US 11,753,159 B2
VTOL aircraft
Gregor Veble Mikic, Santa Cruz, CA (US); Alex Stoll, Santa Cruz, CA (US); and JoeBen Bevirt, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Assigned to Joby Aero, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed by Joby Aero, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/89,569.
Application 18/089,569 is a continuation of application No. 17/167,064, filed on Feb. 3, 2021, granted, now 11,565,804.
Application 17/167,064 is a continuation of application No. 16/859,930, filed on Apr. 27, 2020, granted, now 10,988,248, issued on Apr. 27, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/983,445, filed on Feb. 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/838,773, filed on Apr. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0166838 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64C 7/00 (2006.01); B64C 27/52 (2006.01); B64C 3/38 (2006.01); B64C 1/06 (2006.01)
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
OG exemplary drawing
 
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.