Towable autogyro system having repositionable mast responsive to center of gratvity calculations

摘要

An unmanned, towable aerovehicle is described and includes a container to hold cargo, an autogyro assembly connected to the container and to provide flight characteristics, and a controller to control operation the autogyro assembly for unmanned flight. The container includes a connection to connect to a powered aircraft to provide forward motive force to power the autogyro assembly. In an example, the autogyro assembly includes a mast extending from the container, a rotatable hub on an end of the mast, and a plurality of blades connected to the hub for rotation to provide lift to the vehicle. In an example, an electrical motor rotates the blades prior to lift off to assist in take off. The electrical motor does not have enough power to sustain flight of the vehicle.

主权项

1. An aerovehicle towed in flight by a towing aircraft, the aerovehicle comprising:
a flight body; a plurality of weight sensors configured to sense weight of the towed aerovehicle; an autogyro assembly connected to the flight body that includes a mast, a rotatable hub on an end of the mast, and a plurality of airfoil blades connected to the hub; an actuator connected to the mast that is actuated to move the location of the mast relative to the flight body; and a controller programmed to control operation of the autogyro assembly for unmanned flight, wherein the controller receives weight data sensed by the plurality of weight sensors, and actuates the actuator to change the location of the mast in response to the received weight data.