An aircraft has an airframe with a distributed thrust array attached thereto that includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies each of which is independently controlled by a flight control system. Each propulsion assembly includes a housing with a gimbal coupled thereto and operable to tilt about a single axis. A propulsion system is coupled to and operable to tilt with the gimbal. The propulsion system includes an electric motor having an output drive and a rotor assembly 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 is operable to tilt the respective propulsion system relative to the airframe in the longitudinal direction to change the rotational plane of the respective rotor assembly relative to the airframe, thereby controlling the magnitude of the respective thrust vector in the longitudinal direction.


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    Title :

    Aircraft having Single-Axis Gimbal Mounted Propulsion Systems


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2018-09-13


    Type of media :

    Patent


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English


    Classification :

    IPC:    B64C AEROPLANES , Flugzeuge



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