of tens of kilometers after taking off from the ground. The present invention proposes a scheme that allows large-wingspan, lightweight, low-wing loading UAVs to be efficiently stored by folding their wings and then deployed in the air using a vehicle. This overcomes the shortcomings of traditional ground take-off and landing methods that require high airspace, runway, and weather conditions, and enables rapid air deployment.

[0029] (2) The aerial delivery scheme proposed in this invention is adaptable to various vehicles such as airships, airborne vehicles, and rockets, and can achieve cluster delivery, greatly expanding the flexibility of use of large-wingspan, lightweight, low-wing loading UAVs. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a curled-wing unmanned aerial vehicle and its aerial delivery system;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the system configuration for a curled-wing UAV in its curled-out state.

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the connection of constraint ropes for a curled-wing UAV in its curled-wing state.

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a UAV with curled wings in mid-air deployment.

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the aircraft's state before detachment from the carrier after the wings of the curled-wing UAV have been deployed and flattened in mid-air.

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating the use of an airship as an aerial carrier to carry and deploy a large number of curled-wing drones.

[0036] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the use of high-altitude balloons to simultaneously carry and launch multiple curled-wing drones into the air.

[0037] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a rocket-borne unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system carrying a curled-wing drone.

[0038] Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing the deceleration plate opening during rocket booster separation;

[0039] Figure 10 A diagram illustrating the deployment of a rocket's deceleration parachute;

[0040] Figure 11This is a schematic diagram of fairing jettisoning in a rocket launch system. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, an aerial delivery system for a large-wingspan, curled-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a UAV 1-1, a delivery vehicle 1-2, and a delivery control system 1-3. The UAV, with its wings curled, is carried by the delivery vehicle to a designated delivery altitude. Under the action of the delivery control system, which is controlled by a series of restraint ropes and rope-cutting procedures, the curled wings unfold, and the UAV's attitude is adjusted to stability. Finally, under ground control commands, the UAV releases its restraints from the vehicle, nose-downwards, and transitions to level flight.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the UAV includes wings 2-1, a nose 2-2, a fuselage 2-3, a tail 2-4, and a V-tail 2-5. The wing spars are flattenable, curlable pod-shaped spars, combined with flexible, bendable ribs and skin, allowing the wings to curl into a ball under external force and automatically deploy under elastic restoring force after release. The nose 2-2, fuselage 2-3, and tail strut 2-4 are sequentially fixed along the wing's central axis. The V-tail 2-5 is located at the tail of the tail strut 2-4. Power struts 2-6 are symmetrically mounted on both sides of the fuselage 2-3. The forward fuselage loop 2-8 and the rear fuselage loop 2-7 are fixedly connected to the fuselage and tail strut respectively, with openings at the top for ropes to pass through. The nose has a streamlined design and houses avionics equipment including navigation, flight control, mission control, payload systems, and aircraft status monitoring equipment. The wing comprises a spars, flexible ribs, and a skin. The spars, the load-bearing components of the wing, are made of carbon fiber and consist of two identical Ω-shaped pod-like segments connected by pins at their edges, forming a thin-walled pod-shaped spars structure. Under pressure, the Ω-shaped pods can change from an Ω shape to a planar shape, and upon release of the external force, they can return to an Ω shape under elastic restoring force. When pressure is applied to the spars from above and below, the two Ω-shaped pod segments fit tightly together, allowing the spars to be rolled into a ball using rollers, enabling the large-span wing to be rolled up and stowed. A series of ribs, also made of carbon fiber and flexible, are connected at equal intervals along the wing span of the spars and can be flattened along with the spars. Flexible skins cover the ribs, forming the upper and lower surfaces of the wing. The wing rolls up under external force and automatically unfolds upon release of restraint.

[0044] The drone adopts a modular design with detachable components. Under the wings, the fuselage and power struts (2-6) are secured to the wings with pre-installed struts, and then curl up together with the wings. After curling, the fuselage and power struts are connected through the joints of the pre-installed struts, realizing the overall assembly of the aircraft.

[0045] The V-shaped tail fin features a folding propeller design. When the drone is in a curled-up state, the propeller folds backward on the power strut. After the motor starts, the propeller blades automatically open under the action of centrifugal force.

[0046] The aforementioned delivery vehicle refers to a platform that can quickly carry a curled-up UAV from the ground to the air. Because the UAV adopts a curled-up wing design, its storage volume is small after curling. It can be delivered in various ways, such as using high-altitude balloons or airships, rocket boosters, or manned / UAV carriers. The delivery vehicle can carry one or more curled-up UAVs at a time, and after reaching the predetermined delivery altitude, the speed of the delivery vehicle can be controlled in an appropriate manner to keep the dynamic pressure within a set range and meet the mechanical environment requirements for UAV wing deployment.

[0047] like Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a UAV with its wings unfolded. During unfolding, the nose section 2-2, tail support 2-4, and left and right power struts 2-6 are removed. The wing spars can be flattened under pressure and then rolled into a ball under the action of auxiliary rollers, similar to "rolling a pancake." During the rolling process, restraint ropes are connected to two hanging rings on the fuselage at the front and rear of the wing. These two restraint ropes are of roughly equal length and are rolled together with the wing, ensuring that the ends of the ropes extend simultaneously from the front of the wing after rolling. Figure 3 Finally, a restraint rope is added to the wingtip, forming the simplest three-restraint-rope deployment scheme. Each of the three restraint ropes is connected to a rope cutter, and the automatic deployment and leveling of the wing is achieved through step-by-step operation.

[0048] The deployment control system consists of a rope restraint system and a controller to ensure the orderly deployment of the UAV wings and adjust the UAV's attitude to a critical position for rope cutting and deployment. It comprises UAV sling points, restraint ropes, a deployment rack, a rope cutter, and a controller. Sling points are located on the wingtip and fuselage of the UAV, connected to the deployment rack by restraint ropes. The deployment rack is fixed to the carrier. When the wings begin to deploy, the UAV wings unfold vertically downwards under the restraint of the wingtip ropes. Once the wings are fully deployed, the wingtip restraint ropes disengage, and under the action of the fuselage restraint ropes, the UAV wings level out of their vertical position. Under control commands, the cutter simultaneously cuts the restraint ropes, and the UAV changes from a dive to a level flight, completing the deployment.

[0049] like Figure 3As shown, the rope restraint system uses three restraint ropes and three rope cutters. The specific process of the UAV's wing deployment, attitude adjustment, and detachment from the delivery vehicle is as follows: Wingtip restraint rope 3-1 connects the wingtip to the delivery rack, and a first rope cutter 3-2 is installed on this rope. Forward fuselage restraint rope 3-3 connects the forward fuselage loop 2-8 to the delivery rack 3-7, and a second rope cutter 3-6 is installed on this rope. Rear fuselage restraint rope 3-4 connects the rear fuselage loop 2-7 to the delivery rack 3-7, and a third rope cutter 3-5 is installed on this rope. Before the wing deploys, the vertical restraint rope 3-1 is taut, while the forward fuselage restraint rope 3-3 and the rear fuselage restraint rope 3-4 are slack as the wing curls. After curling, the rear fuselage restraint rope extends from the leading edge of the wing, ensuring that the forward and rear fuselage restraint ropes do not interfere with the wing during deployment. After the wing roll is released from restraint, the wing unfolds vertically downwards under the action of the vertical restraint rope. Once fully unfolded, the aircraft is in a vertical position under the action of the three restraint ropes. Figure 4 All three restraint ropes were under tension. Subsequently, under the control command of the controller, the rope cutter at the wingtip restraint rope operated, the wingtip restraint rope broke, and the wing, under the action of gravity and the restraint ropes of the fore and aft fuselage, rolled around the fuselage axis and gradually swung to a horizontal state. Figure 5 The onboard equipment monitors the aircraft's pitch and roll status. When the conditions for deployment are met, the propellers start under ground control commands, and the rope cutters at the front and rear fuselage activate simultaneously. The UAV disconnects from the carrier, drops in altitude, and resumes level flight.

[0050] The pitch angle at the critical point of drone deployment can be set by adjusting the length of the restraint ropes at the front and rear of the drone. The rope cutter is used to cut the rope and release the restraints at both ends of the rope. It operates under the command of the drone control system and can take different forms, such as electromagnetic or mechanical, depending on the working mode.

[0051] The above three-point deployment scheme allows for adjustment of the initial deployment pitch angle of the drone by adjusting the lengths of the pre-set constraint ropes (3-3 and 3-4) at the front and rear of the fuselage. During deployment, the rope cutters at the front and rear fuselage must exhibit excellent consistency and synchronization in response to ensure that the drone can begin its dive and level maneuver from the set initial position after detachment.

[0052] Airships with large carrying capacity, such as the 6-1 airship, are used as air carriers to carry out the deployment of folding-wing UAVs. The folding-wing UAVs have a small storage size, and the pod 6-2 can integrate and carry a large number of folding-wing UAVs 6-3. The carrier can stay in the air for a long time and achieve regional mobility. As needed, it can achieve wide-area UAV swarm deployment or achieve long-term regional loitering without resupply.

[0053] The drone in its curled-wing configuration boasts a high storage ratio, ensuring its compatibility with various types of delivery vehicles. Multiple drones can be carried at once as needed. The delivery process is illustrated by an example of a high-altitude balloon simultaneously carrying multiple curled-wing drones for aerial deployment. The drones are mounted vertically with their noses facing upwards. For example, two curled-wing drones are mounted in series (e.g.,...). Figure 7 To ensure the stability of the deployment system, the centers of gravity of balloon 7-1, the upper curled-wing drone 7-2, and the lower curled-wing drone 7-3 should be aligned along the same center line. The two drones are deployed sequentially, with the lower drone deployed first. Then, the rope cutter 7-8 on the restraint rope 7-9 between the two drones engages, disengaging the other auxiliary mechanisms 7-5 of the lower drone and ensuring that the deployment of the upper drone is unaffected.

[0054] Each UAV attitude control and deployment step is controlled by four restraint ropes and their corresponding rope cutters: body restraint rope 7-7 and body restraint rope cutter 7-6, wingtip restraint rope 3-1 and wingtip restraint rope cutter 3-2, forward fuselage restraint rope 3-3 and forward fuselage restraint rope cutter 3-6, and rear fuselage restraint rope 3-4 and rear fuselage restraint rope cutter 3-5. The body restraint rope connects the UAV body to the deployment rack. Before deployment, only this restraint rope is under tension, while the other three restraint ropes are untensioned and in a slack state, ensuring the UAV is in a vertically mounted state with its nose facing upwards.

[0055] At the start of deployment, the cylinder restraint rope cutter 7-6 activates, the cylinder restraint rope 7-7 breaks, and the wingtip restraint rope 3-1, being shorter, is stressed first, causing the nose to flip and become horizontal. Figure 3 This ensures that the drone's wings are able to deploy vertically downwards. Subsequently, under the action of the wingtip, front and rear fuselage restraint ropes and the rope cutter on them, the drone can achieve wing deployment, attitude leveling, and unhooking separation.

[0056] Using a high-altitude balloon as the delivery vehicle, the model and inflation volume of the high-altitude balloon can be selected according to the overall weight of the drone carrying the curled-wing drone and the delivery height of the drone. After the curled-wing drone is delivered, the high-altitude balloon continues to rise until it bursts.

[0057] Besides low-speed aerostats such as balloons and airships, folding-wing UAVs can also be rapidly deployed via high-speed vehicles such as rockets and airborne aircraft. The following explanation uses a rocket-deployed deployment scheme as an example. Figure 8This diagram illustrates the simultaneous launch of two folding-wing UAVs 8-3 and 8-5 using a rocket. The system comprises a rocket booster 8-1, a transition section 8-2 containing a deceleration plate and a deceleration parachute pack, and a fairing 8-6 containing the two folding-wing UAVs and their associated launch mechanisms. 8-4 is the rocket launcher for UAV 8-3. Upon reaching the predetermined location and altitude according to pre-set commands, the rocket reaches a relatively high speed. The explosive bolts connecting the rocket booster 8-1 and the remaining rocket components (transition section and fairing) ignite, causing the booster to separate. The transition section 8-2 and the fairing assembly 8-6 continue to move without power due to inertia. Figure 9 Due to gravity and air resistance, the combined vehicle begins to descend after reaching its highest point in the trajectory. To ensure rapid deceleration, the outwardly expanding skirt 9-1 covering the transition section opens, increasing the system's frontal area and air resistance to aid in deceleration. Once the set deployment conditions are met, the parachute packs within the transition section deploy, the deceleration chute opens rearward, and the deceleration chute 10-1 and the fairing as a whole ( Figure 10 The system decelerates rapidly, and the air resistance and gravity acting on the drag chute and fairing assembly are roughly equal, causing the assembly to fall at a stable speed. Once the system reaches the speed range within which the UAV can be deployed in the air, the fairing separates into two halves, revealing two curled-wing UAVs encased inside. The UAV deployment process is then the same as described above, completing aerial attitude adjustments according to the set program. The restraint ropes and rope cutters work in multiple steps to complete the UAV deployment. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of fairing jettisoning in a rocket launch system.

[0058] In a deployment scheme where a manned or unmanned aircraft carries a drone carrier with a folding wing on its wings or belly, a single aircraft can carry multiple carriers. After the carrier is jettisoned by the aircraft, it is slowed down by a drag chute, ignited by pyrotechnics, and its protective shield is jettisoned, exposing the drone. Under the control of the deployment system, the wings unfold, the attitude is adjusted, the restraint ropes disengage, and the drone levels off after a dive, completing the deployment. Another deployment scheme uses a manned / unmanned aircraft carrying the carrier. The carrier can be unpowered or rocket-assisted. In the unpowered scheme, after separation from the carrier, the carrier is slowed down to the set deployment conditions by a drag chute. The carrier's protective shield then separates, exposing the drone, which deploys in mid-air according to a pre-programmed sequence. In the rocket-assisted deployment scheme, after the carrier jettisons the carrier, the carrier is propelled away from the carrier by a rocket, allowing for further adjustments to the deployment area and altitude. The rocket booster can carry the drone to altitudes inaccessible to the carrier for deployment. By employing rocket-boosted extended-range launch vehicles, the distance and altitude range of aerial deployment can be expanded.

[0059] To achieve rapid aerial deployment of large-wingspan, lightweight, low-wing-load unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), this invention employs a compressible and foldable wing structure design technology. This enables efficient folding and storage of large-wingspan UAVs, and allows for rapid deployment into the air using a delivery vehicle, reducing the requirements for site, weather, and support for large-wingspan, lightweight, low-wing-load UAVs. This invention relates to a system and method for rapidly taking off and reaching designated areas using various aerial vehicles such as balloons, airships, rockets, and carrier aircraft, enabling aerial deployment of these foldable-wing UAVs.

[0060] This invention relates to a drone whose wing spars can be flattened and then curled up, returning to a normal state under elastic restoring force after the constraints are released. Combined with a flexible leading edge, wing ribs, and skin design, this enables aerodynamic conformal and efficient storage of a large-span wing. For this type of drone, this invention proposes a multi-step method using constraint ropes and rope cutters to achieve wing deployment, attitude adjustment, and leveling off from a dive, completing the aerial deployment. The deployment method proposed in this invention has a wide range of applications, applicable to low-speed aerostats such as balloons and airships, as well as high-speed aerostats such as rockets and airborne vehicles, and can carry one or more curled-wing drones at a time. Depending on the needs, this invention can modify heavy-duty aerial platforms such as airships into aerial motherships for deploying large numbers of curled-wing drones, enabling wide-area, continuous, and swarm rapid aerial deployment of large-span, lightweight, low-wing-load drones.

[0061] The parts of this invention not described in detail are common knowledge to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A large wingspan cranked wing unmanned aerial vehicle air drop system characterized by, The unmanned aerial vehicle, the delivery carrier and the delivery control system are provided; The unmanned aerial vehicle is hung on the delivery carrier in the wing-curling state; after being released from the delivery carrier, the unmanned aerial vehicle automatically flies; The delivery carrier carries the unmanned aerial vehicle in the wing-curling state to a specified delivery height; The delivery control system controls the unmanned aerial vehicle to realize the wing expansion in the curling state and adjusts the unmanned aerial vehicle attitude to be stable after the unmanned aerial vehicle reaches the specified delivery height, and then releases the unmanned aerial vehicle from the delivery carrier; The delivery control system comprises a delivery controller and a rope restraint system; the rope restraint system comprises a wing tip restraint rope (3-1), a front fuselage restraint rope (3-3) and a rear fuselage restraint rope (3-4); the wing tip restraint rope (3-1) is connected to the delivery rack (3-7) from the wing tip, and a first rope cutter (3-2) is arranged on the rope; the front fuselage restraint rope (3-3) is connected to the delivery rack from the front fuselage hanging ring (2-8), and a second rope cutter (3-6) is arranged on the rope; the rear fuselage restraint rope (3-4) is connected to the delivery rack from the rear fuselage hanging ring (2-7), and a third rope cutter (3-5) is arranged on the rope; before the wing expansion, the wing tip restraint rope (3-1) is in a taut force state and supports the weight of the whole aircraft; a part of the front fuselage restraint rope (3-3) and the rear fuselage restraint rope (3-4) is curled together with the wing, and the remaining part is stretched out from the front of the wing and connected to the delivery rack, at this time, the front fuselage restraint rope (3-3) and the rear fuselage restraint rope (3-4) are in a relaxed state without force; after the wing curling restraint is released, the wing (2-1) is expanded vertically downward under the action of the wing tip restraint rope, and after being expanded to the position, the aircraft is in a vertical state under the action of the three restraint ropes, at this time, the three restraint ropes are in a force state; the ground control station sends a rope cutting instruction to the delivery controller through the unmanned aerial vehicle flight control system, the delivery controller sends a cutting instruction to the first cutter, the first rope cutter (3-2) works, the wing tip restraint rope is disconnected, the wing rolls around the fuselage axis under the action of the gravity and the front and rear fuselage restraint ropes, and gradually swings to a horizontal state; the unmanned aerial vehicle on-board state monitoring device monitors the pitch and roll states of the unmanned aerial vehicle in real time and sends them to the ground, and the ground sends cutting instructions to the second and third rope cutters after the pitch and roll states of the unmanned aerial vehicle reach stability, the front and rear fuselage restraint ropes (3-3) and (3-4) are disconnected, the unmanned aerial vehicle dives downward and then levels, and after the second and third rope cutters cut the ropes, the unmanned aerial vehicle propeller starts at a set time interval, the pitch attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle gradually levels, and the unmanned aerial vehicle changes to a level flight state, and then the unmanned aerial vehicle automatically flies under the control of the unmanned aerial vehicle flight control.

2. A large wingspan cranked-wing UAV air launch system according to claim 1, wherein, The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a wing (2-1), a nose (2-2), a fuselage (2-3), a tail strut (2-4), a V-tail (2-5), a power strut (2-6), a rear fuselage hanging ring (2-7) and a front fuselage hanging ring (2-8). The nose (2-2), fuselage (2-3) and tail support rod (2-4) are sequentially fixedly connected and arranged along the central axis of the wing, and the V-shaped tail wing (2-5) is located at the tail of the tail support rod (2-4), and the power support rod (2-6) is symmetrically installed on the wings on both sides of the fuselage (2-3); the front fuselage lifting ring (2-8) is fixedly connected with the fuselage, and the rear fuselage lifting ring (2-7) is fixedly connected with the tail support rod, and the rear fuselage lifting ring (2-7) and the front fuselage lifting ring (2-8) are provided with holes above them for the rope to pass through; The wing (2-1) comprises a spar, a bendable rib and a skin, wherein the spar is a wing load-bearing member, is made of carbon fiber material and comprises two identical Ω-shaped pod petals and a pin, the pin being used for fixedly connecting edges of the two pod petals; after the spar as a whole is subjected to pressure from above and below, the two Ω-shaped pod petals are tightly attached to each other, the spar is rolled into a roll by a roller, and the wing with a large wing span is rolled and stored; a series of ribs are connected to the spar at equal intervals along the wing span, and a flexible skin is coated on the ribs to form upper and lower surfaces of the wing; the ribs are made of carbon fiber material, and the ribs and the skin can be flattened together with the spar; After the constraint is released, the wing can be automatically unfolded.

3. A large wingspan cranked-wing UAV air launch system according to claim 2, wherein, The nose (2-2) has a streamlined design, and the interior is provided with avionics including navigation, flight control, remote control, load system and aircraft state monitoring equipment.

4. A large wingspan cranked-wing UAV air launch system according to claim 1, wherein, The initial pitch angle of the unmanned aerial vehicle is adjusted by adjusting the lengths of the front fuselage constraint rope (3-3) and the rear fuselage constraint rope (3-4).

5. A large wingspan cranked-wing UAV air launch system according to claim 1, wherein, The launching carrier is realized by, but is not limited to, a boost rocket, a float, a manned aircraft, an unmanned aerial vehicle and a carrier aircraft, and one or more wings in a rolled state of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be carried by the launching carrier at a time.

6. A large wingspan cranked-wing UAV air launch system according to claim 5, wherein, When the float is a dirigible, the launching carrier carries a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in a rolled state through a sling.

7. A large wingspan cranked-wing UAV air launch system according to claim 5, wherein, When the float is a balloon, the unmanned aerial vehicle is vertically hung with the nose upward, and a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles are arranged in a top-to-bottom series, and the centers of gravity of the balloon and the unmanned aerial vehicles are on the same center line. The unmanned aerial vehicle is connected to the corresponding launching rack through the constraint rope in the inner cavity of the fuselage, and the upper unmanned aerial vehicle is launched after the lower unmanned aerial vehicle is launched.

8. A large wingspan cranked-wing UAV air launch system according to claim 5, wherein, When the launching carrier is a boost rocket, the boost rocket comprises a rocket booster (8-1), a transition section (8-2), a fairing section (8-6) and a boost rocket launching rack (8-4), and two unmanned aerial vehicles in a rolled state are integrated in the fairing; the rocket booster and the transition section are connected by an explosive bolt, the explosive is ignited after reaching the set position, the rocket booster is separated, and the transition section and the fairing section fly under the action of inertia; the outer cover of the transition section can be opened outward to expand the windward area, assist the remaining body to slow down, and open the parachute pack in the transition section to pop out the parachute after slowing down to a predetermined range, the parachute opens backward, the parachute-fairing combination continues to slow down, the fairing inside the fairing ignites after reaching the safe unfolding speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the fairing pops out and separates into two parts, exposing the rolled wing unmanned aerial vehicle inside, and the unmanned aerial vehicle completes the aerial launching according to the instruction.

9. A large wingspan cranked-wing UAV air launch system according to claim 5, wherein, Each unmanned aerial vehicle is connected to the launching carrier through a launching rack.

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