VTOL Aircraft Wing Layout for Smooth Flight Mode Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing VTOL aircraft designs face challenges in achieving a smooth and efficient transition between vertical take-off/landing and horizontal flight modes, which is energy-intensive and demands high hardware and software complexity, posing risks of dangerous tilting and altitude loss.
Innovation Solution
A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft design with a fuselage, a first fixed wing, and a second tiltably attached wing, equipped with tilting and fixed propulsion units, utilizing electric motors and adjustable propeller blades, to optimize power consumption and stabilize the aircraft during transitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a main wing is tilted during transition from vertical to horizontal flight, then the propulsion units can redirect thrust for forward movement, but the tilting mechanism experiences huge mechanical strain and potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft separates the tilting function from the main wing by introducing a smaller auxiliary wing with tilting propulsion units. This segmentation allows the main wing to remain fixed and structurally sound while only the smaller auxiliary wing and its propulsion units undergo tilting, reducing mechanical strain on critical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The tilting function is extracted from the main wing and assigned to a separate auxiliary wing assembly. This extraction isolates the mechanical stress of tilting to a smaller, dedicated structure rather than the load-bearing main wing, improving overall system reliability during transition.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the main wing is tilted to enable horizontal flight, then forward movement is achieved, but the transition requires significant energy and is not smooth
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the aircraft into a fixed main wing and a tilting auxiliary wing assembly, the transition process is divided into manageable stages. The auxiliary wing can tilt independently while the main wing maintains stable lift generation, enabling a more energy-efficient and controlled transition compared to tilting the entire main wing structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a tilting mechanism is implemented on the main wing, then flight mode transition is enabled, but the hardware and software complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex tilting mechanism is extracted from the main wing and placed on a smaller auxiliary wing. This reduction in scale simplifies the mechanical design, reduces the number of components, and lowers both hardware and software complexity while still achieving the required flight mode transition capability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the main wing carries a major part of the aircraft weight, then structural stability is maintained, but huge forces act on the hinges during tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft structure is segmented into a fixed main wing that carries the majority of the weight and provides stable lift, and a separate auxiliary wing assembly that handles tilting. This segmentation ensures the main wing's hinges experience minimal tilting forces while the auxiliary wing's smaller structure manages the tilting forces independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The tilting function and associated hinge forces are extracted from the main wing structure and assigned to the auxiliary wing. This extraction protects the main wing's critical hinge points from huge forces while maintaining the main wing's weight-bearing capability.
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 ensures stable aircraft operation during critical flight phases, reducing energy consumption, weight, and mechanical strain, enhancing safety and efficiency, and improving aerodynamics for better ecological and economic performance.
Implementation Method 1
use propulsion units, such as propellers, tilting propellers or jet lifts, for powering the flight
Implementation Method 2
a fuselage, at least one wing, and use propulsion units
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention provides a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft having a fuselage (1) ending with a tail (11) and a first wing (2) fixedly attached to the fuselage (1), wherein the first wing (2) is provided with at least two tilting propulsion units (21), wherein the aircraft is further provided with a second wing (3) tiltably attached to the fuselage (1) and located between the first wing (2) and the tail (11), wherein the second wing (3) is provided with at least two propulsion units (31) fixedly attached to the second wing (3). This construction is superior over known VTOL aircraft in terms of aerodynamic properties, smoothness of transition between flight modes, lower energy consumption and reliability.