Unmanned Rotorcraft With Dual Cargo Doors for Oversized Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manned rotorcraft face limitations in cargo capacity and access due to the need for a human pilot and cockpit, which restricts the ability to carry oversized cargo and requires complex door configurations that hinder flight operations.
Innovation Solution
An unmanned rotorcraft design featuring dual cargo doors that can be opened or lowered to form ramps, allowing for a fully open cargo bay and enabling balanced carrying of oversized cargo without human pilots, combined with various power systems including mechanical, electrical, and hybrid configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a cockpit and human pilot are included in the rotorcraft, then the aircraft can be operated with human control, but the cargo capacity is reduced and access to oversized cargo is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the cockpit and human pilot from the rotorcraft system, eliminating the space and structural constraints they impose on cargo capacity. This allows the cargo bay to extend to the forward end of the airframe, enabling oversized cargo transport without the limitations of traditional manned configurations.
2Ease of operation
If complex door configurations are used to accommodate both cockpit and cargo, then human operation is enabled, but flight operations are hindered and loading/unloading efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the rotorcraft into distinct functional zones: a cockpitless forward section optimized for cargo access and a rear cargo bay. The door configuration is simplified to a single rear cargo door that can be opened or lowered to form a ramp, eliminating the need for complex multi-door arrangements required in manned aircraft.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear cargo door is designed to be dynamically configurable, capable of being opened horizontally or lowered to form a loading ramp. This dynamic flexibility enables efficient loading and unloading of various cargo types while maintaining structural integrity during flight, without the complexity of multiple fixed door configurations.
3Volume of moving object
If the cargo bay is restricted by cockpit space, then human pilots can operate the aircraft, but oversized cargo cannot be carried
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the cockpit from the forward end of the airframe, the invention extends the cargo bay volume to occupy the entire interior space from the rear to the forward end. This maximized volume enables the transport of oversized cargo that would not fit in traditional configurations where the cockpit occupies significant forward space.
Data Source
AI summary
There is disclosed in one example an unmanned vertical lift aircraft, comprising: an airframe; a drive system configured for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL); a power plant to power the drive system; and an internal cargo bay comprising a fore aperture and an aft aperture, the fore and aft apertures having dimensions substantially conforming to a cross section of the internal cargo bay, and the internal cargo bay comprising a substantially linear and open volume between the fore and aft apertures.