US 12,454,375 B2
Mission-adaptable aerial vehicle and methods for in-field assembly and use
Ian Muceus, San Diego, CA (US); Daniel Magy, San Diego, CA (US); Son Francois Creasman, San Diego, CA (US); and Matthew McCord, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Firestorm Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by Firestorm Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/043,247.
Application 19/043,247 is a continuation of application No. 18/936,906, filed on Nov. 4, 2024, granted, now 12,240,634.
Application 18/936,906 is a continuation of application No. 18/655,221, filed on May 3, 2024, granted, now 12,139,280, issued on Nov. 12, 2024.
Application 18/655,221 is a continuation of application No. 18/510,592, filed on Nov. 15, 2023, granted, now 11,981,460, issued on May 14, 2024.
Application 18/510,592 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2023/022151, filed on May 12, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/429,506, filed on Dec. 1, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/366,119, filed on Jun. 9, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/341,647, filed on May 13, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0197038 A1, Jun. 19, 2025
Int. Cl. B64U 10/70 (2023.01); B64U 20/75 (2023.01); B64U 20/87 (2023.01)
CPC B64U 10/70 (2023.01) [B64U 20/75 (2023.01); B64U 20/87 (2023.01); B64U 2201/104 (2023.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mission-adaptable aerial vehicle, comprising:
a fuselage assembly comprising one or more fuselage sections;
a wing assembly attachable to the fuselage assembly, the wing assembly including one or more one wing sections;
a nose cone assembly attachable to the fuselage assembly;
a tail assembly attachable to the fuselage assembly; and
a propulsion unit configured to drive flight of the mission-adaptable aerial vehicle,
wherein the tail assembly includes an inlet assembly to direct air intake into a tail segment housing where at least a portion of the propulsion unit is contained,
wherein the inlet assembly is configured as a quad inlet duct comprising four air intake passage structures coupled to or integrated with the tail segment housing,
wherein each air intake passage structure is equally spaced along a frame or wall of the tail segment housing with respect to another of the air intake passage structures, and
wherein each air intake passage structure includes one or both of a curved and/or angled surface that interfaces with a corresponding opening sized with respect to at least one dimension of the tail segment housing to drive air within an interior of the tail segment housing.