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 and second rotor blades of each proprotor assembly are bolded beamwise to be substantially parallel with the respective third rotor blade, the rotor blades of the first proprotor assembly have an ascending orientation relative to the wing and the rotor blades of the second proprotor assembly have a descending orientation relative to the wing, wherein the first proprotor assembly rotates approximately 60 degrees out of phase with the second proprotor assembly. 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, in the storage mode, the first proprotor assembly is positioned aft of the second proprotor assembly. 4. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 wherein, in the storage mode, the ascending orientation of the rotor blades of the first proprotor assembly relative to the wing further comprises an angle of approximately 30 degrees and the descending orientation of the rotor blades of the second proprotor assembly relative to the wing further comprises an angle of approximately 30 degrees. 5. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and second proprotor assemblies have matched counter rotation. 6. 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. 7. The aircraft as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second proprotor assemblies further comprises a plurality of rotor blade actuators operable to reversibly rotate the respective rotor blades between the radially extended orientation and the stowed orientation. 8. 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. 9. 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. 10. 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: folding first and second rotor blades of each proprotor assembly beamwise to be substantially parallel with a respective third rotor blade;rotating the wing from a flight orientation, substantially perpendicular to the fuselage, to a stowed orientation, substantially parallel to the fuselage;rotating the first and second mast assemblies from a substantially vertical orientation to a substantially horizontal orientation; andcounter rotating the first and second proprotor assemblies such that the rotor blades of the first proprotor assembly have an ascending orientation relative to the wing and the rotor blades of the second proprotor assembly have a descending orientation relative to the wing, wherein the first proprotor assembly rotates approximately 60 degrees out of phase with the second proprotor assembly. 11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising rotating first and second tail members mounted to the fuselage from a dihedral orientation to an anhedral orientation. 12. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising collectively adjusting a pitch of the rotor blades of each proprotor assembly before the folding step. 13. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising feathering the rotor blades of each proprotor assembly before the folding step. 14. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of counter rotating the first and second proprotor assemblies further comprises counter rotating the first and second proprotor assemblies such that the ascending orientation of the rotor blades of the first proprotor assembly relative to the wing further comprises an angle of approximately 30 degrees and the descending orientation of the rotor blades of the second proprotor assembly relative to the wing further comprises an angle of approximately 30 degrees. 15. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein rotating the wing from the tight orientation, substantially perpendicular to the fuselage, to the stowed orientation, substantially parallel to the fuselage further comprises positioning the first proprotor assembly aft of the second proprotor assembly. 16. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the step of folding the first and second rotor blades of each proprotor assembly beamwise to be substantially parallel with the respective third rotor blade occurs while the first and second proprotor assemblies are being counter rotated. 17. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the step of rotating the first and second mast assemblies from the substantially vertical orientation to the substantially horizontal orientation occurs while the wing is being rotated from the flight orientation, substantially perpendicular to the fuselage, to the stowed orientation, substantially parallel to the fuselage. 18. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the step of folding the first and second rotor blades of each proprotor assembly beamwise to be substantially parallel with the respective third rotor blade occurs while the wing is being rotated from the flight orientation, substantially perpendicular to the fuselage, to the stowed orientation, substantially parallel to the fuselage. 19. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein folding the first and second rotor blades of each proprotor assembly beamwise to be substantially parallel with the respective third rotor blade occurs before rotating the first and second mast assemblies from the substantially vertical orientation to the substantially horizontal orientation.
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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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