US 12,187,409 B2
VTOL aircraft for network system
Mark Moore, San Francisco, CA (US); Nikhil Goel, San Francisco, CA (US); John Conway Badalamenti, San Francisco, CA (US); Jon D. Petersen, Walnut Creek, CA (US); and David Josephson, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Assigned to JOBY AERO, INC., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed by Joby Aero, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/173,125.
Application 18/173,125 is a continuation of application No. 17/467,702, filed on Sep. 7, 2021, granted, now 11,618,545.
Application 17/467,702 is a continuation of application No. 16/053,753, filed on Aug. 2, 2018, granted, now 11,136,105, issued on Sep. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/541,050, filed on Aug. 3, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/540,517, filed on Aug. 2, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0278692 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64C 1/14 (2006.01); B64C 11/46 (2006.01); B64D 11/06 (2006.01); B64C 1/24 (2006.01); E05F 15/70 (2015.01)
CPC B64C 1/1438 (2013.01) [B64C 1/1423 (2013.01); B64C 29/0008 (2013.01); B64D 11/0601 (2014.12); B64C 1/24 (2013.01); B64C 11/46 (2013.01); B64D 11/0606 (2014.12); B64D 11/062 (2014.12); E05F 15/70 (2015.01); E05Y 2400/44 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/502 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage;
a truss coupled to the fuselage, the truss comprising a first wing extending from the fuselage on a port side of the aircraft and a second wing extending from the fuselage on a starboard side of the aircraft; and
a first plurality of distributed electric propellers coupled to the truss, the first plurality of distributed electric propellers including:
a second plurality of distributed-powered rotors positioned on a first plane, one or more of the second plurality of distributed-powered rotors positioned on each of the first and second wings; and
a third plurality of distributed-powered rotors positioned on a second plane different than the first plane, one or more of the third plurality of distributed-powered rotors positioned on each of the first and second wings, the second plane being offset from the first plane such that the second plurality of distributed-powered rotors are arranged non-coplanar with the third plurality of distributed-powered rotors; and
wherein the first plurality of distributed electric propellors are configured to be adjusted by actuators to different states.