Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Bell Textron Inc.

Sung Kyun Kim

Robert Earl Worsham, Ii

Luke Dafydd Gillett

Christopher Michael Bothwell

John Richard Mccullough

Jillian Samantha Alfred

Andrew Thomas Carter

Matthew John Hill

Robert L Fortenbaugh

Christopher Mike Bothwell

Morganne Cody Klein

Carlos Alexander Fenny

Jouyoung Jason Choi

Kip Gregory Campbell

Brandon Jeffrey Thomas

Michael Reaugh Smith

Mathias Ehrich

Cosmin Deciu

Levi Charles Hefner

Chen Zhao

Russell C Peters

Joseph M Schaeffer

Thomas Parham

Lynn Francis Eschete

Troy S Caudill

Matthew Wade Hendricks

Danielle Lynn Moore

Mark E Wasikowski

Robert Worsham

Stephanie Baynham

Gregory Hannum

Marko Vuga

Manish J Mistry

Amin Mazloom

Zeljko Dzakula

Robert Earl Worsham Ii

Luke Dayfdd Gillett

Frank Bradley Stamps

A method of adjusting a directional movement ability in an aircraft having two or more rotors includes receiving a desired thrust demand for each rotor of the two or more rotors, comparing the desired thrust demands to determine a maximum thrust demand, determining whether the maximum thrust demand exceeds a maximum thrust limit of the two or more rotors, and adjusting each desired thrust demand based on whether the maximum thrust demand exceeds the maximum thrust limit to provide an adjusted thrust demand for each rotor of the two or more rotors. Each rotor can be operated based on a respective adjusted thrust demand.

Method of adjusting directional movement ability in a multi-rotor aircraft

In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating an aircraft includes operating the aircraft in a first mode including determining an attitude based on a pilot stick signal, where a translational speed or an attitude of the aircraft is proportional to an amplitude of the pilot stick signal in the first mode; transitioning from the first mode to a second mode when a velocity of the aircraft exceeds a first velocity threshold; and operating the aircraft in the second mode where the output of the rate controller is proportional to the amplitude of the pilot stick signal.

Aircraft control mode transition smoothing

An electric reaction control system that can selectively expel a 'burst' or 'puff' of air to alter the orientation of the aircraft during flight. An aircraft incorporating ducting, an air compressor, an electric motor, and a plurality of nozzles can facilitate in-flight trajectory modifications. When an air burst is needed to provide thrust for the purposes of reaction control, nozzles are selectively opened and closed to provide roll, pitch, and yaw of the aircraft. The ERCS can facilitate an electric aircraft that would be very agile and very light, utilizing electric power, as opposed to jet power.

Electric reaction control system

An aircraft includes an airframe with first and second wings having a fuselage extending therebetween. A propulsion assembly is coupled to the fuselage and includes a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system that is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector. First and second yaw vanes extend aftwardly from the fuselage. A flight control system is configured to direct the thrust vector of the coaxial rotor system and control movements of the yaw vanes. In a VTOL orientation of the aircraft, differential operation of the yaw vanes and/or differential operations of first and second rotor assemblies of the coaxial rotor system provide yaw authority for the aircraft. In a biplane orientation of the aircraft, collective operation of the yaw vanes provides yaw authority for the aircraft.

Yaw control systems for tailsitting biplane aircraft

A rotorcraft is described and includes an inertial measurement unit ('IMU') sensor mounted to the rotorcraft, the IMU sensor oriented relative to the rotorcraft such that a roll attitude of the rotorcraft occurs about a Z-axis and has a range of &#xb1;90 degrees, a pitch attitude of the rotorcraft occurs about an X-axis and has a range of &#xb1;180 degrees, and a yaw attitude of the rotorcraft occurs about a Y-axis and has a range of &#xb1;180 degrees.

System and method for gimbal lock avoidance in an aircraft

An aircraft includes an airframe with first and second wings having a fuselage extending therebetween. A propulsion assembly is coupled to the fuselage and includes a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system that is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector. Tail assemblies are coupled to wingtips of the first and second wings each having an elevon that collectively form a distributed array of elevons. A flight control system is configured to direct the thrust vector of the coaxial rotor system and to control movements of the elevons such that the elevons collectively provide pitch authority and differentially provide roll authority for the aircraft in the biplane orientation. In addition, when the flight control system detects an elevon fault, the flight control system is configured to perform corrective action responsive thereto at a distributed elevon level or at a coordinated distributed elevon and propulsion assembly level.

Distributed elevon systems for tailsitting biplane 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 a fuselage extending therebetween. A propulsion assembly is coupled to the fuselage and includes a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system that is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector. A flight control system is configured to direct the thrust vector. In the VTOL orientation, the first wing is forward of the fuselage, the second wing is aft of the fuselage and the coaxial rotor system is configured to provide thrust in line with a yaw axis of the aircraft. In the biplane orientation, the first wing is below the fuselage, the second wing is above the fuselage and the coaxial rotor system is configured to provide thrust in line with a roll axis of the aircraft.

Tailsitting biplane aircraft having a coaxial rotor system

A propulsion assembly for an aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The propulsion assembly includes a housing coupled to the fuselage of the aircraft. A coaxial rotor system includes a first rotor assembly and a second rotor assembly that are rotatable about a common axis of rotation. The first rotor assembly counter-rotates relative to the second rotor assembly. A motor assembly is operably associated with the coaxial rotor system. The motor assembly provides torque and rotational energy to the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly. A gimbal assembly couples the coaxial rotor system to the housing such that the coaxial rotor system is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector.

Thrust vectoring coaxial rotor systems for aircraft

In an embodiment, a rotorcraft includes: a flight control computer configured to: receive a first sensor signal from a first aircraft sensor of the rotorcraft; receive a second sensor signal from a second aircraft sensor of the rotorcraft, the second aircraft sensor being different from the first aircraft sensor; combine the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal with a complementary filter to determine an estimated vertical speed of the rotorcraft; adjust flight control devices of the rotorcraft according to the estimated vertical speed of the rotorcraft, thereby changing flight characteristics of the rotorcraft; and reset the complementary filter in response to detecting the rotorcraft is grounded.

System and method for controlling rotorcraft

In an embodiment, a method includes: obtaining a first signal from a first sensor of a rotorcraft, the first signal indicating measured angular velocity around a first axis of the rotorcraft; filtering the first signal with a lag compensator to estimate angular position around the first axis of the rotorcraft; and adjusting flight control devices of the rotorcraft according to the estimated angular position and the measured angular velocity around the first axis of the rotorcraft, thereby changing flight characteristics of the rotorcraft around the first axis of the rotorcraft.

In an embodiment, a method of indicating flight modes of a rotorcraft includes: detecting a change in flight mode of the rotorcraft from a previous flight mode to an active flight mode, the active flight mode and the previous flight mode each being from one of a first subset or a second subset of a plurality of flight modes; determining whether the active flight mode and the previous flight mode are from different subsets of the plurality of flight modes; and updating one or more flight mode indicators on an instrument panel of the rotorcraft in response to the active flight mode and the previous flight mode being from different subsets of the plurality of flight modes.

System and method for flight mode annunciation

A method of operating a rotorcraft includes receiving multiple first height data signals from multiple first height sensors on the rotorcraft, wherein the first height sensors measure height using a first technique, receiving multiple second height data signals from multiple second height sensors on the rotorcraft, wherein the second height sensors measure height using a second technique that is different than the first technique, determining a first height signal from the multiple first height data signals based on a selection scheme, determining a second height signal from the multiple second height data signals, selecting the first height signal or the second height signal to determine a selected height signal, and generating a flight control signal and controlling operation of the rotorcraft according to the flight control signal, the flight control signal based on the selected height signal.

System and method for rotorcraft height control

Growing community of inventors

Bedford, TX, United States of America

Sung Kyun Kim