Rapid assembly aircraft for ground surveillance

Claim 2

In a manually launchable aircraft adapted to be assembled from components that fit closely together in a package substantially shorter than the wing span of the aircraft, the combination comprising a) a fuselage having a relatively enlarged forward portion and a relatively reduced size rearward portion, with vertical stabilizer area, the aircraft having a principal axis which extends forwardly through the fuselage, and a yaw axis which extends normal to the principal axis and upwardly and downwardly relative to the fuselage, the principal axis and yaw axis defining an intersection locus, b) a propeller, electric motor drive therefor, and electric battery means for energizing the motor, all carried by said fuselage forward portion, c) a center wing panel having removable attachment to said fuselage forward portion to extend transversely relative thereto, d) wing tips having removable attachment to opposite ends of said center panel to extend laterally therefrom, said wing tips having dihedral of at least about 5°, e) and horizontal tail structure attached to said fuselage rearward portion, said fuselage rearward portion removably attached to said fuselage forward portion, f) whereby said center wing panel, wing tips and tail structure may be individually fitted in said package, alongside said fuselage forward and rearward portions, g) at least one of said removable attachments including interfittable pin and socket connections, h) the aircraft having a rudder, and including a rate gyroscope carried by said fuselage and operatively connected with the rudder for controlling same, the gyroscope located at said locus and having an axis of sensitivity extending upwardly and tilted forwardly from said locus and relative to said yaw axis at an angle between 10° and 50° relative thereto to be responsive to both yaw and roll of the aircraft about said yaw axis and said principal axis, respectively, for controlling the rudder to counteract both yaw and roll, which are both controlled by the rudder.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 including a package in which said wing tips, center wing panel and tail structure are interfitted alongside said fuselage, the package length being substantially less than the overall wing span of the aircraft with said wing tips attached to the opposite ends of the center wing panel.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein the center wing panel and each of the wing tips have plug-in pin and socket interconnection.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 wherein the tail structure includes a generally horizontally extending stabilizer supporting elevator means.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 wherein the fuselage rearward portion comprises a tail boom having removable lengthwise attachment to the fuselage forward portion.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 wherein the fuselage rearward portion comprises a forwardly projecting boom having a removable plug-in attachment to the fuselage forward portion.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 wherein the propeller extends above the fuselage forward portion.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 1 including a sensor carried by the fuselage forward portion, and means operatively connected with the aircraft and in signal transmitting communication with the sensor, said means comprising a radio frequency transmitter.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 1 including a sensor carried by the fuselage forward portion, and means operatively connected with the aircraft and in signal transmitting communication with the sensor, said means comprising a fiber optic cable carried by a bobbin on the fuselage to unreel therefrom to maintain signal transmitting communication with a control station at the earth surface.

Claim 11

In an aircraft having a fuselage, wing, stabilizer and a rudder, and engine means for thrusting the aircraft, the wing having substantially dihedral, and being free of ailerons, the combination comprising a) a single rate gyroscope carried by the aircraft and operatively connected with the rudder for controlling the rudder, b) the aircraft having a principal axis extending lengthwise of the fuselage, and yaw axis normal to the principal axis, and upwardly and downwardly relative to the fuselage, the principal axis and yaw axis defining an intersection locus, c) the gyroscope having an axis of sensitivity which extends upwardly and is tilted forwardly from said locus and relative to the yaw axis, whereby the rate gyroscope is responsive to roll of the aircraft about said principal axis to produce a first output, and the gyroscope is also responsive to yaw of the aircraft about said yaw axis to produce a second output, d) and means operatively connected between the gyroscope and rudder to be responsive to either of said outputs to displace the rudder in a direction to counteract said roll and/or said yaw, whereby rate gyroscope control of stability is obtained using rudder control only.

Claim 12

In an aircraft having a fuselage, wing, stabilizer and a rudder, and engine means for thrusting the aircraft, the wing having substantially dihedral, and being free of ailerons, the combination comprising a) a single rate gyroscope carried by the aircraft and operatively connected with the rudder for controlling the rudder, b) the aircraft having a principal axis extending lengthwise of the fuselage, and yaw axis normal to the principal axis, and upwardly and downwardly relative to the fuselage, the principal axis and yaw axis defining an intersection locus, c) the gyroscope having an axis of sensitivity which extends upwardly and is tilted forwardly from said locus and relative to the yaw axis, whereby the rate gyroscope is responsive to roll of the aircraft about said principal axis to produce a first output, and the gyroscope is also responsive to yaw of the aircraft about said yaw axis to produce a second output, d) and means operatively connected between the gyroscope and rudder to be responsive to either of said outputs to displace the rudder in a direction to counteract said roll and/or said yaw, whereby rate gyroscope control of stability is obtained using rudder control only.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 10 including a ground-to-air control system operatively connected with the aircraft to control said rudder and said stabilizer.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 11 including a terrain observing video camera carried by said aircraft in a position to observe the terrain, and a video transmitting link between the camera and a video receiver on the ground.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 10 including h) the fuselage having a relatively enlarged forward portion and a relatively reduced size rearward portion, with vertical stabilizer area, i) a propeller, said engine means including an electric motor drive and electrical battery means for energizing the motor drive, j) the wing having a center wing panel with removable attachment to said fuselage forward portion to extend transversely relative thereto, the propeller and drive carried by said center wing panel, k) and the wing having wing tips with removable attachment to opposite ends of said center panel extending laterally therefrom.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 13 wherein the fuselage forward portion includes a vertical pylon that projects upwardly above the level of the remainder of the fuselage forward portion, the pylon having an upper portion that extends generally forwardly, the center wing panel having rearwardly interlockable connection with said upper portion of the pylon allowing relatively forward detachment of the center wing panel from the pylon upon predetermined shock impact of the fuselage forward portion with the ground, there being electrical terminals carried by the pylon and center wing panel that interconnect in response to said rearward interlocking connection of the upper portion of the pylon with the center wing panel, and which detach in response to said relatively forward detachment of the center wing panel from the pylon, said one of the terminals connected with the battery, and the other of the terminals connected with the propeller drive.

Claim 17

In a terrain surveillance aircraft of relatively small size, adapted to be assembled from components that fit closely together, the combination comprising a) a fuselage having a relatively enlarged forward portion and a relatively reduced size rearward portion, with vertical stabilizer area, the aircraft having a principal axis which extends forwardly through the fuselage, and a yaw axis which extends normal to the principal axis and upwardly and downwardly relative to the fuselage, the principal axis and yaw axis defining an intersection locus, b) a propeller, electric motor drive therefor, all carried by said fuselage forward portion, c) a center wing panel having removable attachment to said fuselage forward portion to extend transversely relative thereto, d) wing tips having attachment to opposite ends of said center panel to extend laterally therefrom, and with dihedral relative thereto, e) and horizontal tail structure attached to said fuselage rearward portion, said fuselage rearward portion removably attached to said fuselage forward portion, f) the fuselage forward portion includes a vertical pylon that projects upwardly above the level of the remainder of the fuselage forward portion, the pylon having an upper portion that extends generally forwardly, the center wing panel having rearwardly interlockable connection with said upper portion of the pylon allowing relatively forward detachment of the center wing panel from the pylon upon predetermined shock impact of the fuselage forward portion with the ground, there being electrical terminals carried by the pylon and center wing panel that interconnect in response to said rearward interlocking connection of the upper portion of the pylon with the center wing panel, and which detach in response to said relatively forward detachment of the center wing panel from the pylon, said one of the terminals connected with the battery, and the other of the terminals connected with the propeller drive, g) the aircraft having a rudder, and including a rate gyroscope carried by said fuselage and operatively connected with the rudder for controlling same, the gyroscope located at said locus and having an axis of sensitivity extending upwardly and tilted forwardly from said locus and relative to said yaw axis at an angle between 10 degrees and 50 degrees relative thereto to be responsive to both yaw and roll of the aircraft about said yaw axis and said principal axis, respectively, for controlling the rudder to counteract both yaw and roll, which are both controlled by the rudder.

Claim 18

In a terrain surveillance aircraft of relatively small size, adapted to be assembled from components that fit closely together, the combination comprising a) a fuselage having a relatively enlarged forward portion and a relatively reduced size rearward portion, with vertical stabilizer area, the aircraft having a principal axis which extends forwardly through the fuselage, and a yaw axis which extends normal to the principal axis and upwardly and downwardly relative to the fuselage, the principal axis and yaw axis defining an intersection locus, b) a propeller, electric motor drive therefor, all carried by said fuselage forward portion, c) a center wing panel having removable attachment to said fuselage forward portion to extend transversely relative thereto, d) wing tips having attachment to opposite ends of said center panel to extend laterally therefrom, and with dihedral relative thereto, e) and horizontal tail structure attached to said fuselage rearward portion, said fuselage rearward portion removably attached to said fuselage forward portion, f) the fuselage forward portion includes a vertical pylon that projects upwardly above the level of the remainder of the fuselage forward portion, the pylon having an upper portion that extends generally forwardly, the center wing panel having rearwardly interlockable connection with said upper portion of the pylon allowing relatively forward detachment of the center wing panel from the pylon upon predetermined shock impact of the fuselage forward portion with the ground, there being electrical terminals carried by the pylon and center wing panel that interconnect in response to said rearward interlocking connection of the upper portion of the pylon with the center wing panel, and which detach in response to said relatively forward detachment of the center wing panel from the pylon, said one of the terminals connected with the battery, and the other of the terminals connected with the propeller drive, g) the aircraft having a rudder, and including a rate gyroscope carried by said fuselage and operatively connected with the rudder for controlling same, the gyroscope located at said locus and having an axis of sensitivity extending upwardly and tilted forwardly from said locus and relative to said yaw axis at an angle between 10 degrees and 50 degrees relative thereto to be responsive to both yaw and roll of the aircraft about said yaw axis and said principal axis, respectively, for controlling the rudder to counteract both yaw and roll, which are both controlled by the rudder.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 15 including a terrain observing video camera carried by said fuselage forward portion, a rudder pivotably carried by said fuselage rearward portion, and a rate gyroscope means carried by the fuselage forward portion and operatively connected to the rudder in controlling relation therewith to correct the yaw and roll motion of the aircraft, whereby the aircraft provides a substantially stabilized platform for said video camera.

Claim 20

In the method of operating a terrain surveillance, powdered aircraft having an on-board video camera that is not gimballed relative to the aircraft, the aircraft comprising multiple components including a rudder, the steps that include a) assembling said components into aircraft configuration at of near a launch site, the aircraft then having a principal axis and a yaw axis defining an intersection locus, b) launching the aircraft at said site with no human pilot on board same, c) remotely controlling the flight path of the aircraft by radio or cable link, to fly to a location for terrain surveillance, d) operating the on-board video camera to survey the terrain while varying yaw of the aircraft to provide sweep viewing of the terrain, e) and recovering the aircraft by controlling its flight to steeply descend to a landing zone, f) said assembling step including installing a gyroscope on the aircraft at closely proximate said locus to have its sensitive axis extended upwardly and tilted forwardly from said locus and relative to the yaw axis at between 10° and 40° and to control the rudder of the aircraft in feed-back control mode, thereby to minimize wind induced rolling and yawing of the aircraft about said principal axis and said yaw axis respectively, during said video camera survey of the terrain said gyroscope operated as the only automatic feed back control of said yawing and rolling.

Claim 21

In the method of operating a terrain surveillance, powdered aircraft having an on-board video camera that is not gimballed relative to the aircraft, the aircraft comprising multiple components including a rudder, the steps that include a) assembling said components into aircraft configuration at of near a launch site, the aircraft then having a principal axis and a yaw axis defining an intersection locus, b) launching the aircraft at said site with no human pilot on board same, c) remotely controlling the flight path of the aircraft by radio or cable link, to fly to a location for terrain surveillance, d) operating the on-board video camera to survey the terrain while varying yaw of the aircraft to provide sweep viewing of the terrain, e) and recovering the aircraft by controlling its flight to steeply descend to a landing zone, f) said assembling step including installing a gyroscope on the aircraft at closely proximate said locus to have its sensitive axis extended upwardly and tilted forwardly from said locus and relative to the yaw axis at between 10° and 40° and to control the rudder of the aircraft in feed-back control mode, thereby to minimize wind induced rolling and yawing of the aircraft about said principal axis and said yaw axis respectively, during said video camera survey of the terrain said gyroscope operated as the only automatic feed back control of said yawing and rolling.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17 wherein said launching step comprises hand launching.

Claim 23

The method of claim 17 wherein said control of aircraft flight to steeply descend includes deep stalling of the aircraft toward a target recovery zone.

Claim 24

The method of claim 17 wherein said aircraft includes a wing and an electrically driven propeller, and said assembling of the components includes installing of said propeller at a rearward location relative to said wing.

Claim 25

The method of claim 20 wherein said assembling of the components includes providing the wing with wing tip portion dihedral, between 5 and 8 degrees.

Claim 26

The method of claim 1 which includes viewing, at a ground control station, the terrain being surveyed by the camera and while varying said yaw of the aircraft.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22 including transmitting the video output of the camera, by video link, to a video receiver at the ground control station.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22 including recording the video output of the camera, on recording media.

Claim 29

The method of claim 17 including operating said ground station in a hand-held mode during said video link transmission.

Claim 30

The combination of claim 15 including a sensor carried by the fuselage forward portion, and means operatively connected with the aircraft and in signal transmitting communication with the sensor, said means comprising a fiber optics cable.