(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 9,567,088 B2 Godlasky Et Al
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USO09567088B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 9,567,088 B2 Godlasky et al. (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 14, 2017 (54) VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING B64C 2201/088; B64D 27/04; B64D AIRCRAFT 27/06; B64D 27/08 See application file for complete search history. (71) Applicant: SWIFT ENGINEERING, INC., San Clemente, CA (US) (56) References Cited (72) Inventors: Robert Godlasky, Lake Forest, CA U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (US); Nate Ogawa, Lake Forest, CA 1,603,711 A * 10/1926 Peck ........................ B64D 500 (US); Andrew Streett, San Clemente, 244/106 CA (US) 1,662.406 A * 3/1928 Thompson .......... B64C 29.0025 244,113 (73) Assignee: SWIFT ENGINEERING, INC., San 1,804,312 A * 5/1931 Brown ................... B64D 27/06 Clemente, CA (US) 244/55 1928,326 A * 9, 1933 Bratu ..................... B64D 27/08 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 244/55 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 (Continued) U.S.C. 154(b) by 132 days. FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (21) Appl. No.: 14/460,013 DE 2421627 A1 11, 1975 WO 2011066400 A1 6, 2011 (22) Filed: Aug. 14, 2014 (65) Prior Publication Data OTHER PUBLICATIONS US 2015/O1 O2157 A1 Apr. 16, 2015 Boeing, Heliwing Aircraft, 1995. (Continued) Related U.S. Application Data Primary Examiner — Joseph W. Sanderson (60) Provisional application No. 61/891,105, filed on Oct. 15, 2013. (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Perkins Coie LLP (57) ABSTRACT (51) Int. C. B64D 27/02 (2006.01) AVTOL aircraft includes at least one puller rotor and at least B64C 29/02 (2006.01) one pusher rotor. The VTOL aircraft, for example, may B64C39/02 (2006.01) include three puller rotors and one pusher rotor. The com bination of static puller and pusher rotors allows the rotors (52) U.S. C. to remain in a fixed orientation (i.e., no moving mechanical CPC ............... B64D 27/02 (2013.01); B64C 29/02 axes are required) relative to the wings and fuselage of the (2013.01); B64C39/024 (2013.01); B64C VTOL aircraft, while being able to transition the aircraft 2201/021 (2013.01); B64C 2201/088 from a substantially vertical flight path to a substantially (2013.01); B64C 220 1/102 (2013.01) horizontal flight path. (58) Field of Classification Search CPC ...... B64C 29/00; B64C 29/02: B64C 29/0025; 18 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets US 9,567,088 B2 Page 2 (56) References Cited Advanced VTOL Technologies, “Products: Hammerhead VTOL Aircraft'. http://www.avtolt.com/products/hammerhead.php, exact U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS publication date unknown (web page last visited Mar. 22, 2016). Carey, Bill, “Helicopter Operator Places Launch Order for Flexrotor 2,014.377 A * 9/1935 Fitzgerald ........... B64C 29.0025 UAV, Aviation International News Online, http://www.ainonline. 244, 12.3 com/aviation-news/aerospace/2015-01-05/helicopter-operator places-launch-order-flexrotor-uav, Jan. 15, 2015. D113,019 S * 1/1939 Silverstein ...................... 244f13 2,481,502 A * 9/1949 Downing ............ B64C 29.0025 Eshel, Tamir, “Sikorsky, Aurora Flight Sciences to Develop VTOL 244f6 X-Planes for DARPA'. Defense Update, http://defense-update.com/ 2,678,783 A * 5/1954 Myers ................. B64C 29,0091 2013 1213 Sikorsky-aurora-flight-sciences-develop-vtol-X-planes 244,102 R darpa.html, Dec. 13, 2013. 3,142,455 A 7, 1964 Wilford Industry Network Engineering and Services, “Unmanned aircraft”. 5,765,783 A * 6/1998 Albion .................... B64C 29/02 Industry Network Engineering and Services, http://www.industry. 244f1723 co.jp/ines?, exact publication date unknown, (web page last visited 5,782,427 A * 7/1998 Hermach ............... B64D 27/08 Mar. 18, 2016). 244/120 Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, “Four-engine tilt wing VTOL 5,823,468 A 10, 1998 Bothe aircraft. Aeronautical Technology Directorate, http://www.aero. 5,890.441. A * 4, 1999 Swinson ............. B64C 29.0025 jaxa.jp/eng/research/frontier/vtol/qtwf, exact publication date 244/12.1 unknown (web page last visited Mar. 22, 2016). 6,098,927 A 8, 2000 Gevers Krossblade Aerospace Systems LLC, “Krossblade SkyProwler 6,367,738 B1 * 4/2002 Wadleigh ................ B64C39/04 Multi-Mission VTOL Transformer Drone'. Kickstarter Campaign, 244f13 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/350745213/krossblade 6,561,455 B2 5/2003 Capanna et al. skyprowler-multi-mission-vtoltransform? updates, exact publication 6,655,631 B2 12/2003 Austen-Brown et al. date unknown, (web page last visited Mar. 18, 2016). 8.256,704 B2 * 9/2012 Lundgren ........... B64C 29,0033 Lee, R.E., "Convair XFY-1 Pogo”. National Air and Space 244f7 C Museum, http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact. 8,602,348 B2 * 12/2013 Bryant ................ B64C 29,0033 cfm?object=nasm A19730274000, Sep. 18, 2000. 244f12.4 Liszewski, Andrew, "Tilting Wings Let This New Air Hogs RC 2002fO074452 A1 6/2002 Ingram et al. Plane Hover Like a Helicopter'. Toyland Blog. http://toyland. 2004/0026563 A1 2/2004 Moller ...................... B64C 3.56 gizmodo.com/tilting-wings-let-this-new-air-hogs-rc-plane-hover 244f12.4 like-1720002243, Jul. 24, 2015. 2005/0178879 A1 8, 2005 Mao et al. Madrigal, Alexis C., “Inside Google's Secret Drone-Delivery Pro 2009/0045295 A1* 2/2009 Lundgren ........... B64C 29,0033 gram'. The Atlantic, http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/ar 244f7 C chive/2014/08/inside-googles-Secret-drone-delivery-program? 2011/0042509 A1 2/2011 Bevirt et al. 379306/. Aug. 28, 2014. 2011/031580.6 A1 12/2011 Piasecki et al. Moore, Mark D., “NASA Puffin Electric Tailsitter VTOL Concept”. 2012/009 1257 A1 4/2012 Wolff et al. NASA Technical Reports Server, http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasal 2012/02861 O2 A1 11/2012 Sinha et al. casintrs.nasa.gov/20110011311.pdf, Sep. 13, 2010. 2013,0206921 A1 8/2013 Paduano et al. RC Groups, “Discussion: Tail Sitting VTOL.” http://www.rcgroups. 2015.0102157 A1 4/2015 Godlasky et al. com/forums/showthread.php?t=1473333&page=4, Aug. 9, 2011. 2015/0225071 A1* 8/2015 Tighe ...................... B64C 29/02 SUAS News, “Arcturus UAV Upgrades the JUMP15 VTOL UAV”, 244f12.4 sUAS News, http://www.suasnews.com/2014/12/arcturus-uav-up grades-the-jump 15-vtol-uav/, Dec. 5, 2014. OTHER PUBLICATIONS SUAS News, “Sony Ventures Unveils Drone Prototype', sUAS News, http://www.suasnews.com/2015/08/sony-venture-unveils LAK. "LAK Genesis 2 Glider'. https://en.wikipedia.orgiviki/ drone-prototype?, Aug. 24, 2015. SUAS News, "The Airbus Group's Quadcruiser concept is validated LAK Genesis 2, 1994, 2. in flight tests”, suAS News, http://www.suasnews.com/2014/12/ Stone, H., Clarke, G. "Optimization of Transition Maneuvers for a the-airbus-groups-quadcruiser-concept-is-validated-in-flight-tests/. Tail-Sitter Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV), Australian International Dec. 8, 2014. Aerospace Congress, Paper 105, Canberra, Mar. 2001, 14 pgs. SUAS News, “Vertex VTOL UAV, suAS News, http://www. Stone, et al., “Preliminary Design of a Tandem-Wing Tail-Sitter Suasnews.com/2014/12/vertex-vtol-uav?, Dec. 26, 2014. UAV. Using Multi-Disciplinary Design Optimisation'. Intl Aero Wikipedia, "Tail-sitter'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail-sitter, space Congress, Sydney, AU, Feb. 1997. 707-720. exact publication date unknown, (web page last visited Mar. 18, Stone, et al., “The T-Wing: A VTOL UAV for Defense and Civilian 2016). Applications'. UAV Australia Conference, Melbourne, AU, Feb. 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USPTO, “International Search Report and Written Opinion', for PCT/US14/60166, Jun. 25, 2015, 11 pgs. * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Feb. 14, 2017 Sheet 1 of 5 US 9,567,088 B2 U.S. Patent Feb. 14, 2017 Sheet 2 of 5 US 9,567,088 B2 FIG. 4 U.S. Patent Feb. 14, 2017 Sheet 3 of 5 US 9,567,088 B2 U.S. Patent Feb. 14, 2017 Sheet 4 of 5 US 9,567,088 B2 111 FIG. 9 U.S. Patent Feb. 14, 2017 Sheet S of 5 US 9,567,088 B2 Sensors 1010 10084 10083 1044 1008 1043 1008 1042 3. 1041 Readout 1002 Flight control system 101.04 Pilot input Y 1006 Puller66." rotor 1004 101.03 Puller rotor 1002 Puller rotor 1001 Pusher roto 102 Power system 1008 US 9,567,088 B2 1. 2 VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an example electronic AIRCRAFT control system of a VTOL aircraft. FIG. 11 is a front view of an example VTOL aircraft with PRIORITY CLAIM its wings folded into an upward orientation. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Patent Application No. 61/891,105, filed Oct. 15, 2013, Various embodiments of the invention will now be which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. described. The following description provides specific TECHNICAL FIELD 10 details for a thorough understanding and enabling descrip tion of these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand, however, that the invention may be practiced Certain embodiments relate to aircraft. More specifically, without many of these details. Additionally, some well certain embodiments relate to methods and systems for known structures or functions may not be shown or vertical take-off and landing (“VTOL) aircraft. 15 described in detail so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant description of the various embodiments. BACKGROUND The terminology used in the description presented below is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable Airplanes require long runways for take off and landing manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a but this is not always ideal.