Autonomous payload deployment aircraft

An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft has an airframe including first and second wings with first and second pylons coupled therebetween. A distributed thrust array is coupled to the airframe incl...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors Wittmaak, Jr., John Robert, Edler, Joshua Allan, Terry, Eric Christopher, Leachman, Joseph Daniel
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 03.05.2022
Subjects
AEROPLANES
AIRCRAFT
ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
AVIATION
CONTROLLING
COSMONAUTICS
EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT
FLYING SUITS
HELICOPTERS
PARACHUTES
PERFORMING OPERATIONS
PHYSICS
REGULATING
SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
TRANSPORTING
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Summary:An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft has an airframe including first and second wings with first and second pylons coupled therebetween. A distributed thrust array is coupled to the airframe including a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first wing and a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second wing. A cargo pod is coupled between the first and second pylons. The cargo pod is rotatable between a loading configuration, substantially perpendicular to the wings and a transportation and deployment configuration, substantially parallel to the wings. A flight control system is configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies and to autonomously deploy a payload from the cargo pod at a desired location.
Bibliography:Application Number: US202017089048