초록 ▼

An air vehicle is provided, including a body having a longitudinal axis, a wing arrangement rotatably mounted to the body with respect to the longitudinal axis, a direction control arrangement for controlling the direction of motion of the body, and an actuation mechanism operable for selectively an

An air vehicle is provided, including a body having a longitudinal axis, a wing arrangement rotatably mounted to the body with respect to the longitudinal axis, a direction control arrangement for controlling the direction of motion of the body, and an actuation mechanism operable for selectively and controllably rotating the wing arrangement with respect to the body through at least a desired first angular displacement about the longitudinal axis. Methods for operating air vehicles are also provided.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An air vehicle, comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis;a wing rotatably mounted to said body with respect to said longitudinal axis, wherein said wing has a wing arrangement including a port wing portion and a starboard wing portion, and said wing arrangement is formed as a unitary wing st

1. An air vehicle, comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis;a wing rotatably mounted to said body with respect to said longitudinal axis, wherein said wing has a wing arrangement including a port wing portion and a starboard wing portion, and said wing arrangement is formed as a unitary wing structure; direction control arrangement for controlling the direction of motion of the body; and an actuation mechanism operable for selectively and controllably rotating said wing with respect to said body through at least a desired first angular displacement about said longitudinal axis, independently of operation of said direction control arrangement,wherein said wing is rotatably mounted to said body via a rolling mechanism,wherein said rolling mechanism comprises a sleeve configured for rotation about said longitudinal axis with respect to said body, and wherein said wing is mounted to said sleeve for enabling controllable rotation therewith about said longitudinal axis,wherein said wing is mounted in a substantially tangential relationship with respect to said sleeve, andwherein said wing is pivotably mounted to said sleeve via a pivot arrangement having a pivoting axis, said pivoting axis being substantially orthogonal with respect to said longitudinal axis, and wherein the wing is configured for being pivotably rotated about said pivot axis between a stowed configuration, in which a span of the wing is in a substantially parallel relationship with the longitudinal axis, and a deployed configuration in which said span is in a substantially orthogonal relationship with respect to said longitudinal axis. 2. The air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve is configured for freely rotating with respect to said body about said longitudinal axis, and said actuation mechanism is comprised in said wing, said actuation mechanism being configured for selectively inducing an aerodynamically generated rolling moment to said wing with respect to said body about said longitudinal axis to provide said at least desired first angular displacement about said longitudinal axis. 3. The air vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said actuation mechanism comprises actuable aerodynamic elements coupled to parts of said wing, said aerodynamic elements comprising ailerons mounted to said wing and controllably operable to selectively induce said aerodynamically generated rolling moment responsive to differential deflection of said ailerons when the vehicle is in a flight regime with respect to said wing. 4. The air vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a suitable controller operatively connected to suitable sensors and configured for controlling operation of said actuation mechanism and to provide said desired first angular displacement via a suitable control system using inputs from said sensors. 5. The air vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said sensors comprise at least inertial sensors, and roll angle sensors for sensing the roll angle of the wing with respect to said body. 6. The air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said actuation mechanism comprises a drive mechanism engaged to said sleeve and configured for selectively and controllably driving rotation of said sleeve, together with said wing, with respect to said body about said longitudinal axis through said first angular displacement. 7. The air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said body comprises a plurality of lugs for engaging the vehicle to suitable mounting positions of a carrier vehicle or the like, and wherein in said stowed configuration, said wing is angularly displaced from said lugs with respect to said longitudinal axis by a second angular displacement. 8. The air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said wing is pivotably rotatable about said pivot axis between said stowed configuration and said deployed configuration by means of suitable aerodynamic forces selectively generated by said wing, wherein said wing comprises at least one aerodynamic element configured for providing an aerodynamically induced turning moment about said pivot axis, at least when said vehicle is in flight, and wherein said aerodynamic element comprises at least one aileron mounted to said wing. 9. The air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said actuation mechanism is configured for rotating said sleeve such as to roll said wing about said body, with respect to said longitudinal axis, to a position substantially aligned with said upper portion of the body, during deployment of said wing to said deployed position. 10. The air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle is configured to execute a turn maneuver, wherein in said turn maneuver the vehicle is operated to enable said wing to provide an aerodynamic lift force required for the maneuver and wherein said wing is actively rotated with respect to said body about said longitudinal axis by said actuation mechanism such as to provide the required vector for the lift force for said maneuver. 11. The air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said turn maneuver is executed while substantially unaffecting the roll orientation of said body with respect to the Earth. 12. The air vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said actuation mechanism is different from the said direction control arrangement. 13. A method for operating an air vehicle, comprising (a) providing an air vehicle as defined in claim 1;(b) controllably rotating said wing with respect to said body about said longitudinal axis through at least said desired first angular displacement. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein step (b) comprises inducing an aerodynamic rolling moment by the wing to rotate said wing with respect to said body about said longitudinal axis through said desired first angular displacement. 15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said wing is actively rolled with respect to said body about said longitudinal axis through said desired said first angular displacement, such as to provide a required vector for the lift force for carrying out said maneuver. 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said turn maneuver is executed while substantially unaffecting the roll orientation of said body with respect to the Earth. 17. The method according to claim 13, wherein step (b) includes selectively and controllably rotating said wing with respect to said body through at least said desired angular displacement about said longitudinal axis, independently of operation of said direction control arrangement of the air vehicle. 18. An air vehicle, comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis;a wing rotatably mounted to said body and configured for enabling relative rotation between said body and said wing about said longitudinal axis;direction control arrangement for controlling the direction of motion of the body; anda pivot arrangement having a pivoting axis, said pivoting axis being substantially orthogonal with respect to said longitudinal axis,wherein the wing is configured for being pivotably rotated about said pivot axis between a stowed configuration, in which a span of the wing is in a substantially parallel relationship with the longitudinal axis, and a deployed configuration in which said span is in a substantially orthogonal relationship with respect to said longitudinal axis, andwherein said wing is pivotably rotatable about said pivot axis between said stowed configuration and said deployed configuration by means of suitable aerodynamic forces selectively generated by said wing. 19. The air vehicle according to claim 18, wherein said body comprises suitable mounting arrangement for mounting the air vehicle to a carrier vehicle or the like. 20. The air vehicle according to claim 19, wherein in said stowed configuration, said wing is angularly displaced from said mounting arrangement with respect to said longitudinal axis by a second angular displacement. 21. The air vehicle according to claim 18, wherein said wing comprises at least one aerodynamic element configured for providing an aerodynamically induced turning moment about said pivot axis, at least when said vehicle is in flight, and wherein said aerodynamic element comprises at least one aileron mounted to said wing. 22. The air vehicle according to claim 18, wherein said wing is rotatably mounted to said body via a sleeve configured for rotation about said longitudinal axis with respect to said body, and wherein said wing is mounted to said sleeve for enabling controllable rotation therewith about said longitudinal axis, and further comprising an actuation mechanism coupled to the wing and operable for selectively and controllably rotating said wing with respect to said body through a desired first angular displacement about said longitudinal axis. 23. The air vehicle according to claim 22, wherein said actuation mechanism is configured for rotating said sleeve such as to roll said wing about said body, with respect to said longitudinal axis, to a position substantially aligned with said upper portion of the body, during deployment of said wing to said deployed position.