초록 ▼

A method of shipping a disassembled miniature, unmanned aircraft capable of handling data, the aircraft having remote guidance, an onboard microprocessor for managing flight, wing area of at least eight hundred square inches, a wingspan of at least eight feet, and weighing under fifty-five pounds. T

A method of shipping a disassembled miniature, unmanned aircraft capable of handling data, the aircraft having remote guidance, an onboard microprocessor for managing flight, wing area of at least eight hundred square inches, a wingspan of at least eight feet, and weighing under fifty-five pounds. The aircraft includes a data handling module. The aircraft is disassembled into separate components including at a minimum the wing, the fuselage, and the data handling module. The fuselage and possibly other lesser components are packed in a first shipping container. The wing is packed in a second shipping container. The data handling module is packed in a third shipping container. The first and second containers are shipped by overnight courier, while the third container is either shipped the same way or alternatively travels as unchecked luggage aboard a commercial airliner.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of packing a miniature, unmanned, data handling aircraft for overnight shipment to destinations throughout the United States, comprising the steps of: providing a miniature, unmanned aircraft having a fuselage, landing gear, a vertical stabilizer, a horizontal stabilizer, a wing construc

1. A method of packing a miniature, unmanned, data handling aircraft for overnight shipment to destinations throughout the United States, comprising the steps of: providing a miniature, unmanned aircraft having a fuselage, landing gear, a vertical stabilizer, a horizontal stabilizer, a wing constructed to have effective lift area of at least eight hundred square inches and length of at least eight feet, a remote guidance system including an onboard microprocessor, an engine drivably connected to a propeller and an associated fuel supply system, a radio frequency receiver connected to the microprocessor, flight control surfaces and servomechanisms disposed to operate the flight control surfaces, and a mission data handling module having a housing and a data handling apparatus contained within the housing, wherein the gross weight of the aircraft is limited to be less than fifty-five pounds; providing connections enabling the wing, the landing gear, the horizontal stabilizer, and the mission data handling module to be readily attached to and removed from the fuselage; disassembling the aircraft into separate components including at least the wing, the fuselage, and the mission data handling module; andproviding a first shipping container dimensioned and configured to receive and fully enclose at least the fuselage, a second shipping container dimensioned and configured to receive and fully enclose at least the wing, and a third shipping container dimensioned and configured to receive and fully enclose at least the mission data handling module, each of said first, second, and third shipping containers being dimensioned and configured for shipment by an overnight commercial courier air freight service.2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of shipping at least one of the first shipping container, the second shipping container, and the third shipping container as freight unaccompanied by a paying passenger by an overnight commercial courier, while simultaneously shipping at least one of the first shipping container, the second shipping container, and the third shipping container as checked luggage accompanied by a paying passenger on a commercial airline.3. The method according to claim 2, comprising the further step of accompanying at least one of the first shipping container, second shipping container, and the third shipping container shipped as checked luggage by a person tasked with contributing to use of the aircraft at the region served by the destination to which said first shipping container, said second shipping container, and said third shipping container are being shipped.4. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of shipping the landing gear and the horizontal stabilizer in the first shipping container together with the fuselage.5. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of configuring the fuselage to be relatively wide at one end and relatively narrow at the other end; configuring the landing gear as a U-shaped assembly having two legs and a connecting member, wherein the two legs are spaced apart sufficiently to enable the landing gear to straddle the narrow end of the fuselage when the landing gear is removed from the fuselage; and packing the landing gear within the first shipping container in a position wherein the legs of the landing gear straddle the fuselage.6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of providing a miniature, unmanned aircraft comprises the further steps of placing the servomechanisms and the flight stability sensors under the control of the microprocessor when the aircraft is assembled.