A tiltrotor aircraft having a VTOL flight mode, a forward flight mode and a storage mode includes a fuselage having a wing rotatably mounted thereto. The wing has an orientation generally perpendicular to the fuselage, in the flight modes, and an orientation generally parallel to the fuselage, in th
A tiltrotor aircraft having a VTOL flight mode, a forward flight mode and a storage mode includes a fuselage having a wing rotatably mounted thereto. The wing has an orientation generally perpendicular to the fuselage, in the flight modes, and an orientation generally parallel to the fuselage, in the storage mode. First and second pylon assemblies are positioned proximate outboard ends of the wing. First and second mast assemblies are respectively rotatable relative to the first and second pylon assemblies and have generally vertical orientations, in the VTOL flight mode, and generally horizontal orientations, in the forward flight mode and the storage mode. First and second proprotor assemblies are respectively rotatable relative to the first and second mast assemblies. Each proprotor assembly includes a plurality of rotor blades and has a radially extended orientation, in the flight modes, and a stowed orientation, in the storage mode.
대표청구항▼
1. A tiltrotor aircraft having a VTOL flight mode, a forward flight mode and a storage mode, the aircraft comprising: a fuselage;a wing rotatably mounted to the fuselage and having first and second outboard ends, the wing reversibly rotatable between a flight orientation, substantially perpendicular
1. A tiltrotor aircraft having a VTOL flight mode, a forward flight mode and a storage mode, the aircraft comprising: a fuselage;a wing rotatably mounted to the fuselage and having first and second outboard ends, the wing reversibly rotatable between a flight orientation, substantially perpendicular to the fuselage, in the flight modes, and a stowed orientation, substantially parallel to the fuselage, in the storage mode;first and second pylon assemblies respectively positioned proximate the first and second outboard ends of the wing;first and second mast assemblies respectively rotatable relative to the first and second pylon assemblies, the first and second mast assemblies reversibly rotatable between a substantially vertical orientation, in the VTOL flight mode, and a substantially horizontal orientation, in the forward flight mode and the storage mode; andfirst and second proprotor assemblies respectively rotatable relative to the first and second mast assemblies, the first and second proprotor assemblies each including first, second and third rotor blades and each having a radially extended orientation, in the flight modes, and a stowed orientation, in the storage mode, wherein the first rotor blade of each proprotor assembly is folded chordwise below the wing substantially conforming with the respective pylon assembly, the second rotor blade of each proprotor assembly is folded chordwise above the wing substantially conforming with the respective pylon assembly and the third rotor blade of each proprotor assembly is inboardly extended substantially parallel to, and above the wing. 2. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 further comprising first and second tail members mounted to the fuselage, the first and second tail members reversibly rotatable between a dihedral orientation, in the flight modes, and an anhedral orientation, in the storage mode. 3. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 wherein the first proprotor assembly rotates in phase with the second proprotor assembly. 4. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and second proprotor assemblies have matched counter rotation. 5. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second proprotor assemblies further comprises a rotor hub and wherein the rotor blades of each proprotor assembly are respectively hingeably coupled to the rotor hub. 6. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second proprotor assemblies further comprises a plurality of rotor blade locking assemblies operable to enable reversible rotation of the respective rotor blades between the radially extended orientation and the stowed orientation. 7. The aircraft as recited in claim 6 wherein the rotor blade locking assemblies are operable to enable manual reversible rotation of the respective rotor blades between the radially extended orientation and the stowed orientation. 8. The aircraft as recited in claim 6 wherein the rotor blade locking assemblies are operable to lock the respective rotor blades in the stowed orientation. 9. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second mast assemblies further comprises a pitch control assembly operable to control a collective pitch of the rotor blades of the respective proprotor assembly. 10. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second pylon assemblies further comprises a conversion actuator operable to reversibly rotate the respective mast assembly between the substantially vertical orientation and the substantially horizontal orientation. 11. A method of converting a tiltrotor aircraft from a VTOL flight mode to a storage mode, the aircraft including a fuselage, a wing rotatably mounted to the fuselage and having first and second outboard ends, first and second pylon assemblies respectively positioned proximate the first and second outboard ends of the wing, first and second mast assemblies respectively rotatable relative to the first and second pylon assemblies and first and second proprotor assemblies respectively rotatable relative to the first and second mast assemblies, the method comprising: rotating the first and second mast assemblies from a substantially vertical orientation to a substantially horizontal orientation;positioning a first rotor blade of each proprotor assembly in a substantially upwardly extending vertical orientation;folding a second rotor blade of each proprotor assembly chordwise from a radially extended orientation to an intermediate orientation; positioning a third rotor blade of each proprotor assembly to be inboardly extending substantially parallel to, and above the wing;folding the second rotor blade of each proprotor assembly chordwise from the intermediate orientation to a stowed orientation beneath the wing and substantially conforming with the respective pylon assembly;folding the first rotor blade of each proprotor assembly chordwise from a radially extended orientation to a stowed orientation above the wing and substantially conforming with the respective pylon assembly; and rotating the wing from a flight orientation, substantially perpendicular to the fuselage, to a stowed orientation, substantially parallel to the fuselage. 12. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising rotating first and second tail members mounted to the fuselage from a dihedral orientation to an anhedral orientation. 13. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising counter rotating the proprotor assemblies between the steps of positioning the first rotor blade of each proprotor assembly in the substantially upwardly extending vertical orientation and positioning the third rotor blade of each proprotor assembly in the inboardly extending substantially parallel with the wing orientation. 14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein counter rotating the proprotor assemblies further comprises counter rotating the proprotor assemblies approximately 30 degrees. 15. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising collectively adjusting a pitch of the rotor blades of each proprotor assembly before the folding steps. 16. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising feathering the rotor blades of each proprotor assembly before the folding steps. 17. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of folding the second rotor blade of each proprotor assembly chordwise from the radially extended orientation to the intermediate orientation further comprises manually folding the second rotor blade of each proprotor assembly. 18. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of folding the second rotor blade of each proprotor assembly chordwise from the intermediate orientation to the stowed orientation further comprises manually folding the second rotor blade of each proprotor assembly. 19. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of folding the first rotor blade of each proprotor assembly chordwise from the radially extended orientation to the stowed orientation further comprises manually folding the first rotor blade of each proprotor assembly. 20. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the steps of folding the first and second rotor blades of each proprotor assembly to the stowed orientations further comprise locking the first and second rotor blades of each proprotor assembly in the stowed orientations.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (10)
Schellhase Ernst C. (Fort Worth TX) Anastas ; deceased Dan (late of Swarthmore PA) Anastas ; executrix by Peggy (Delaware County PA) Keefer Paul E. (Bedford TX) Covington Cecil E. (Hurst TX) Zierer J, Apparatus and method for folding and locking rotor blades.
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