High performance 'X'-configuration airplane for storage and launch from a tubular container

An air vehicle can be folded into or unfolded from a compact tubular storage container without assembly or disassembly of the air vehicle. The air vehicle includes a fuselage, two aerodynamic surfaces rotatably mounted on the fuselage along a common axis with at least one pivot mechanism, and at lea...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author FOCH RICHARD J
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 21.05.2013
Subjects
AEROPLANES
AIRCRAFT
AVIATION
COSMONAUTICS
HELICOPTERS
PERFORMING OPERATIONS
TRANSPORTING
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Summary:An air vehicle can be folded into or unfolded from a compact tubular storage container without assembly or disassembly of the air vehicle. The air vehicle includes a fuselage, two aerodynamic surfaces rotatably mounted on the fuselage along a common axis with at least one pivot mechanism, and at least one spring mechanism configured to deploy the aerodynamic surfaces so they extend outwardly from the body. In a stowed configuration, both aerodynamic surfaces are parallel to the fuselage for stowage of the aircraft in a container. Each aerodynamic surface has a winglet located at an outer edge of the tail portion of the aerodynamic surface, and a rudder on each winglet. The aircraft does not require a vertical stabilizer or rudder system on the fuselage. An outer backward-swept wing portion can be unfolded from the outer edge of each aerodynamic surface to increase the wing aspect ratio.
Bibliography:Application Number: US20100859639