Tail Sitter Wing Configuration for VTOL Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tail sitters face geometrical and operational constraints due to their vertical take-off and landing position, limiting their performance and making them less efficient compared to traditional aircraft, with previous prototypes never leading to deployed aircraft and the design being complex and sensitive to wind gusts.
Innovation Solution
A tail sitter design featuring a closed front section wing with cantilever half-wings and engines positioned to control thrust and lift, allowing for efficient transitions between take-off, cruising, and landing positions without the need for complex tail fins or canards, using differential engine thrust and aileron control for maneuvering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the tail sitter uses traditional half-wing configuration, then the construction is simple, but the performance in cruising position is penalized and the aircraft is highly sensitive to wind gusts during take-off and landing
Solution Approach 1:
The wing is divided into two separate half-wings that can be independently configured. Each half-wing can be positioned to optimize performance for different flight phases - during take-off and landing they are configured to minimize wind exposure, while during cruising they provide adequate lift surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The half-wings are made movable relative to the fuselage, allowing them to be repositioned between different configurations. This dynamic adjustment enables the aircraft to optimize its wing configuration for each flight phase, reducing wind sensitivity during vertical operations while maintaining adequate performance during horizontal flight.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the tail sitter minimizes half-wing surface area to reduce wind sensitivity, then stability during take-off and landing improves, but cruising performance is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The half-wings are configured to be movable, allowing the aircraft to adjust wing surface area dynamically. During take-off and landing, the half-wings are positioned to minimize exposed surface area and reduce wind sensitivity. During cruising flight, the half-wings are repositioned to provide adequate lift surface for sustained horizontal flight at useful speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves the problem from a static two-dimensional wing surface area trade-off to a three-dimensional configuration problem. By allowing the half-wings to be repositioned in space, the aircraft can optimize the effective wing area for each flight phase without being constrained by a fixed geometric compromise.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the tail sitter uses complex thrust orientation systems like VTOL aircraft, then vertical take-off and landing capability is achieved, but the constructional complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of orienting the thrust vector vertically during take-off and landing as in conventional VTOL aircraft, this tail sitter inverts the approach by using horizontal thrust generation combined with aerodynamic forces. The engines produce horizontal thrust while the movable half-wings generate the necessary lift and control forces to achieve vertical take-off and landing, thereby avoiding complex thrust orientation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical thrust orientation system (rotating engine mounts, movable nacelles) with an aerodynamic solution using movable half-wings. The control of vertical flight is achieved through aerodynamic forces generated by the reconfigurable wings rather than direct mechanical orientation of the propulsion system, significantly reducing constructional complexity.
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
This design enhances the efficiency and stability of tail sitters during take-off and landing, reduces complexity and weight, and achieves cruising speeds comparable to conventional aircraft, overcoming previous limitations and making the tail sitter design more viable.
Implementation Method 1
the thrust of the motors counters the weight of the tail sitter in take-off/landing conditions and the aerodynamic resistance of the air in flight conditions
Implementation Method 2
the thrust of the motors counters the weight of the tail sitter in take-off/landing conditions and the aerodynamic resistance of the air in flight conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A tail sitter aircraft includes a wing with a closed front section and a fuselage, from which the wing extends. The wing includes a first portion projecting from the fuselage and a second portion spaced from the first portion. The aircraft includes first and second connecting section that are interposed between the first and second portions. The fuselage extends parallel to a first axis and the first and second portions extend parallel to a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. The first axis is arranged, in use, vertically in a take-off/landing position and inclined with respect to the vertical direction in a cruising position.