United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

William J Fredericks

David D North

Paul M Rothhaar

William Todd Hodges

Zachary R Johns

Mark D Moore

Mark J Aull

William M Langford

Ronald C Busan

Christopher T Laws

Sandy R Webb

Michael D Patterson

Jesse R Quinlan

Systems, methods, and devices provide a vehicle, such as an aircraft, with rotors configured to function as a tri-copter for vertical takeoff and landing ('VTOL') and a fixed-wing vehicle for forward flight. One rotor may be mounted at a front of the vehicle fuselage on a hinged structure controlled by an actuator to tilt from horizontal to vertical positions. Two additional rotors may be mounted on the horizontal surface of the vehicle tail structure with rotor axes oriented vertically to the fuselage. For forward flight of the vehicle, the front rotor may be rotated down such that the front rotor axis may be oriented horizontally along the fuselage and the front rotor may act as a propeller. For vertical flight, the front rotor may be rotated up such that the front rotor axis may be oriented vertically to the fuselage, while the tail rotors may be activated.

Tri-rotor aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing and transitioning to forward flight

A vehicle includes a wing and a control surface pivotably coupled to the wing and configured to pivot about a range of motion. A propulsor is coupled to the control surface and configured to rotate between a first position associated with a hover flight mode and a second position associated with a forward flight mode. The propulsor is aerodynamically actuated between the first position and the second position due to aerodynamics about the wing. The propulsor may rotate from an initial flight mode, such as a takeoff mode, to a second flight mode, such as a forward flight mode.

Aerodynamically actuated thrust vectoring devices

A modular Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) includes an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) parent module and UAV child modules. A main wing extends from a respective fuselage of the modules. The UAS includes docking mechanisms coupled to wingtips of the main wings. The child modules dock with the wingtips of the parent or an adjacent child module. Docking forms a linked-flight configuration, with undocking and separation from the parent or adjacent child module achieving an independent-flight configuration. The modules have booms arranged transverse to the main wings and parallel to the longitudinal axis, as well as front and rear rotors/propellers. The front and rear propellers have axes of rotation that are normal to a plane of the longitudinal axis in a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) configuration, with the axis of rotation of the rear propellers parallel to the longitudinal axis in a forward-flight configuration.

Modular unmanned aerial system with multi-mode propulsion

Systems, methods, and devices are provided that combine an advance vehicle configuration, such as an advanced aircraft configuration, with the infusion of electric propulsion, thereby enabling a four times increase in range and endurance while maintaining a full vertical takeoff and landing ('VTOL') and hover capability for the vehicle. Embodiments may provide vehicles with both VTOL and cruise efficient capabilities without the use of ground infrastructure. An embodiment vehicle may comprise a wing configured to tilt through a range of motion, a first series of electric motors coupled to the wing and each configured to drive an associated wing propeller, a tail configured to tilt through the range of motion, a second series of electric motors coupled to the tail and each configured to drive an associated tail propeller, and an electric propulsion system connected to the first series of electric motors and the second series of electric motors.

Vertical takeoff and landing vehicle with increased cruise efficiency

Vertical take-off and landing vehicle with increased cruise efficiency

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Williamsburg, VA, United States of America

William J Fredericks