United States Patent

US007249732B2

(12) (10) Patent N0.: US 7,249,732 B2 Sanders, Jr. et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jul. 31, 2007

(54) AERODYNAMICALLY STABLE, VTOL 3,110,456 A 11/1963 Creasey et a1. .......... .. 244/123 AIRCRAFT (Continued)

(75) Inventors: John K. Sanders, Jr., Costa Mesa, CA OTHER PUBLICATIONS irltilelzniillillialfge33112222102111 http://WWW.aeromobile.c0rn/aer0m0bileivers2/GimbaliFan/

" ' b l f .htm. Beach, CA (US) gun a i an _

(Contrnued) (73) Assrgnee: UFOZ, LLC, Karlua, Oahu, HI (US) Primary ExamineriTimOthy D Collins ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this (74) Attorney Agent or FlrmiLelghton K Chong

patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. (57) ABSTRACT

Ahover aircraft em lo 5 an air im eller en ine havin an air P y P g g (21) APP1~ NOJ 11/379,963 channel duct and a rotor With outer ends of its blades ?xed

_ to an annular impeller disk that is driven by magnetic (22) Flled? APY- 24 2006 induction elements arrayed in the air channel duct. The

_ _ _ air-impeller engine is arranged vertically in the aircraft (65) Pnor Pubhcatlon Data frame to provide vertical thrust for vertical takeoif and

Us 2007/0034738 A1 Feb 15, 2007 landing. Preferably, the air-impeller engine employs dual, coaxial, contra-rotating rotors for increased thrust and gyro

Related US. Application Data scopic stability. An air vane assembly directs a portion of the

(60) Division of application No. 10/763,973, ?led on Jan. i?utiltrucsgggtoplgn? lofezllirgli agigal?eilovgrriigdgra 3211;521:222; 52 2:.)04inOZnPa; N011 719323851 {65nd movement. The aircraft can employ a single engine in an 1m? 101211330030 app 10a Ion 0' e annular fuselage, tWo engines on a longitudinal fuselage on an ' chassis, three engines in a triangular arrangement for for

Ward ?i t stabili , or other multi le en ine arran ements (51) Int. or. y P g g B64C 15/00 (2006 01) in a symmetric, balanced con?guration. Other ?ight control

(52) us. Cl. .................. .. 244/23 A- 244/121' 416/170 mechanisms. may be employed including Side wlnglets an 58 F M f Cl _? t_ s h 244/12 1 12 3 overhead Wmg, and/or arr rudders or ?aps. An mtegrated

( ) 1e 0 assl ca Ion earc "" " ' T ' f ?ight control system can be used to operate the various ?ight 244/1712 60 23 R 23 A 23 B 1711f control mechanisms. Electric poWer is supplied to the mag

310/46 61T63 417/350 420 423'1 423'7 netic induction drives by high-capacity lightweight batteries _ _ _ 416/170 or fuel cells. The hover aircraft is especially Well suited for

See apphcanon ?le for Complete Search hlstory' applications requiring VTOL deployment, hover operation (56) References Cited for quiet surveillance, maneuvering in close air spaces, and

Us. PATENT DOCUMENTS

2,077,471 A * 4/1937 Fink ........................ .. 244/123 2,943,816 A 7/1960 Hiller, Jr. .. 244/23 R 3,082,977 A * 3/1963 Arlin ..................... .. 244/1723

long duration ?ights for continuous surveillance of ground targets and important facilities requiring constant monitor ing.

17 Claims, 29 Drawing Sheets

US 7,249,732 B2 Page 2

US. PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,113,029 A 9/2000 Salinas ................... .. 244/23 C 6,464,166 B1 10/2002 Yoeli . 244/12.1

3,184,183 A 5/1965 Plasecki ----------------- -~ 244/23 R 6,568,630 B2 5/2003 Yoeli ...................... .. 244/23 R 3,437,290 A 4/1969 Norman 244/121 2004/0069901 A1* 4/2004 Nunnally ................ .. 244/34 R 3,914,629 A 10/1975 Gardiner .. . 310/4 3,997,131 A 12/1976 Kling .... .. 244/23 R 4,880,071 A * 11/1989 Tracy . 180/117 OTHER PUBLICATIONS 4,953,811 A 9/1990 Smith 244/ 1719 http://WWW.aer0m0bile.com/aeromobileivers2/Vide0s/vide0i 5,303,879 A 4/1994 Bucher 244/23 C gimbalfan/videoigimbalfan,htm, 5,351,911 A 10/1994 Neumayr - 244/23 C Of?ce of Secreatry of Defense, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 5,454,531 A 10/1995 Melkuti 244/12.6 Roadmap, 20002025 dated Apr 2001 5,653,404 A * 8/1997 Ploshkin .. 244/12.2 5,738,302 A 4/1998 Freeland .. .. 244/23 R * cited by examiner

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 1 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 2 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 3 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 4 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 5 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

Fig. 5c

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 6 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 7 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 8 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 9 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

v I f

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 10 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

107 104 Fig 100

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 11 0129 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 12 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 13 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 15 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

0M4. mp

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 16 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

A1 0 A1 1

FIG. 16 A16 A12

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 17 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

FIG. 17

U.S. Patent Jul. 31, 2007 Sheet 18 0f 29 US 7,249,732 B2

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TIFIII_ Y182 ' ' ' FIG. 18B