US 12,391,377 B2
Vertical take-off and landing aircraft and related control method
Riccardo Bianco Mengotti, Samarate (IT)
Assigned to LEONARDO S.P.A., Rome (IT)
Appl. No. 17/605,764
Filed by LEONARDO S.P.A., Rome (IT)
PCT Filed Mar. 30, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/053020
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/217117, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 29, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19170690 (EP), filed on Apr. 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0258859 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64C 11/00 (2006.01); B64C 39/12 (2006.01); B64U 10/20 (2023.01); B64U 30/10 (2023.01); B64U 50/14 (2023.01); B64U 50/18 (2023.01)
CPC B64C 29/0025 (2013.01) [B64C 11/001 (2013.01); B64C 39/12 (2013.01); B64U 10/20 (2023.01); B64U 30/10 (2023.01); B64U 50/14 (2023.01); B64U 50/18 (2023.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft having a longitudinal axis capable of vertical take-off and landing, comprising:
a fuselage;
a first propulsion unit configured to generate a first thrust directed parallel to a first axis; and
a second propulsion unit configured to generate a second thrust directed parallel to a second axis;
a third propulsion unit interposed between said first and second propulsion units along said longitudinal axis and configured to generate a third thrust directed parallel to a third axis;
wherein each of said first, second and third propulsion units comprises a respective pair of rotors located symmetrically on opposite sides of said fuselage, each said rotor being coupled to said fuselage;
said first, second and third propulsion units being configured to be independently operated so as to generate said first, second and third thrusts, respectively;
said first axis and said second axis being fixed with respect to said aircraft;
said aircraft further comprising a nose and a tail arranged along a first direction, which is the longitudinal axis of said aircraft, and opposite to one another;
said first propulsion unit being interposed between said nose and said second propulsion unit along said longitudinal axis; said second propulsion unit being interposed between said first propulsion unit and said tail along said longitudinal axis;
said first axis and second axis being inclined with respect to a plane that is parallel to said longitudinal axis of said aircraft by a first and a second angle, respectively, which are different from each other;
said first angle being orientated from said first axis towards said nose; said second angle being orientated from said second axis towards said nose;
wherein the third axis is inclined with respect to said plane that is parallel to said longitudinal axis by a third angle, said third angle being orientated from said third axis towards said nose;
said aircraft further comprising:
a canard configuration comprising a pair of aerodynamic surfaces laterally protruding from said fuselage and at said nose, said pair of rotors of said first propulsion unit being mounted within said canard configuration, said canard configuration including a pair of undercarriages and a pair of frames both supported by respective said aerodynamic surfaces, wherein said undercarriages and said frames are both arranged directly below respective ones of said pair of rotors of said first propulsion unit;
a control unit programmed to selectively arrange said aircraft in:
a first attitude during a take-off/landing and/or hovering condition and wherein said aircraft is movable along a second vertical direction; and
a second attitude during a forward flight condition and wherein said aircraft is movable along a third direction transverse to said second direction;
said aircraft being movable between said first and second attitudes through inclination parallel to a pitch axis with respect to said aircraft;
said control unit being operatively connected to said first, second and third propulsion units to adjust a magnitude of respective said first, second and third thrusts to generate a thrust vector of the aircraft with a desired magnitude and direction.