Wing-in-ground effect vehicle

1 . A vehicle comprising:

a hull;

a main wing comprising one or more main wing control surfaces;

a tail comprising one or more tail control surfaces;

a blown-wing propulsion system that includes a plurality of electric motors propellor assemblies distributed across a leading edge of the main wing;

a retractable hydrofoil system positioned behind the main wing and comprising a retractable hydrofoil coupled to a fixed-length strut, wherein the fixed-length strut is arranged in a substantially vertical orientation and has a first end connected to the retractable hydrofoil and a second end coupled to the hull, wherein the retractable hydrofoil system is configured to operate in: (i) an extended configuration in which the fixed-length strut coupled to the retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a first distance and (ii) a retracted configuration in which the retractable hydrofoil is retracted at least partially such that the fixed-length strut coupled to the retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a second distance, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and

a control system configured to, via electronic control signaling, (i) change an orientation of the retractable hydrofoil when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the extended configuration, and (ii) change an orientation of the one or more main wing control surfaces and the one or more tail control surfaces when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the retracted configuration.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the retractable hydrofoil system is a first retractable hydrofoil system, the retractable hydrofoil is a first retractable hydrofoil, the extended configuration is a first extended configuration, and the retracted configuration is a first retracted configuration, and wherein the vehicle further comprises:

a second retractable hydrofoil system positioned between a bow and a midpoint of the vehicle and comprising a second retractable hydrofoil, wherein the second retractable hydrofoil system is configured to operate in: (i) a second extended configuration in which the second retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a third distance and (ii) a second retracted configuration in which the second retractable hydrofoil is retracted at least partially such that the second retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a fourth distance, wherein the fourth distance is less than the third distance.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein, when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the extended configuration, the vehicle is configured to operate in a sustained hydrofoil-borne mode in which the retractable hydrofoil is configured to lift the hull of the vehicle entirely above a surface of a body of water in which the vehicle is operating.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in a waterborne mode and an airborne flight mode, and wherein the control system is configured to cause the retractable hydrofoil system to transition from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration based on the vehicle transitioning from the waterborne mode to the airborne flight mode.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in a waterborne mode and an airborne flight mode, and wherein the control system is configured to cause the retractable hydrofoil system to transition from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration after the vehicle transitions from the airborne flight mode to the waterborne mode.

6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising one or more mechanisms configured to release the retractable hydrofoil from the vehicle, the one or more mechanisms comprising:

a releasable latch;

an actuator configured to jettison the retractable hydrofoil from the vehicle; or

a joint configured to break in a controlled manner when subjected to a threshold force that exceeds standard operational forces.

7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein, when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the retracted configuration, the fixed-lengeth strut is at least partially retracted into the hull of the vehicle.

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:

the retractable hydrofoil system comprises one or more hydrofoil actuators configured to control an angle of attack of the retractable hydrofoil, and

changing the orientation of the retractable hydrofoil when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the extended configuration comprises causing the one or more hydrofoil actuators to change the angle of attack of the retractable hydrofoil.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:

the main wing comprises one or more main wing actuators configured to control an orientation of the main wing control surfaces,

the tail comprises one or more tail actuators configured to control an orientation of the tail control surfaces,

changing the orientation of the one or more main wing control surfaces when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the retracted configuration comprises causing the one or more main wing actuators to change the orientation of the one or more main wing control surfaces, and

changing the orientation of the one or more tail control surfaces when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the retracted configuration comprises causing the one or more tail actuators to change the orientation of the one or more tail control surfaces.

10 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to change an orientation of the one or more main wing control surfaces and the one or more tail control surfaces when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the extended configuration.

11 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to change an orientation of the retractable hydrofoil when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the retracted configuration.

12 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is capable of sustained operation in each of the following operational modes:

a hull-borne mode in which the hull of the vehicle contacts a surface of a body of water in which the vehicle is operating;

a hydrofoil-borne mode in which (i) the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the extended configuration, (ii) the retractable hydrofoil is at least partially submerged below the surface of the body of water, and (iii) the hull of the vehicle is entirely above the surface of the body of water; and

a wing-borne mode in which (i) the vehicle is in flight entirely above the surface of the body of water and (ii) the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the retracted configuration.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the control system is further configured to:

while the vehicle is operating in the hull-borne mode, (i) cause the retractable hydrofoil system to transition from operating in the retracted configuration to operating in the extended configuration, and (ii) cause the vehicle to accelerate so as to cause the vehicle to transition from operating in the hull-borne mode to operating in the hydrofoil-borne mode.

14 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the control system is further configured to:

while the vehicle is operating in the hydrofoil-borne mode, cause the vehicle to accelerate so as to cause the vehicle to enter flight entirely above the surface of the body of water; and

after the vehicle is in flight, cause the retractable hydrofoil system to transition from operating in the extended configuration to operating in the retracted configuration such that the vehicle is operating in the wing-borne mode.

15 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the control system is further configured to:

while the vehicle is operating in the wing-borne mode, cause the vehicle to land on the surface of the body of water and thereby transition to operating in the hull-borne mode; and

after causing the vehicle to land on the surface of the body of water, cause the retractable hydrofoil system to transition from operating in the retracted configuration to operating in the extended configuration.

16 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to, via the electronic control signaling, change the orientation of the retractable hydrofoil about a yaw axis of the vehicle.

17 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the fixed-length strut is movably coupled to the hull, and wherein the hull comprises a recess configured to fully receive the retractable hydrofoil system such that, when the recess fully receives the retractable hydrofoil system, an outer contour of the hull forms a substantially smooth transition at an intersection of the hull and the retractable hydrofoil system.

18 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the retractable hydrofoil system is positioned below the tail of the vehicle, and wherein the retractable hydrofoil system is configured to move between (i) the extended configuration and (ii) the retracted configuration by moving vertically the fixed-length strut a distance that corresponds to a difference between the first distance and the second distance.

19 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the retractable hydrofoil system further comprises a pulley system configured to raise or lower the fixed-length strut, and wherein the second end of the fixed-length strut is connected to the pulley system.

20 . A vehicle configured to operate in a waterborne mode and an airborne flight mode, the vehicle comprising:

a hull;

a main wing comprising one or more main wing control surfaces;

a tail comprising one or more tail control surfaces;

a blown-wing propulsion system that includes a plurality of electric motors propellor assemblies distributed across a leading edge of the main wing;

a retractable hydrofoil system positioned behind the main wing and comprising a retractable hydrofoil coupled to a fixed-length strut, wherein the fixed-length strut is arranged in a substantially vertical orientation and has a first end connected to the retractable hydrofoil and a second end coupled to the hull, wherein the retractable hydrofoil system is configured to operate in: (i) an extended configuration in which the fixed-length strut coupled to the retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a first distance and (ii) a retracted configuration in which the retractable hydrofoil is retracted at least partially such that the fixed-length strut coupled to the retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a second distance, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and

a control system configured to, via electronic control signaling, (i) change an orientation of the retractable hydrofoil when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the extended configuration and when the vehicle is operating in the waterborne mode, (ii) cause the retractable hydrofoil system to transition from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration based on the vehicle transitioning from the waterborne mode to the airborne flight mode, (iii) change an orientation of the one or more main wing control surfaces and the one or more tail control surfaces when the retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the retracted configuration and when the vehicle is operating in the airborne flight mode, and (iv) cause the retractable hydrofoil system to transition from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration based on the vehicle transitioning from the airborne flight mode to the waterborne mode.

21 . The vehicle of claim 20 , wherein:

the retractable hydrofoil system is a first retractable hydrofoil system, the retractable hydrofoil is a first retractable hydrofoil, the extended configuration is a first extended configuration, and the retracted configuration is a first retracted configuration;

the vehicle further comprises a second retractable hydrofoil system comprising a second retractable hydrofoil;

the second retractable hydrofoil system is configured to operate in: (i) a second extended configuration in which the second retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a third distance and (ii) a second retracted configuration in which the second retractable hydrofoil is retracted at least partially such that the second retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a fourth distance, wherein the fourth distance is less than the third distance; and

the control system is further configured to (i) change an orientation of the second retractable hydrofoil when the second retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the second extended configuration and when the vehicle is operating in the waterborne mode, (ii) cause the second retractable hydrofoil system to transition from the second extended configuration to the second retracted configuration based on the vehicle transitioning from the waterborne mode to the airborne flight mode, (iii) change an orientation of the one or more main wing control surfaces and the one or more tail control surfaces when the second retractable hydrofoil system is operating in the second retracted configuration and when the vehicle is operating in the airborne flight mode, and (iv) cause the second retractable hydrofoil system to transition from the second retracted configuration to the second extended configuration based on the vehicle transitioning from the airborne flight mode to the waterborne mode.

22 . A control system for controlling a vehicle that includes (i) a hull, (ii) a main wing comprising one or more main wing control surfaces, (iii) a tail comprising one or more tail control surfaces, (iv) a blown-wing propulsion system that includes a plurality of electric motors propellor assemblies distributed across a leading edge of the main wing, and (iii) (v) a retractable hydrofoil system positioned behind the main wing and comprising a retractable hydrofoil coupled to a fixed-length strut, wherein the fixed-length strut is arranged in a substantially vertical orientation and has a first end connected to the retractable hydrofoil and a second end coupled to the hull, the control system comprising:

at least one processor;

non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control system is configured to:

cause the retractable hydrofoil system to operate in an extended configuration in which the fixed-length strut coupled to the retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a first distance;

while the retractable hydrofoil system is in the extended configuration, change an orientation of the retractable hydrofoil;

cause the retractable hydrofoil system to operate in a retracted configuration in which the retractable hydrofoil is retracted at least partially such that the fixed-length strut coupled to the retractable hydrofoil extends below the hull of the vehicle at a second distance, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and

while the retractable hydrofoil system is in the retracted configuration, change an orientation of the main wing control surfaces and tail control surfaces.

23 . The control system of claim 22 , wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in a waterborne mode and an airborne flight mode, and wherein the control system further comprises program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the control system is configured to:

cause the retractable hydrofoil system to transition from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration based on the vehicle transitioning from the waterborne mode to the airborne flight mode; and

cause the retractable hydrofoil system to transition from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration based on the vehicle transitioning from the airborne flight mode to the waterborne mode.