US 12,110,105 B2
Aircraft having rotor assemblies rotating in parallel planes
John Richard McCullough, Weatherford, TX (US); and Paul K. Oldroyd, Azle, TX (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed on Feb. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/107,880.
Application 18/107,880 is a continuation of application No. 17/706,445, filed on Mar. 28, 2022, granted, now 11,603,194.
Application 17/706,445 is a continuation of application No. 16/840,292, filed on Apr. 3, 2020, granted, now 11,312,487, issued on Apr. 26, 2022.
Application 16/840,292 is a continuation of application No. 16/526,841, filed on Jul. 30, 2019, granted, now 10,611,477, issued on Apr. 7, 2020.
Application 16/526,841 is a continuation of application No. 16/361,155, filed on Mar. 21, 2019, granted, now 10,457,390, issued on Oct. 29, 2019.
Application 16/361,155 is a continuation of application No. 15/200,261, filed on Jul. 1, 2016, granted, now 10,315,761, issued on Jun. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0192288 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. B64C 29/02 (2006.01); B64C 11/28 (2006.01); B64C 27/50 (2006.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64C 39/06 (2006.01); B64D 1/08 (2006.01); B64D 35/00 (2006.01); B64D 25/12 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 29/0033 (2013.01) [B64C 11/28 (2013.01); B64C 27/50 (2013.01); B64C 29/02 (2013.01); B64C 39/02 (2013.01); B64C 39/06 (2013.01); B64D 1/08 (2013.01); B64D 35/00 (2013.01); B64C 2211/00 (2013.01); B64D 25/12 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft configured for thrust-borne lift in a vertical takeoff and landing flight mode and wing-borne lift in a forward flight mode, the aircraft comprising:
an airframe including at least one straight wing;
a pod assembly coupled to the airframe;
a distributed propulsion system attached to the airframe including a first plurality of propulsion assemblies each including a nacelle and a second plurality of propulsion assemblies each including a nacelle, each of the propulsion assemblies including a rotor assembly having a plurality of rotor blades, at least one of the propulsion assemblies coupled to the straight wing, the nacelles of the first plurality of propulsion assemblies longer than the nacelles of the second plurality of propulsion assemblies; and
a flight control system operably associated with the distributed propulsion system and operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies;
wherein, in the vertical takeoff and landing flight mode, each of the propulsion assemblies is configured to generate vertical thrust with the rotor assemblies of the first plurality of propulsion assemblies rotating in a first horizontal plane and the rotor assemblies of the second plurality of propulsion assemblies rotating in a second horizontal plane parallel to the first horizontal plane;
wherein, in the forward flight mode, each of the propulsion assemblies is configured to generate forward thrust with the rotor assemblies of the first plurality of propulsion assemblies rotating in a first vertical plane and the rotor assemblies of the second plurality of propulsion assemblies rotating in a second vertical plane parallel to the first vertical plane; and
wherein, in both the vertical takeoff and landing flight mode and the forward flight mode, the pod assembly remains in a generally horizontal attitude.