Elevon control system
View Patent ↗A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ( 100, 400, 1000, 1500 ) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils ( 141, 142, 1345, 1346 ) having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns ( 621, 622 ). Embodiments include one or more rudder elements ( 1045, 1046, 1145, 1146, 1245, 1345, 1346, 1445, 1446, 1545, 1546 ) which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member ( 1049, 1149, 1249, 1349 ) disposed within the fuselage housing ( 1001 ) and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.
1. An aerial vehicle comprising:
a fuselage, comprising a housing;
a first airfoil, rotatably attached to the fuselage housing, the first airfoil comprising a first control surface resiliently mounted to the first airfoil, wherein the first control surface is articulated at a lineal joint about the first airfoil; and
a first actuator horn, disposed in the fuselage housing, the first actuator horn extendible via a first fuselage housing aperture, wherein the first actuator horn is extendible to oppose and contact the first control surface.
2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second airfoil, rotatably attached to the fuselage housing, the second airfoil comprising a second control surface resiliently mounted to the second airfoil, wherein the second control surface is articulated at a lineal joint about the second airfoil; and
a second actuator horn, disposed in the fuselage housing, the second actuator horn extendible via a second fuselage housing aperture, wherein the second actuator horn is extendible to oppose the second control surface; and
wherein the second airfoil opposes the first airfoil about the fuselage housing.
3. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising:
a third airfoil, rotatably attached to the fuselage housing;
a fourth airfoil, rotatably attached to the fuselage housing; and
wherein the third airfoil opposes the fourth airfoil about an aft portion of the fuselage housing.
4. The aerial vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the first airfoil and the second airfoil are disposed at a position distal from the position of the third airfoil and the fourth airfoil.
5. The aerial vehicle of claim 3 , further comprising:
a third control surface resiliently mounted to the third airfoil, wherein the third control surface is a trailing edge of the third airfoil articulated at a lineal joint about the third airfoil.
6. The aerial vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising:
a third actuator horn, disposed in the fuselage housing, the third actuator horn extendible via a third fuselage housing aperture, wherein the third actuator horn is extendible to oppose the third control surface.
7. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising:
a fourth control surface resiliently mounted to the fourth airfoil, wherein the fourth control surface is a trailing edge of the fourth airfoil articulated at a lineal joint about the fourth airfoil.
8. The aerial vehicle of claim 7 , further comprising:
a fourth actuator horn, disposed in the fuselage housing, the fourth actuator horn extendible via a fourth fuselage housing aperture, wherein the fourth actuator horn is extendible to oppose the fourth control surface.
9. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the aerial vehicle is unmanned during operation.
10. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the first airfoil is a port airfoil and the second airfoil is a starboard airfoil.
11. The aerial vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the first airfoil and the third airfoil are port airfoils, and wherein the second airfoil and the fourth airfoil are starboard airfoils.
12. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first fuselage housing aperture is located on a bottom of the fuselage housing, and wherein the first actuator horn is extendible through the first fuselage housing aperture to contact a top surface of the first control surface.
13. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the second fuselage housing aperture is located on a bottom of the fuselage housing proximate to the first fuselage housing aperture, and wherein the second actuator horn is extendible through the second fuselage housing aperture to contact a top surface of the second control surface.
14. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lineal joint about the first airfoil further comprises a coating to fill a lineal gap between the first airfoil and the first control surface.
15. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the lineal joint about the second airfoil further comprises a coating to fill a lineal gap between the second airfoil and the second control surface.
16. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first control surface is a trailing edge of the first airfoil articulated at the lineal joint about the first airfoil.
17. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first control surface is a leading edge of the first airfoil articulated at the lineal joint about the first airfoil.
18. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the second control surface is a trailing edge of the first airfoil articulated at the lineal joint about the first airfoil.
19. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the second control surface is a leading edge of the first airfoil articulated at the lineal joint about the first airfoil.
20. The aerial vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the first airfoil, the second airfoil, the third airfoil, and the fourth airfoil are rotatable between a retracted position disposed on a bottom portion of the fuselage housing and a deployed position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage housing.