US 12,434,823 B2
Electric tiltrotor aircraft with fixed motors
Jonathan Andrew Knoll, Burleson, TX (US); George Matthew Thompson, Lewisville, TX (US); Charles Hubert Speller, Flower Mound, TX (US); and Grant Michael Beall, Arlington, TX (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed on Apr. 2, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/624,806.
Application 18/624,806 is a continuation of application No. 17/163,785, filed on Feb. 1, 2021, granted, now 11,975,826.
Prior Publication US 2024/0246665 A1, Jul. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64C 27/28 (2006.01); B64U 30/297 (2023.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01)
CPC B64C 29/0033 (2013.01) [B64C 27/28 (2013.01); B64U 30/297 (2023.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage;
first and second wings fixedly connected to the fuselage;
a first rotor system tiltable relative to the first wing between a first position corresponding to an airplane mode of the aircraft and a second position corresponding to a helicopter mode of the aircraft, the first rotor system comprising:
a first rotor assembly comprising a first plurality of rotor blades connected to a first rotor mast; and
a first drive system for providing rotational energy to the first rotor assembly via the first rotor mast, the first drive system comprising:
a first electric motor housed within the first wing for generating rotational energy to a first motor shaft, wherein the first electric motor is fixed relative to the first wing and to the fuselage; and
a first gearbox having an input through which the first motor shaft is received, the first gearbox connected to receive rotational energy from the first electric motor via the first motor shaft and to provide rotational energy to the first rotor mast via a first rotor shaft;
a second rotor system tiltable relative to the second wing between the first position corresponding to the airplane mode of the aircraft and the second position corresponding to the helicopter mode of the aircraft, the second rotor system comprising:
a second rotor assembly comprising a second plurality of rotor blades connected to a second rotor mast; and
a second drive system for providing rotational energy to the second rotor assembly via the second rotor mast, the second drive system comprising:
a second electric motor housed within the second wing for generating rotational energy to a second motor shaft, wherein the second electric motor is fixed relative to the second wing and the fuselage; and
a second gearbox having an input through which the second motor shaft is received, the second gearbox connected to receive rotational energy from the second electric motor via the second motor shaft and to provide rotational energy to the second rotor mast via a second rotor shaft; and
an interconnect drive shaft connected between the first and second gearboxes, the interconnect drive shaft providing a torque path between the first electric motor and the second rotor assembly;
wherein for each of the first and second rotor systems, the electric motor comprises a plurality of electric motors arranged as a flat pack, the flat pack comprising the plurality of electric motors each connected to a combining gearbox via an input shaft, the combining gearbox having an output shaft connected to an input of the gearbox.