IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0190675
(2011-07-26)
|
등록번호 |
US-8528853
(2013-09-10)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
8 인용 특허 :
28 |
초록
▼
A vehicle includes a first sub-vehicle, and a second sub-vehicle which is repeatably moveable between coupled and uncoupled conditions with the first sub-vehicle. The first and second sub-vehicles each include a landing system and propulsion system. The first and second sub-vehicles are in the coupl
A vehicle includes a first sub-vehicle, and a second sub-vehicle which is repeatably moveable between coupled and uncoupled conditions with the first sub-vehicle. The first and second sub-vehicles each include a landing system and propulsion system. The first and second sub-vehicles are in the coupled condition during take-off. The first and second sub-vehicles are separately flyable in the uncoupled condition. Both vehicles are launched horizontally, by a ramp, or vertically, using atmospheric lift to achieve atmospheric flight, orbital, or sub-orbital launch.
대표청구항
▼
1. An in-line staged flight vehicle comprising: (i) a launch vehicle, the launch vehicle comprising: (a) a launch vehicle body, the launch vehicle body comprising: (i) a launch vehicle front portion; comprising: a launch vehicle front bottom portion;(ii) a launch vehicle rear portion; and(iii) at le
1. An in-line staged flight vehicle comprising: (i) a launch vehicle, the launch vehicle comprising: (a) a launch vehicle body, the launch vehicle body comprising: (i) a launch vehicle front portion; comprising: a launch vehicle front bottom portion;(ii) a launch vehicle rear portion; and(iii) at least one launch vehicle airfoil; and(b) a launch vehicle propulsion system; wherein the at least one launch vehicle airfoil is configured to generate lift; andwherein the launch vehicle propulsion system is attached to a portion of the launch vehicle and configured to facilitate powered flight of the flight vehicle; and(ii) a crew vehicle, the crew vehicle comprising: (a) a crew vehicle body, the crew vehicle body comprising: (i) a crew vehicle front portion;(ii) a crew vehicle rear portion comprising: a rear opening; and(iii) at least one crew vehicle airfoil; andwherein the at least one crew vehicle airfoil is configured to generate lift;wherein the rear opening is configured to receive the launch vehicle front bottom portion; andwherein the launch vehicle is configured to takeoff horizontally;wherein the crew vehicle is configured to takeoff horizontally;wherein the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are moveable between a coupled condition and an uncoupled condition;wherein the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle may move from the coupled condition to the uncoupled condition during flight;wherein, in the coupled condition, during atmospheric flight, the launch vehicle body and the crew vehicle body generate lift for the flight vehicle;wherein, in the coupled condition, the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are staged in-line such that the launch vehicle front portion is removably connected to the crew vehicle rear portion and the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are aligned along a common centerline; andwherein in the coupled condition, a leading edge of the at least one launch vehicle airfoil is adjacent to a trailing edge of the at least one crew vehicle airfoil. 2. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle is an unmanned vehicle. 3. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the launch vehicle is configured to land horizontally and the crew vehicle is configured to land horizontally. 4. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the at least one crew vehicle airfoil is a wing; and the at least one launch vehicle airfoil is a wing. 5. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the crew vehicle and the launch vehicle is configured as one of: a flying wing; a lifting body; and a blended wing. 6. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are configured to form a single airfoil when the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are in the coupled condition. 7. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 6, wherein when the crew vehicle and the launch vehicle are in the coupled condition, the flight vehicle is configured as one of: a flying wing; a lifting body; and a blended wing. 8. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the crew vehicle further comprises: a crew vehicle propulsion system attached to a portion of the crew vehicle and configured to facilitate powered flight of the crew vehicle. 9. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 8, wherein at least one of the launch vehicle propulsion system and the crew vehicle propulsion system comprise at least one of: a turbojet engine; a turbofan engine; a liquid propellant rocket engine; a solid propellant rocket motor; a ram jet engine; and a scramjet engine. 10. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle further comprise: at least one control surface, configured to facilitate maneuvers during atmospheric flight. 11. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the launch vehicle further comprises a liquid propellant tank; andthe flight vehicle, when in a coupled condition, further comprises:a flight vehicle center of mass;wherein the liquid propellant tank is configured to supply a liquid propellant to the launch vehicle propulsion system; andwherein the liquid propellant tank is positioned at the launch vehicle front portion such that the liquid propellant tank is coextensive with the flight vehicle center of mass. 12. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the crew vehicle is one of: a sailplane;a weapons carrier;an orbital spacecraft;a suborbital spacecraft;a cruise missile;a suborbital transport;an orbital transport;a crewed vehicle;an unmanned vehicle;an unmanned surveillance vehicle; andan aerial refueling vehicle. 13. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the crew vehicle is configured as an expendable vehicle. 14. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the crew vehicle further comprises at least one explosive device. 15. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the crew vehicle is configured to take off only when in the coupled condition. 16. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the crew vehicle further comprises: a payload bay; and a payload release mechanism; wherein the payload bay is configured to house a payload; andwherein the payload release mechanism is configured to facilitate release of the payload at a predetermined altitude. 17. The in-line staged flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the crew vehicle rear portion is shaped to conform to the launch vehicle front portion. 18. A method of launching an in-line staged flight vehicle wherein the flight vehicle is configured to takeoff horizontally and comprising: a launch vehicle, the launch vehicle comprising: a launch vehicle body, configured to generate lift; a launch vehicle front portion comprising a launch vehicle front bottom portion, a launch vehicle rear portion, at least one launch vehicle airfoil; and a launch vehicle propulsion system; configured to facilitate powered flight of the flight vehicle; and a crew vehicle, the crew vehicle comprising: a crew vehicle body, configured to generate lift; a crew vehicle front portion; and a crew vehicle rear portion comprising a rear opening; at least one crew vehicle airfoil wherein the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are removably connected and moveable between a coupled condition and an uncoupled condition, wherein the rear opening is configured to receive the launch vehicle front bottom portion; in the coupled condition, the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are staged in-line such that the launch vehicle front portion is removably connected to the crew vehicle rear portion and the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are aligned along a common centerline; wherein in the coupled condition, a leading edge of the at least one launch vehicle airfoil is adjacent to a trailing edge of the at least one crew vehicle airfoil; and the crew vehicle may move from the coupled condition to the uncoupled condition during flight, the method comprising the steps of: (a) operating the flight vehicle to accomplish a horizontal takeoff from a runway;(b) flying the flight vehicle to a predetermined altitude;(c) disconnecting the crew vehicle from the launch vehicle upon reaching a predetermined altitude; and(d) flying the crew vehicle and the launch vehicle independently of each other. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of: (e) flying the crew vehicle to space; and(f) landing the launch vehicle horizontally on a runway.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.