The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 07, 2020
Filed:
Sep. 08, 2016
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Falls Church, VA (US);
Kyle M. Rahrig, El Segundo, CA (US);
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Falls Church, VA (US);
Abstract
An aircraft has a small high-speed propeller used during take-off, climbing and landing maneuvers, and a large collapsible or foldable propeller used for loitering. The large collapsible or foldable propeller is kept in a folded configuration during take-offs and landings to minimize drag and to avoid ground strikes. During loitering operations, the large collapsible propeller is unfolded and used at a lower rotational speed than the smaller high-speed propeller to permit efficient and quite loitering. During loitering operations, the smaller high-speed propeller may be disengaged so as to spin freely or held in a non-rotational position. One or more foldable propellers may be paired with at least one conventional propeller. The propellers may be arranged as twin tractor, tractor-pusher, or nearly any other type of layout on the fuselage or wings, or on pods of the fuselage or wings.