CPC B64C 29/0033 (2013.01) [B64C 3/38 (2013.01); B64C 7/00 (2013.01); B64C 27/52 (2013.01); B64C 1/061 (2013.01); B64C 1/068 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
1. An electric aircraft system comprising:
a payload housing;
an airframe coupled to the payload housing, the airframe comprising:
a left wing defining a first broad surface;
a right wing defining a second broad surface;
an inboard left support member mounted to the left wing, the inboard left support member comprising a first end and a second end arranged on opposite sides of the first broad surface;
an outboard left support member mounted to the left wing, the outboard left support member comprising a first end and a second end arranged on opposite sides of the first broad surface, said outboard left support member mounted to said wing outboard of said inboard left support member;
an inboard right support member mounted to the right wing, the inboard right support member comprising a first end and a second end arranged on opposite sides of the second broad surface; and
an outboard right support member mounted to the right wing, the outboard right support member comprising a first end and a second end arranged on opposite sides of the second broad surface;
a plurality of propulsion assemblies comprising:
a first and second inboard propulsion assembly mounted to the first and second ends of the inboard left support member, respectively;
a third and fourth inboard propulsion assembly mounted to the first and second ends of the inboard right support member, respectively;
a fifth and sixth outboard propulsion assembly mounted to the first and second ends of the outboard left support member, respectively; and
a seventh and eighth outboard propulsion assembly mounted to the first and second ends of the outboard right support member, respectively;
wherein each of the plurality of propulsion assemblies comprises:
an electric motor; and
a propeller rotatably coupled to the electric motor about an axis of rotation at a fixed angle of attack relative to a wing chord line, and
a tilt mechanism rotatably coupling the left wing and the right wing to the payload housing, the tilt mechanism configured to transform the electric aircraft system between a forward configuration and a hover configuration by rotating the left wing and right wing between a first and a second position,
wherein the fixed angle of attack defined between the axis of rotation and the wing chord line, wherein the fixed angle of attack is non-zero.
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