Multi-rotor single-person aircraft and vertical take-off and landing control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-rotor single aircraft and a vertical take-off and landing control method thereof, relates to the technical field of aircrafts, and has the advantages of multi-rotor vertical take-off and landing and fixed-wing efficient level flight. Comprising a fuselage frame, a main wing, a main power unit, a full-motion front canard, a front power unit, a servo actuating mechanism and a directional rear empennage. According to the invention, the full-motion front canard is driven to rotate through the servo actuating mechanism, so that the conversion of the aircraft between a vertical take-off and landing mode and a level flight mode is ingeniously realized; during vertical take-off and landing, the servo mechanism drives the canard wings to upwards deflect to the maximum angle, so that the planes of propellers of the front power units on the canard wings are turned to be horizontal, the front power units and the main power units on the main wings jointly provide vertical lift force, and helicopter type in-situ take-off and landing are achieved; when the aircraft is converted into level flight, the servo mechanisms drive the canards to deflect downwards, change the thrust direction and provide pneumatic control torque, so that the aircraft body is stably transited into a horizontal posture from a vertical posture, and the dual advantages of a multi-rotor aircraft and a fixed-wing aircraft are organically combined.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft technology, and in particular to a multi-rotor single-person aircraft and its vertical take-off and landing control method. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of urban transportation, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft have become a focus of research and development due to their potential to alleviate traffic congestion and enable point-to-point flights. For special applications, they play an irreplaceable role in rapidly reaching incident sites in scenarios such as medical emergency response, police patrol, and fire and disaster relief. Furthermore, in logistics and distribution, VTOL aircraft can achieve rapid delivery of supplies over medium to long distances, improving supply chain efficiency. Currently, the core technological challenge lies in how to efficiently and safely integrate the hovering capabilities required for vertical takeoff and landing with the high-speed cruise performance required for horizontal flight.

[0003] Existing mainstream technologies have certain technical shortcomings in addressing this problem. Currently, the main technical paths to achieve vertical takeoff and landing include multi-rotor configurations and compound wing configurations. While multi-rotor configurations offer advantages such as simple structure, mature control, and stable hovering, they suffer from a fundamental flaw: extremely low level flight efficiency. During the cruise phase, all lift still relies on the rotor, resulting in a poor lift-to-drag ratio, short range, and enormous energy consumption, making it difficult to meet the basic endurance requirements for practical travel.

[0004] To improve efficiency, compound wing configurations combining fixed-wing and multi-rotor aircraft are widely used. This configuration adds a fixed main wing to the aircraft to provide lift during level flight, while a dedicated lift rotor system is used for vertical takeoff and landing. While this approach solves the cruise efficiency problem to some extent, it introduces new drawbacks. The dedicated lift rotor and its support structure become useless dead weight during the cruise phase, resulting in a significant waste of thrust and energy, which greatly limits the further development and application of vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

[0005] In other words, existing technologies still need improvement in order to help propel vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) technology to new heights. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and provides a multi-rotor single-person aircraft and its vertical take-off and landing control method, solving the existing defects mentioned in the background art.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] A multi-rotor single-person aircraft, comprising:

[0009] One fuselage frame;

[0010] One main wing, whose spars are fixedly connected to the fuselage frame at their roots, is used to provide the main lift during level flight.

[0011] At least one pair of active power units are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the main wing, and each active power unit includes a first motor and a first propeller directly driven by the first motor.

[0012] A fully movable canard is rotatably mounted in front of the fuselage nose via a pivot mechanism located at the nose of the fuselage frame, and its wing surface is either a symmetrical airfoil or an asymmetrical airfoil.

[0013] At least one pair of front power units are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the all-moving canard, and each front power unit includes a second motor and a second propeller directly driven by the second motor.

[0014] A servo actuation mechanism includes an electric servo cylinder, the base of which is hinged to the fuselage frame, and its power output end is hinged to one end of a transmission link, the other end of which is hinged to the all-moving canard; the servo actuation mechanism drives the all-moving canard to perform pitch yaw motion in the range of -35° to +90° around the axis of the rotating shaft mechanism;

[0015] as well as,

[0016] A rear-facing tail fin is rigidly connected to both sides of the rear end of the fuselage.

[0017] Furthermore, the outer trailing edge of the main wing is provided with an aileron for roll control, and the inner trailing edge is provided with a trailing edge flap for increasing lift during takeoff, landing and low-speed phases; the leading edge of the main wing is also provided with a leading edge flap for increasing stall angle of attack.

[0018] Furthermore, a single-seat cockpit is provided on the fuselage frame, and the single-seat cockpit is provided with an openable transparent canopy.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes a landing gear system comprising a nose landing gear located below the nose of the fuselage and a pair of rear landing gears located behind the center of gravity of the fuselage; both the nose and rear landing gears include wheels.

[0020] A vertical takeoff and landing control method for the multi-rotor single-person aircraft includes the following sequential steps:

[0021] Vertical takeoff preparation phase: First, control the servo actuator to drive the all-moving canard to deflect upward to the maximum angle, so that the rotation plane of the second propeller of the front power unit mounted on it is adjusted to an attitude that is basically parallel to the horizontal plane, providing the maximum lift vector for vertical takeoff;

[0022] During the fuselage attitude transition phase: While gradually increasing the power output of the main power unit and the front power unit, the rotation plane of the second propeller of the front power unit is controlled to remain parallel to the horizontal plane throughout the entire fuselage pitch angle transition from 0° to 90°. During this phase, the front power unit provides the main lift and actively controls the pitch attitude.

[0023] Vertical climb phase: After the fuselage reaches a vertical position, the aircraft achieves vertical lift-off and ascent under the vertical thrust generated by the main power unit and the front power unit.

[0024] Horizontal forward flight phase: After the aircraft ascends vertically to the preset safe altitude, the flight controller begins to control the servo actuator to drive the all-moving canard to deflect downwards. At the same time, by increasing the thrust of the main power unit and decreasing the thrust of the front power unit, the aircraft changes from a vertical state to a horizontal forward flight state.

[0025] Vertical landing preparation phase: When vertical landing is required, the flight controller reduces the forward speed and controls the servo actuator to drive the all-moving canard to deflect upward again, so that the rotation plane of the second propeller of the front power unit is restored to parallel with the horizontal plane, the aircraft enters the vertical landing mode, and the fuselage gradually changes from horizontal to vertical attitude.

[0026] Vertical descent and landing phase: The flight controller adjusts the power output of the main propulsion unit and the front power unit to make the aircraft descend gradually until the landing gear system touches the ground smoothly;

[0027] System return phase: After landing is completed, the flight controller controls the servo actuator to drive the all-moving canard to deflect downwards back to the initial state.

[0028] Furthermore, during the vertical takeoff preparation phase, the fuselage attitude transition phase, and the vertical landing preparation phase, the flight controller controls the output thrust of the forward power unit to be continuously greater than the output thrust of the main power unit to ensure the smoothness of the attitude transition process.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0030] This invention cleverly achieves the conversion between vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and level flight modes by driving the all-moving canard to rotate through a servo actuator. During VTOL, the servo mechanism drives the canard to deflect upward to its maximum angle, turning the propeller plane of its forward power unit to horizontal, which together with the main power unit on the main wing provides vertical lift, enabling helicopter-like takeoff and landing. When switching to level flight, the servo mechanism drives the canard to deflect downward, changing the thrust direction and providing aerodynamic control torque, allowing the fuselage to smoothly transition from vertical to horizontal attitude, organically combining the advantages of multi-rotor and fixed-wing aircraft. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and are used together with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention. They do not constitute a limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 This is an overall diagram of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft with the transparent canopy removed from the single-person cockpit;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a side view of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft. Figure 1 At this time, the all-moving canard is in a horizontal position;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a side view of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft. Figure 2 At this time, the all-moving canard is in a vertical position;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the takeoff state of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft. Figure 1 ;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a diagram of the takeoff state of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft. Figure 2 It is in the process of changing its fuselage attitude;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a diagram of the takeoff state of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft. Figure 3 The vertical ascent phase;

[0039] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating the gradual transition of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft into horizontal forward flight. Figure 1 ;

[0040] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating the gradual transition of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft into horizontal forward flight. Figure 2 ;

[0041] Figure 10This is a schematic diagram of the horizontal forward flight phase of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft;

[0042] Figure 11 This is a diagram of the preparation phase for a multi-rotor single-person aircraft to vertically land. Figure 1 ;

[0043] Figure 12 This is a diagram of the preparation phase for a multi-rotor single-person aircraft to vertically land. Figure 2 ;

[0044] Figure 13 This is a diagram of the preparation phase for a multi-rotor single-person aircraft to vertically land. Figure 3 ;

[0045] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the vertical landing phase of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft.

[0046] Figure 15 This is the landing phase of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft, at which point the rear landing gear touches the ground.

[0047] Figure 16 This is the landing phase of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft, at which point the front landing gear is about to touch down;

[0048] Figure 17 This is the complete landing phase of a multi-rotor single-person aircraft.

[0049] Figure 18 This is the system return phase for a multi-rotor single-person aircraft.

[0050] In the diagram: 1. Fuselage frame; 2. Main wing; 3. Main propulsion unit; 301. First motor; 302. First propeller; 4. All-moving canard; 5. Front power unit; 501. Second motor; 502. Second propeller; 6. Servo actuator; 601. Electric servo cylinder; 602. Transmission link; 7. Axial tail; 8. Aileron; 9. Trailing edge flap; 10. Leading edge flap; 11. Single-seat cockpit; 12. Transparent canopy; 13. Front landing gear; 14. Rear landing gear; 15. Wheels. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0052] like Figures 1 to 17 As shown, the present invention claims protection for a multi-rotor single-person aircraft that combines the advantages of multi-rotor vertical take-off and landing with the high-efficiency level flight of fixed-wing aircraft. The aircraft includes a fuselage frame 1, main wing 2, main propulsion unit 3, all-moving canard 4, front power unit 5, servo actuation mechanism 6, and directional tail 7, among other structures.

[0053] Specifically, the fuselage frame 1, as the main load-bearing structure of the entire aircraft, can be made of carbon fiber composite material or high-strength aluminum alloy. In the upper middle part of the fuselage frame 1, there is a single-person cockpit 11, which provides a seating space for the pilot. The single-person cockpit 11 is equipped with an openable transparent canopy 12, which facilitates the pilot's entry and exit, ensuring that the pilot has a good field of vision and providing necessary protection.

[0054] When the transparent canopy 12 is locked, a sealing ring is provided between it and the frame of the single-seat cockpit 11 to form a sealed space; to further ensure the safety of the pilot, the single-seat cockpit 11 is equipped with a four-point seat belt as standard to improve the pilot's safety.

[0055] The main wing 2 is rigidly connected to the middle of the fuselage frame 1 via the root of its internal spars. Ailerons 8 for roll control are located on the outer trailing edge of the main wing 2, while trailing edge flaps 9 for increasing lift during takeoff, landing, and low-speed phases are located on the inner trailing edge. Furthermore, leading edge flaps 10 for increasing the stall angle of attack are located on the leading edge of the main wing 2. These control surfaces work together to significantly improve the aircraft's maneuverability and stability during low-speed and takeoff / landing phases.

[0056] It also includes at least one pair of active propulsion units 3 symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the main wing 2. Each active propulsion unit 3 includes a first motor 301 and a first propeller 302 directly driven by the output shaft of the first motor 301. The first motor 301 can be a high-power brushless motor, and during level flight, this pair of active propulsion units 3 provides the main thrust for the aircraft's forward movement.

[0057] The all-moving canard 4 is rotatably mounted in front of the fuselage nose via a pivot mechanism located at the nose of the fuselage frame 1. The pivot mechanism can be a shaft, which is rotatably connected to the fuselage frame 1 via bearings. The all-moving canard 4 is connected to both ends of the shaft. The canard's airfoil can be a symmetrical or asymmetrical airfoil. The asymmetrical airfoil can be a positive camber airfoil, a negative camber airfoil, or an S-shaped camber airfoil, depending on the actual requirements, and is not limited here.

[0058] It also includes at least one pair of front power units 5, symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the all-moving canard 4. Each front power unit 5 includes a second motor 501 and a second propeller 502 directly driven by the second motor 501. The second motor 501 may have the same or similar specifications as the first motor 301.

[0059] The servo actuator 6 drives the all-moving canard 4, along with its forward power unit 5, to perform pitch and yaw movements around the axis of the rotating shaft mechanism, with a yaw range of -35° to +90°. In this embodiment, the servo actuator 6 includes an electric servo cylinder 601. The base of the electric servo cylinder 601 is hinged to the fuselage frame 1 via a hinge point, and its power output end is hinged to one end of a transmission link 602. The other end of the transmission link 602 is then hinged to another hinge point on the load-bearing structure of the all-moving canard 4. The extension and retraction movement of the electric servo cylinder 601 is converted into the rotational movement of the all-moving canard 4 via the transmission link 602, thereby achieving angle control.

[0060] The aircraft is equipped with a flight control system, which integrates a flight control computer, an inertial measurement unit, a GPS receiver, and a barometer. The flight control computer is electrically connected via cables or a bus to the electric servo cylinder 601, the first motor 301, the second motor 501, the actuators of the aileron 8, the trailing edge flap 9, and the leading edge flap 10 of the servo actuator mechanism 6. The pilot inputs control commands via the joystick and foot pedal controllers in the cockpit. These commands are processed by the flight control computer, which then outputs control signals to the respective actuators, thereby achieving precise control of the flight attitude. This flight control system is a mature existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0061] The rear tail section 7 is rigidly connected to both sides of the rear end of the fuselage, and its main function is to provide directional stability for the aircraft.

[0062] In addition, the aircraft includes a landing gear system to support the aircraft and complete the takeoff and landing processes. The landing gear system includes a nose landing gear 13 located below the nose of the fuselage and a pair of rear landing gears 14 located behind the center of gravity of the fuselage. Both the nose landing gear 13 and the rear landing gear 14 include wheels 15, which can also be equipped with braking functions to adapt to deceleration during ground taxiing and after landing.

[0063] This invention provides a vertical takeoff and landing control method for the aforementioned multi-rotor single-person aircraft, the method comprising the following sequential steps:

[0064] like Figure 4 As shown, during the vertical takeoff preparation phase: After the aircraft undergoes a power-on self-test, the pilot issues a vertical takeoff command. The flight controller first controls the servo actuator 6 to actuate, driving the all-moving canard 4 to deflect upwards to its maximum angle. This adjusts the rotation plane of the second propeller 502 of the forward power unit 5 mounted on it to an attitude substantially parallel to the horizontal plane, providing the maximum upward lift vector for vertical takeoff. At this time, the rotation plane of the propeller of the main power unit 3 on the main wing 2 remains parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0065] like Figure 5as well as Figure 6 As shown, during the fuselage attitude transition phase: while gradually increasing the power output of the main propulsion unit 3 and the forward propulsion unit 5, the servo actuator 6 is controlled to ensure that the rotation plane of the second propeller 502 of the forward propulsion unit 5 remains parallel to the horizontal plane throughout the entire fuselage pitch angle transition from 0° to 90°. During this process, the forward propulsion unit 5, located at the front and with a constant thrust plane, provides the main lift and actively controls the pitch attitude, generating a pitching moment to smoothly lift the fuselage. To ensure the smoothness and controllability of the attitude transition process, the flight controller maintains that the output thrust of the forward propulsion unit 5 is continuously greater than the output thrust of the main propulsion unit 3 during this phase to generate the required net pitching moment.

[0066] like Figure 7 As shown, the vertical climb phase: After the fuselage reaches a vertical state, the aircraft overcomes gravity and lifts off the ground vertically under the vertical thrust generated by the main propulsion unit 3 and the front power unit 5.

[0067] like Figures 8 to 10 As shown, during the horizontal forward flight phase: After the aircraft ascends vertically to the preset safe altitude, it begins to adjust its flight mode. The servo actuator 6 drives the all-moving canard 4 downwards, while simultaneously increasing the thrust of the main propulsion unit 3 and correspondingly decreasing the thrust of the front propulsion unit 5. During the downward deflection, the all-moving canard 4 begins to generate aerodynamic forces, producing a nose-down moment, causing the aircraft to gradually transition from a vertical to a horizontal forward flight state. Once the transition is complete, the all-moving canard 4 functions as a normal forward control surface. The front propulsion unit 5 can reduce power or idle to conserve energy, with lift primarily provided by the main wing 2 and forward thrust provided by the main propulsion unit 3.

[0068] like Figures 11 to 14 As shown, during the vertical landing preparation phase: When a vertical landing is required, the forward speed is first reduced, and then the servo actuator 6 is controlled to drive the all-moving canard 4 to deflect upwards again, so that the rotation plane of the second propeller 502 of the front power unit 5 returns to parallel with the horizontal plane. At the same time, the thrust of the front power unit 5 is increased, making it greater than the thrust of the main power unit 3 again, generating a pitching moment. The aircraft then enters the vertical landing mode, and the fuselage gradually changes from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude.

[0069] like Figures 15 to 17 As shown, during the vertical descent and landing phase: after the fuselage is stabilized in a vertical state, the power output of the four power units is coordinated to make the total thrust slightly less than the gravity, and the aircraft begins to descend smoothly and gradually, maintaining attitude stability until the landing gear system touches the ground smoothly.

[0070] like Figure 18As shown, during the system return phase: after landing, the control servo actuator 6 drives the all-moving canard 4 to deflect downwards back to the initial state, and all power units shut down, completing the entire flight process.

[0071] This invention cleverly achieves the conversion between vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and level flight modes by driving the all-moving canard 4 to rotate through the servo actuator 6. During VTOL, the servo actuator drives the canard to deflect upward to its maximum angle, causing the propeller plane of the forward power unit 5 on it to turn horizontal, which together with the main power unit 3 on the main wing 2 provides vertical lift, enabling helicopter-like takeoff and landing. When switching to level flight, the servo actuator drives the canard to deflect downward, changing the thrust direction and providing aerodynamic control torque, so that the fuselage smoothly transitions from vertical to horizontal attitude, organically combining the advantages of multi-rotor and fixed-wing aircraft.

[0072] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. However, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-copter single person aircraft characterized by, Comprise: A fuselage frame (1); A main wing (2) with its spar root fixedly connected to the fuselage frame (1) for providing main lift during level flight; At least one pair of main power units (3) symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the main wing (2), each of which comprises a first motor (301) and a first propeller (302) directly driven by the first motor (301); A full-motion front canard (4) rotatably arranged in front of the fuselage head through a rotating shaft mechanism arranged at the head of the fuselage frame (1), the wing surface of which is a symmetrical airfoil or an asymmetrical airfoil; At least one pair of front power units (5) symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the full-motion front canard (4), each of which comprises a second motor (501) and a second propeller (502) directly driven by the second motor (501); A servo actuator mechanism (6) for driving the full-motion front canard (4) to perform a pitch deflection motion in the range of -35° to +90° around the axis of the rotating shaft mechanism; And, A directional tail (7) rigidly connected to the two sides of the tail end of the fuselage.

2. The multicopter single person aircraft of claim 1, wherein, The servo actuator mechanism (6) comprises an electric servo cylinder (601) whose base is hinged to the fuselage frame (1), and whose power output end is hinged to one end of a transmission connecting rod (602), and the other end of the transmission connecting rod (602) is hinged to the full-motion front canard (4).

3. The multicopter single person aircraft of claim 2, wherein, The outboard section of the trailing edge of the main wing (2) is provided with a roll control aileron (8), and the inboard section of the trailing edge is provided with a trailing edge flap (9) for increasing lift during take-off and low-speed stage; the leading edge of the main wing (2) is also provided with a leading edge flap (10) for improving the stall angle of attack.

4. The multicopter single person aircraft of claim 3, wherein, A single-seat cockpit (11) is arranged on the fuselage frame (1), and the single-seat cockpit (11) is provided with an openable transparent canopy (12).

5. The multicopter single person aircraft of claim 4, wherein, It also comprises a landing gear system, which comprises a front landing gear (13) arranged below the head of the fuselage and a pair of rear landing gears (14) arranged behind the center of gravity of the fuselage; the front landing gear (13) and the rear landing gear (14) each comprise a wheel (15).

6. A method for VTOL control of a multi-copter single person aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein, Comprise the following sequential steps: Vertical take-off preparation stage: first control the servo actuator mechanism (6) to act, drive the full-motion front canard (4) to deflect upward to the maximum angle, so that the second propeller (502) of the front power unit (5) installed thereon adjusts the rotation plane to a posture substantially parallel to the horizontal plane, providing maximum lift vector for vertical take-off; Fuselage posture conversion stage: while gradually increasing the power output of the main power unit (3) and the front power unit (5), control the second propeller (502) of the front power unit (5) to keep the rotation plane parallel to the horizontal plane during the transition of the entire fuselage pitch angle from 0° to 90°, the front power unit (5) provides main lift and actively controls the pitch attitude; Vertical climbing stage: when the fuselage reaches the vertical state, the aircraft realizes vertical take-off and ascends under the vertical thrust generated by the main power unit (3) and the front power unit (5) together; Horizontal forward flight stage: after the aircraft vertically ascends to the preset safe height, the flight controller starts to control the servo actuator (6) to drive the all-moving front canard (4) to deflect downward, and at the same time, the thrust of the main power unit (3) is increased and the thrust of the front power unit (5) is reduced, so that the aircraft is converted from the vertical state to the horizontal forward flight state; Vertical landing preparation stage: when vertical landing is needed, the flight controller reduces the forward flight speed and controls the servo actuator (6) to drive the all-moving front canard (4) to deflect upward again, so that the rotation plane of the second propeller (502) of the front power unit (5) restores to be parallel to the horizontal plane, the aircraft enters the vertical landing mode, and the fuselage gradually converts from the horizontal to the vertical attitude; Vertical descending and landing stage: the flight controller adjusts the power output of the main power unit (3) and the front power unit (5), so that the aircraft gradually descends until the landing gear system stably touches the ground; System homing stage: after landing is completed, the flight controller controls the servo actuator (6) to drive the all-moving front canard (4) to deflect downward to the initial state.

7. The method of VTOL control of a multi-copter single person aircraft of claim 6, wherein, In the vertical take-off preparation stage, the fuselage attitude conversion stage and the vertical landing preparation stage, the flight controller controls the output thrust of the front power unit (5) to be greater than the output thrust of the main power unit (3), so as to ensure the stability of the attitude conversion process.

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