US 11,807,357 B2
Tilting hexrotor aircraft
Kirk L. Groninga, Keller, TX (US); and Danielle Lynn Moore, Arlington, TX (US)
Assigned to TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/527,900.
Application 17/527,900 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/216,591, filed on Mar. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0306293 A1, Sep. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64D 27/26 (2006.01); B64C 39/12 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 29/0033 (2013.01) [B64C 39/12 (2013.01); B64D 27/26 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft operable in a hover mode and a cruise mode, the aircraft comprising:
a fuselage;
first and second wings connected on opposite sides of the fuselage;
a canard connected to the fuselage forward of the first and second wings;
first and second forward propulsion systems connected to pylons mounted to a trailing edge of the canard on opposite sides of the fuselage;
first and second aft propulsion systems connected to pylons mounted on trailing edges of the first and second wings; and
first and second wing-mounted propulsion systems connected to leading edges of the first and second wings;
wherein the first and second aft propulsion systems are tiltable relative to the pylons mounted on the trailing edges of the first and second wings between a first position when the aircraft is in the hover mode and a second position when the aircraft is in the cruise mode;
wherein each of the propulsion systems includes a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades; and
wherein the propulsion systems are substantially equidistant from a center of gravity (CG) of the aircraft.