US 12,227,285 B2
System and method for controlling flight path of a blown lift aircraft
Oliver Masefield, Stans (CH); Christopher B. Courtin, Fairfax Station, VA (US); and Robert John Hansman, Jr., Cambridge, MA (US)
Assigned to Electra Aero, Inc., Manassas, VA (US)
Filed by Electra Aero, Inc., Manassas, VA (US)
Filed on Oct. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/489,228.
Application 18/489,228 is a continuation of application No. 18/085,275, filed on Dec. 20, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/293,650, filed on Dec. 23, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0045447 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B64D 31/06 (2024.01); B64C 13/04 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2006.01); B64D 45/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/485 (2024.01)
CPC B64C 13/0421 (2018.01) [B64D 27/24 (2013.01); B64D 31/06 (2013.01); B64D 45/00 (2013.01); G05D 1/0808 (2013.01); G05D 1/485 (2024.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for controlling an aircraft comprising:
a computing device, wherein the computing device includes at least one processor configured to control a flight path angle of the aircraft;
a control operator communicatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the control operator comprises a plurality of selectable predefined settings comprising at least cruise, off, and reverse, wherein a desired flight path angle is determined by a selected predefined setting of the plurality of selectable predefined settings;
a tunable adjuster operatively coupled to the control operator; and
at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing of a pair of wings of the aircraft and communicatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the computing device controls the flight path angle of the aircraft by selectively operating the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing based on a comparison of a calculated flight path angle of the aircraft and the desired flight path angle such that responsive to determining the desired flight path angle is not achieved, the computing device is configured to adjust a power level of at least one of the at least one thrust-producing device on each wing to achieve the desired flight path angle,
wherein the control operator is configured to provide coarse adjustment of the power level of the at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing based on the selected predefined setting and the tunable adjuster is configured to provide fine adjustment of the power level of the at least one thrust-producing device operatively coupled to each wing.