Tilt-Rotor Convertible Aircraft for Hover and High-Speed Flight
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a convertible aircraft that exceeds the limitations of conventional aircraft in terms of stability and aerodynamic drag, particularly for sports competitions and personal air mobility, while maintaining maneuverability and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A convertible aircraft design featuring a fuselage with cantilevered half-wings, canard-type aerodynamic surfaces, and rotors that can switch between hovering and forward flight configurations, utilizing electric power and control systems to optimize lift and thrust for enhanced stability and reduced drag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If helicopters use rotating main rotor blades to generate lift, then they can hover and land without horizontal speed, but their maximum operational speed cannot exceed 150 knots and maximum operational altitude is around 20000 feet
Solution Approach 1:
The convertiplane employs dynamic reconfiguration of its rotor system. The rotors can rotate about a first axis for hovering flight and tilt to rotate about a second axis for forward flight. This dynamic adjustment of rotor orientation allows the aircraft to transition between helicopter-like hovering capability and aeroplane-like high-speed forward flight, resolving the contradiction between ease of hovering operation and maximum speed capability
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor system serves multiple functions: it generates vertical lift for hovering, provides forward thrust for high-speed flight, and maintains stability in both configurations. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate systems for hovering and high-speed flight, allowing the aircraft to achieve both capabilities within a single unified design
2Speed
If aeroplanes use fixed wings to generate lift at high cruising speeds, then they achieve high cruising speeds and high altitudes, but they require long runways for takeoff and landing
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft uses dynamic rotor tilting to transition between flight modes. For takeoff and landing, the rotors tilt to a vertical orientation, generating vertical lift that enables operation from short or no runways. For high-speed cruising, the rotors tilt to a horizontal orientation, generating forward thrust while the fixed wings provide lift. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the aircraft to achieve both high cruising speed and easy takeoff/landing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The lift generation is segmented between two systems: the rotor system for vertical lift during takeoff and landing, and the fixed wings for lift during high-speed forward flight. This segmentation allows each system to operate in its optimal regime, with the rotor providing hover and low-speed lift capability while the wings provide efficient high-speed lift
3Adaptability or versatility
If convertiplanes use rotors that are inclinable with respect to the wing, then they can transition between helicopter and aeroplane configurations, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor inclination mechanism is merged with the wing structure itself. The rotors are mounted on the wings and incline with respect to them, combining the functions of the rotor support structure and the inclination mechanism into a single integrated assembly. This reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining the ability to transition between configurations
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
The design achieves high stability and reduced aerodynamic drag, improving sporting performance and safety in both hovering and forward flight modes.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of rotors (20a, 20b; 21a, 21b; 22a, 22b) arranged on the aircraft and rotatable around respective fixed axes with respect to the aircraft
Implementation Method 2
a pair of half-wings (3) extending cantilevered from respective mutually opposite sidewalls (19) of the fuselage (2) and having respective free ends (15) opposite the fuselage (2)
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft comprising a fuselage with a nose and a tail arranged on opposite parts to each other along a first longitudinal axis is described; a pair of half-wings arranged on respective mutually opposite sides of the fuselage; a first and a second rotor carried by respective half-wings, respectively rotatable around a second and third axis inclinable with respect to said fuselage, and independently operable from each other; the aircraft is switchable between a first hovering flight or take-off/landing configuration wherein the fourth and fifth axis are arranged orthogonal to said first axis; and a second forward flight configuration wherein the fourth and fifth axis are arranged parallel or inclined with respect to said first axis; the aircraft further comprising a tail portion comprising a first aerodynamic surface, and a third and a fourth rotor rotatable around a fixed fourth and a fifth axis; and support means of the third and fourth rotor connected to a corresponding said half-wing and to a corresponding said fin.