OCEAN - AIR VEHICLE

摘要

A vehicle having a wing, a forward propeller configured for forward flight, and an aft propeller configured for submerged travel in a rearward direction. The vehicle center of mass is aft of its floating center of buoyancy, and center of mass and the floating center of buoyancy lie between the first and second propellers. The vehicle has a natural floating orientation in which the vehicle, while floating, has its first propeller located in the air and positioned for initiating airborne flight in a forward direction, and in which the vehicle has its second propeller located in the liquid and positioned for initiating submerged travel in a rearward direction.

主权项

1. A vehicle for use with a body of liquid having a surface, comprising:
a structure including wing defining opposite forward and aft directions for winged flight; a first propulsion unit including a first thrust device mounted and configured for providing thrust for airborne flight above the surface, the first thrust device establishing a first thrust vector having a component in the forward direction; and wherein the vehicle density is low enough for the vehicle to float in the body of liquid; wherein the vehicle is characterized by a natural floating orientation in which, with the vehicle floating, the first thrust device is positioned above the surface for initiating airborne flight in an upward direction with respect to gravity.