Piasecki Aircraft Corporation

Other

Plasecki Aircraft Corporation

John W Piasecki

Frederick W Piasecki

Douglas R Johnson

Brian R Geiger

David Pitcairn

Fredericak W Piasecki

Joseph Kejha

George L Firpi

Robert L Lewis

An aircraft, such as a rotary-wing aircraft, may be selectably fitted with power modules that may be installed in or removed from corresponding openings in the aircraft fuselage. The power modules may be interchangeable with other power modules, The power modules may utilize different technologies or thermodynamic cycles to generate power, including electrical batteries, fuel cells, a turbine powered generator, a reciprocating engine-powered generator, a turbine engine, a reciprocating engine, or other electrical or mechanical sources of power. The power modules may transfer electrical or mechanical power to the aircraft to maintain the aircraft in flight or to provide propulsion to the aircraft. An aircraft control system may detect the installed power modules and adjust inceptors and displays to correspond to the installed power modules.

Aircraft power module and ground handling system, method and apparatus

The Invention is a self-rescue system for an aircraft. The aircraft may be a flight module, a mission module, or a combined flight module and mission module of a modular and morphable air vehicle, or may be any other aircraft. The self-rescue system is modular and interchangeable and provides selectable capability to protect the flight module, the mission module, and any crew or cargo of the mission module in the event that the flight module or mission module suffers mishap or system failure during flight.

Aircraft self-rescue system

A plurality of landing gear are rotatable between a flight position and a landing position under the control of a control system on a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The plurality of landing gear may be separately and selectably rotatable to accommodate uneven or sloping terrain. The landing gear may include flight control surfaces and the degree of deployment of the landing gear controls the flight control surfaces. The flight control surfaces may include separately controllable elements. The aircraft may be a flight module of a modular and morphable air vehicle.

Landing gear

An automated control system for an aircraft having redundant control effectors is configured to select among multiple combinations of redundant control effector settings to achieve a selected flight condition. The control system is configured to optimize the selected control effector settings for the selected flight condition and is configured to accommodate damage or system failure.

Control system for an aircraft

A ducted fan for an aircraft or other vehicle includes aerodynamic features to selectably move the thrust vector of the ducted fan from the axis of rotation of the ducted fan, providing additional and redundant control authority to a control system. The control system may apply the aerodynamic features asymmetrically about the circumference of the duct and may apply the aerodynamic features differentially among a plurality of ducted fans. The aerodynamic features may include a morphing leading edge portion, an air dam, vanes and trailing edge control surfaces.

Ducted fan having aerodynamic features

A personal air vehicle may feature an air module that may be attached to a ground module. The air module may be equipped with exit vanes or vectored engine exhaust to provide redundant control effectors to the cyclic or collective pitch of at least one rotary wing under the control of a control system.

Modular and morphable air vehicle

An air module may be attached to a ground module. The air module may be equipped with a center of gravity effector to change the relative locations and hence the center of gravity of the air and ground modules when the modules are attached. The center of gravity effector may be active or passive or a combination of active and passive. The center of gravity effector may be combined with a center of lift effector to change the relative locations of the center of gravity and center of lift.

An unmanned air module includes one or more rotors, engines, a transmission and avionics. Any of several different ground modules may be attached to the air module. The air module may fly with and without the ground module attached. The ground module may be manned. The air module may have two rotors, which may be ducted fans. The air module may include a parachute, an airbag and landing gear.

An unmanned air module includes one or more rotors, engines, a transmission and avionics. Any of several different ground modules may be attached to the air module. The air module may fly with and without the ground module attached. The ground module may be a vehicle ground module and may be manned. The vehicle ground module may transport the attached air module across the ground. The air module may have two rotors, which may be ducted fans.

An unmanned air module includes one or more rotors, engines, a transmission and avionics. Any of several different ground modules may be attached to the air module. The air module may fly with and without the ground module attached. The ground module may be a vehicle ground module and may be manned. The vehicle ground module may transport the attached air module across the ground. The air module may have two rotors, which may be ducted fans, and three different configurations: a tandem rotor configuration, a side-by-side configuration, and a tilted-rotor configuration.

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Bryn Mawr, PA, United States of America

John W Piasecki