An aircraft (10; 100; 200) has an airframe (12) with a distributed thrust array attached thereto that includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies (26a-d; 102a-d; 202a-d; 302) each of which is independently controlled by a flight control system (32; 114; 214). Each propulsion assembly (26a-d; 201a-d; 302) includes a housing (28a-d; 126; 226) with a gimbal (106a-d; 206a-d) coupled thereto and operable to tilt about a single axis. A propulsion system (36a-d; 112a-d) is coupled to and operable to tilt with the gimbal (106a-d; 206a-d). The propulsion system (36a-d; 112a-d; 212a-d) includes an electric motor (136; 236) having an output drive (138; 238) and a rotor assembly (34a-d; 306) having a plurality of rotor blades that rotate in a rotational plane to generate thrust having a thrust vector with a magnitude in the longitudinal direction. Actuation of each gimbal (106a-d; 206a-d) is operable to tilt the respective propulsion system (36a-d; 112a-d; 212a-d) relative to the airframe (12) in the longitudinal direction to change the rotational plane of the respective rotor assembly (34a-d; 306) relative to the airframe, thereby controlling the magnitude of the respective thrust vector in the longitudinal direction.
AIRCRAFT HAVING SINGLE-AXIS GIMBAL MOUNTED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
FLUGZEUG MIT EINACHSIG KARDANISCH GELAGERTEN ANTRIEBSSYSTEMEN
AÉRONEF COMPORTANT DES SYSTÈMES DE PROPULSION MONTÉS SUR UN CARDAN À AXE UNIQUE
2023-05-03
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64C AEROPLANES , Flugzeuge |
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