Rotary Wing Aircraft with Tiltable Center Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned aircraft designs that combine helicopter and fixed wing capabilities face performance tradeoffs, such as complex mechanical systems, reduced hover efficiency, and significant altitude loss during mode transitions, due to uneven weight distribution and high disk loading.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft design featuring a plurality of wings with movable flaps and a center section that rotates relative to the fuselage, allowing the wings to pivot and adjust airflow direction during mode transitions, enabling efficient hover and high-speed flight with reduced mechanical complexity and weight distribution issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If stop rotor nose sitter configuration is used, then hover efficiency is improved, but mechanical complexity increases and weight distribution becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional nose-sitter configuration by placing the rotor at the tail (tail-sitter configuration). This reversal allows the aircraft to take off and land vertically like a helicopter while maintaining a more conventional fuselage orientation during forward flight, reducing mechanical complexity and improving weight distribution without sacrificing hover efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a tiltable rotor system that can dynamically adjust its orientation between vertical (for hover/VTOL) and horizontal (for forward flight) positions. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the aircraft to optimize performance for each flight mode while maintaining manageable mechanical complexity through controlled movement rather than fixed complex mechanisms.
2Speed
If tilt rotor configuration is used, then speed and range are improved, but hover efficiency decreases due to higher disk loading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a tiltable rotor system that dynamically adjusts between vertical orientation for hover (maximizing hover efficiency) and horizontal orientation for forward flight (maximizing speed and range). This dynamic reconfiguration eliminates the trade-off by optimizing rotor orientation for each flight phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the rotor's orientation parameter from fixed to variable, allowing the rotor to tilt between vertical and horizontal positions. This parameter change enables the aircraft to achieve both high hover efficiency and high forward flight speed by optimizing the rotor angle for each flight mode.
3Speed
If compound helicopter design is used, then high speed capability is improved, but weight increases and hover performance deteriorates due to download penalty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the rotor system multi-functional by enabling it to perform both hover functions (when vertical) and forward flight propulsion functions (when horizontal). This eliminates the need for separate helicopter and fixed-wing systems, reducing overall aircraft weight while maintaining both hover efficiency and high-speed capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a tiltable rotor system that dynamically reconfigures between hover and forward flight modes, allowing a single rotor system to replace what would traditionally require separate helicopter and fixed-wing systems. This dynamic reconfiguration reduces weight by eliminating redundant systems while maintaining both hover and high-speed performance.
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 allows for seamless transitions between helicopter and fixed wing modes with improved payload capacity, vertical takeoff and landing capability, efficient hover, high speed, and long range, reducing performance losses and mechanical complexity.
Implementation Method 1
rotating the one of a plurality of wings such that a leading edge of the wing faces into the new direction of relative airflow
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for transitioning an aircraft between helicopter and fixed wing flight modes are provided. In one embodiment, an aircraft comprises a plurality of wings each having a spar and a flap; a flap actuator configured to move the flap with respect to the spar; and a center section rotatably coupled to each spar. The center section includes at least one spar actuator configured to rotate at least one of the wings about a rotational axis of the spar when the aircraft transitions between helicopter and fixed wing flight modes.