US 12,240,596 B2
Method for flying VTOL aircraft with forward canted rotors
Gregor Veble Mikic, Santa Cruz, CA (US); Joeben Bevirt, Santa Cruz, CA (US); and Alex Stoll, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Assigned to Joby Aero, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed by Joby Aero, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/239,758.
Application 18/239,758 is a continuation of application No. 17/411,054, filed on Aug. 25, 2021, granted, now 11,780,573.
Application 17/411,054 is a continuation of application No. 15/802,386, filed on Nov. 2, 2017, granted, now 11,130,566, issued on Sep. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/416,168, filed on Nov. 2, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0208644 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B64C 27/26 (2006.01); B64C 3/10 (2006.01); B64C 3/32 (2006.01); B64C 27/08 (2023.01); B64C 27/22 (2006.01); B64C 27/52 (2006.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64C 39/06 (2006.01); B64C 27/82 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 27/26 (2013.01) [B64C 3/10 (2013.01); B64C 3/32 (2013.01); B64C 27/08 (2013.01); B64C 27/22 (2013.01); B64C 27/52 (2013.01); B64C 29/0016 (2013.01); B64C 39/06 (2013.01); B64C 39/068 (2013.01); B64C 2027/8236 (2013.01); B64C 29/0025 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for flying a vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicle with fixed forward tilted rotors, said method comprising:
providing an aerial vehicle, comprising:
a main body;
a right side wing; and
a left side wing;
a plurality of right side wing rotor assemblies; and
a plurality of left side wing rotor assemblies,
powering up the plurality of right side wing rotor assemblies wherein the spin axis of each of said right side wing rotor assemblies is tilted forward at a fixed an angle in the range of 5-20 degrees to the normal of the horizontal flight line of the aerial vehicle in nominal forward flight and the plurality of left side wing rotor assemblies wherein the spin axis of each of said left side wing rotor assemblies is tilted forward at a fixed angle in the range of 5-20 degrees to the normal of the horizontal flight line of the aerial vehicle in nominal forward flight;
lifting off the aerial vehicle into a pitched up vertical take-off and landing configuration, such that the disc plane of the forward tilted rotor assemblies is horizontal, thereby producing predominantly vertical thrust from said plurality of right side wing rotor assemblies and said plurality of left side wing rotor assemblies;
gaining altitude using said vertical thrust; pitching the aerial vehicle forward in order to gain a forward thrust component from said forward tilted plurality of right side wing rotor assemblies and plurality of left side wing rotor assemblies;
increasing power to a horizontally thrusting rotor, thereby increasing the forward speed of the aerial vehicle and increasing the amount lift provided by the wings of said aerial vehicle; and
flying in a forward flight mode by decreasing the power to said plurality of right side wing rotor assemblies and said plurality of left side wing rotor assemblies such that the fraction of lift provided by said forward tilted plurality of right side wing rotor assemblies and plurality of left side wing rotor assemblies to the total lift of the wings and the wing rotors is greater than 0.2.