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. 09, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 22, 1999
James P. Cycon, Orange, CT (US);
Mark Winfield Scott, Bethany, CT (US);
Christopher W. DeWitt, East Haven, CT (US);
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Stratford, CT (US);
Abstract
A method for reducing a nose-up pitching moment in an unmanned aerial vehicle during forward flight. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes counter-rotating rotor assemblies that are mounted within a duct. Each rotor assembly includes a plurality of rotor blades. The method involves adjusting the rotor blades to have substantially zero pitch. Then rotating the rotor assemblies to produce a virtual plane across the duct. The virtual plane is operative for substantially deflecting air passing over the fuselage away from the duct. In one embodiment of the invention, the method involves the further step of obstructing at least a portion of the bottom of the duct to inhibit air that is flowing across the bottom of the duct from passing into the duct.