US 11,772,816 B2
Methods and apparatus to recover unmanned aerial vehicles with kites
Benjamin T. Brown, Hood River, OR (US); Alice E. Fockele, Portland, OR (US); Jesse D. Kiewit, Bingen, WA (US); Jacob S. Allen, Hood River, OR (US); John R. Wong, Klickitat, WA (US); Kelly A. Comstock, Carson, WA (US); and Daniel L. Shaw, White Salmon, WA (US)
Assigned to INSITU, INC., Bingen, WA (US)
Filed by Insitu, Inc., Bingen, WA (US)
Filed on Jul. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/365,742.
Prior Publication US 2023/0002076 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. B64C 31/06 (2020.01); B64F 1/02 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01)
CPC B64F 1/0295 (2020.01) [B64C 31/06 (2013.01); B64C 39/022 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus to recover an aircraft, the apparatus comprising:
a tether line to be supported by a kite at a distal end thereof; and
a release to deploy a parafoil from at least one of the tether line or the kite in response to the aircraft contacting the tether line, wherein the kite is to change its shape to a trailing edge device in response to the parafoil being deployed.