Aerial recovery of small and micro air vehicles

摘要

A method, apparatus, system, and computer system to facilitate aerial recovery of an air vehicle are disclosed. In various embodiments, a drogue is established in a drogue recovery orbit and an air vehicle is recovered with the drogue. Establishment of the drogue in a drogue recovery orbit may include establishment of a mothership in a mothership recovery orbit or actuating control surfaces on the drogue. Recovering the air vehicle may include maneuvering the drogue and the air vehicle in a cooperative manner to facilitate recovery of the air vehicle or utilizing a homing device on the drogue to guide the air vehicle. The various techniques disclosed may be modified to compensate for wind.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
establishing a mothership in a mothership recovery orbit, wherein the mothership maintains substantially the same altitude while flying in a generally circular horizontal pattern, the mothership recovery orbit having a first radius; establishing a drogue deployed from and being towed by the mothership in a drogue recovery orbit, wherein the drogue maintains substantially the same altitude while flying in a generally circular horizontal pattern, the drogue recovery orbit having a second radius that is significantly smaller than the first radius of the mothership recovery orbit, wherein the mothership is traveling at a faster speed than the drogue, and wherein establishing the drogue in the drogue recovery orbit comprises actuating one or more control surfaces of the drogue; and recovering an air vehicle with the drogue.