Free-Rotating Wing S/VTOL Aircraft for Stable Flight Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transitional aircraft face aerodynamic instability during the transition from vertical to horizontal flight due to coupled wings and rotors, leading to potential oscillations and unsafe landings, especially at low airspeeds, which hinders commercial acceptance and regulatory approval.
Innovation Solution
Aircraft design featuring freely rotating wings decoupled from the fuselage and thrust sources, with multiple thrust-producing rotors and independent wing rotation, ensuring stability through differential and vector thrust control, allowing for stable flight across all regimes from hover to horizontal flight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wings are coupled with rotors and fuselage in transitional aircraft, then the aircraft can achieve vertical take-off and horizontal flight capability, but aerodynamic instability occurs during transition leading to oscillations and potential crashes
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft is divided into functionally independent segments: the rotor system for vertical flight and the wing system for horizontal flight. The wings are mounted on a rotating hub that is decoupled from the fuselage, allowing the rotor assembly to tilt independently without directly coupling aerodynamic forces to the fuselage structure. This segmentation isolates the instability sources in each flight regime.
Solution Approach 2:
A rotating hub acts as an intermediary between the rotor system and the wing-fuselage assembly. This hub allows the rotor tilt mechanism to change orientation while the wings remain aerodynamically coupled to the fuselage through a stable mounting structure. The hub absorbs and isolates the dynamic interactions that would otherwise couple rotor and wing aerodynamics directly.
2Reliability
If electronic stabilization and auto pilot control are used to overcome lack of stability, then some stability can be achieved, but inherent aerodynamic instability remains causing resistance to acceptance and difficulty in regulatory approval
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft achieves self-stability through its aerodynamic design rather than relying on electronic systems. The decoupled wing-rotor configuration creates inherent aerodynamic stability where the wing lift and rotor thrust act independently, allowing the aircraft to naturally resist oscillations without requiring complex electronic stabilization or autopilot intervention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If rotor tilting mechanism is coupled with wings, then transition from vertical to horizontal flight is enabled, but forces acting on wings are transferred to fuselage causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft separates the force transmission paths: the rotor tilt mechanism is segmented from the wing-fuselage structure. The rotating hub isolates the tilting rotors from the wings, which remain aerodynamically coupled to the fuselage. This segmentation prevents force coupling between the rotor system and wing system during transition.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating hub serves as an intermediary that allows rotor tilt while preventing direct force transfer between rotors and wings. The hub absorbs the dynamic forces generated by rotor tilting and prevents their transmission to the aerodynamically stable wing-fuselage assembly, maintaining stability throughout the transition.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Achieves stable flight at any airspeed, enabling safe transitions and controlled emergency landings, enhancing commercial viability and regulatory compliance by maintaining aerodynamic stability throughout all flight phases.
Implementation Method 1
wings that are coupled with rotors and fuselage... increases lift and drag on the wing
Implementation Method 2
Through a combination of gliding on wings and autorotation of the rotors, the design also makes possible safe, unpowered, emergency landings
Data Source
AI summary
An improved aircraft design to harness advantages of vertical or short-takeoff and landings (V/STOL) and efficient horizontal flight is disclosed. The aircraft design includes multiple thrust sources and wings which are free to rotate on a spanwise axis, and have their center of gravity aft of the axis of rotation. Wing rotation is decoupled from both the fuselage and the thrust sources. Wings are coupled to each other such that rotation induced in one wing affects rotation in all wings. Thrust sources are directed vertically during hover and some degree forward of vertical for horizontal flight. The disclosed configuration improves aircraft flight stability and efficiency in all flight profiles: vertical flight, transition to/from horizontal flight, and horizontal flight. The aircraft has the possibility of a controlled emergency landing using autorotation of the propellers, wings or a combination of the two.