Aircraft

Description

Title of invention: Aircraft

The present invention relates to an aircraft, in particular an all-electric aircraft, with vertical take-off and landing (vertical take-off and landing, VTOL).

[0002] The term VTOL designates, in aerospace technology, beyond linguistic definitions, all types of aircraft, drones or rockets which have the ability to take off and land again essentially vertically and without a take-off runway and 'landing. This collective term is used below in a broad sense and includes not only fixed-wing aircraft with airfoils, but also rotorcraft such as helicopters, gyroplanes and gyrodynes and hybrids such as hybrid or combination helicopters as well than convertplanes. Also included are aircraft with the ability to take off and land on particularly short runways / short take-off and landing, STOL), take off on short runways but land vertically / short take-off and vertical landing, STOVL) or to take off vertically but land horizontally /vertical take-off and horizontal landing, VTHL).

[0003] Document US 5,716,032 A describes an automatic landing system for guiding an unmanned aircraft along a determined trajectory to a predetermined point on the ground. The system contains an image processing device in a motion compensation processor that calculates aircraft parameters. These calculations are based on the movement of elements in the video from an imaging sensor on board the aircraft. The motion compensation processor also measures the distance between two beacons that are a known distance apart from each other on either side of the visible placement point. A ground recovery command processor calculates commands for the autopilot which corrects the flight path of the aircraft. The video image can either be transmitted via a data link to the ground station or the image processing can be performed on board the aircraft.

[0004] An aircraft precision landing approach system according to document DE 60 106 446 T2 determines the position of the aircraft in real time by measuring a time elapsed between an interrogation signal and a signal response from the transponder in a plurality of predetermined locations. The system acquires a precise position of the aircraft by measuring the differential response phase of the transponder in order to calculate an approach angle.

[0005] The approach according to the invention is based on the knowledge that vertical landings must take place on small and densely constructed landing sites on a precisely predefined flight track, in order to avoid hitting or disturb other users, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0006] The proposed approach also takes into account the fact that extremely precise on-board systems for spatial location and position understanding are generally heavy and expensive.

[0007] The invention is ultimately based on the observation that the correct approach to determined landing sites, for example helicopter landing sites, should be well known and that it is therefore not necessary that each approaching aircraft acquire this knowledge automatically. Rather, it only needs to be communicated appropriately how to follow the intended flight path.

[0008] In view of this background, the invention provides an aircraft, in particular an entirely electric aircraft, capable of taking off and landing vertically in the direction indicated above, characterized in that:

- the aircraft has a near-area radar device and - the near-area radar device is provided to detect or recognize a flight path which is predefined using position detection of the aircraft by a ground station.

[0009] An advantage of this radar-based detection system lies in the fact that it can be used by taking advantage of simple predefined signs and symbols even in unfavorable visibility conditions.

Other advantageous configurations of the invention are indicated below. In particular, the aircraft according to the invention is characterized in that:

- the aircraft further comprises detection software for designing determined symbols and

- the flight path is predefined by the symbols;

- the near-area radar device is intended to read the symbols of a ferroelectric liquid display and

- the flight path is predefined by means of the liquid display;

- the aircraft has a fully electric drive;

- the aircraft comprises bent or bent or bendable or bendable airfoils;

- the aircraft comprises a rapidly rechargeable battery system;

- the aircraft comprises ducted propellers fixed horizontally for take-off and landing;

- the aircraft has slats and

- the horizontal ducted propellers can be covered selectively by means of the slats;

- the aircraft comprises ducted propellers fixed vertically to generate a propulsion force;

- the aircraft can optionally be controlled entirely autonomously. [0011] Thus, the aircraft can therefore be provided, for example, with airfoils that are bent or can be bent selectively. A corresponding variant increases the active surface of the wings in horizontal flight without, however, enlarging the ground surface of the aircraft.

[0012] Additionally, the aircraft may have a rapidly rechargeable battery system that provides drive power for vertical take-off and landing as well as horizontal flight and allows rapid recharging of the battery. aircraft on the ground.

[0013] For the drive of the aircraft, one can use in this case, instead of free-moving rotors, several ducted propellers (ducted fans) of different sizes, which are known outside aerospace technology, for example by air cushion vehicles or hydrofoils. The cylindrical casing surrounding the propeller makes it possible to considerably reduce, in such an embodiment, the losses of thrust due to vortices at the level of the blade tips. Suitable ducted propellers can be oriented horizontally or vertically, can be made so as to be able to pivot between two positions or can be covered, in horizontal flight, by slats (known under the Anglo-Saxon name of louvers) for aerodynamic reasons. In addition, a simple generation of horizontal thrust can be envisaged by means of fixed ducted propellers.

[0014] Finally, in addition to preferably fully autonomous operation of the aircraft, it is also possible to consider providing manual control by sufficiently qualified human pilots, which gives the device according to the invention a very great flexibility of handling.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and will be described below in more detail.

[0016] [Fig.l] illustrates the proposed solution.

The single figure illustrates the constructive characteristics of a preferred configuration of the aircraft according to the invention 10. The system in the aircraft 10 comprises a near-zone radiodetection apparatus 11 oriented towards the ground and detection software simple that interprets predefined symbols and signs that are read again using the reflection of radio waves by a ferroelectric liquid display 15.

[0018] The ground station 14 for its part comprises a position detection system 13 whose combination of sensors allows precise reading of the position of the aircraft 10 with respect to the ground station 14, the liquid display 15 on the ground used for guidance as well as an appropriate control.

The ground station system 14 for position detection 13 detects with high precision the relative position of the aircraft 10 with respect to the ground station 14.

Such a localization system can be a combination of different sensors (camera, radar, lidar etc.) which are possibly arranged differently in order to improve the precision of the position detection 13. This sensor module does not need be lightweight or low power consumption and can therefore be manufactured economically.

[0020] The ground station control 14 stores a predefined flight path 12 for the approach. By comparing this flight path 12 and the current position of the aircraft 10, the control calculates the necessary movements of the aircraft 10 as well as its speeds to follow the flight path 12. The respective direction of movement and its speed are illustrated on the liquid display 15 by corresponding directional arrows or numbers. The near-zone radar device 11 reads said signs or numbers and transmits them to the flight dispatcher which reacts accordingly.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown in the accompanying drawing. Modifications remain possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the invention.