Aerial launch and/or recovery for unmanned aircraft, and associated systems and methods
Aerial launch and/or recovery for unmanned aircraft, and associated systems and methods. A representative method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system includes directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft to carry a second, carried aircraft aloft, and release the second aircraft for flight, while powering the first aircraft with an on-board battery. The method can further include directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of the second aircraft to capture the second aircraft.
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
a carrier UAV including:
an airframe;
a plurality of rotors coupled to the airframe and configured to support the carrier UAV in hover; and
a launch fixture coupled to the airframe, the launch fixture including a non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot; and
a carried UAV releasably attached to the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot, the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot configured to launch the carried UAV from the carrier UAV in a downward direction relative to the airframe.
2. The UAV system of claim 1 , wherein the carried UAV is a fixed-wing aircraft.
3. The UAV system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier UAV is a quad-rotor aircraft.
4. The UAV system of claim 1 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to direct the carried UAV in a nose-down attitude during launch of the carried UAV from the carrier UAV.
5. The UAV system of claim 1 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to receive an attachment fixture of the carried UAV.
6. The UAV system of claim 5 , wherein the launch fixture further includes a release mechanism configured to prevent motion of the attachment fixture within the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot in a direction toward an open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot prior to launch of the carried UAV from the carrier UAV.
7. The UAV system of claim 6 , wherein the release mechanism is movable between a first position that prevents the attachment fixture from exiting the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot and a second position that enables the attachment fixture to exit the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot.
8. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
a carrier UAV including:
an airframe;
a plurality of rotors coupled to the airframe and configured to support the carrier UAV in hover; and
a launch fixture coupled to the airframe, the launch fixture including a non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot; and
a carried UAV releasably attached to the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot, the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot configured to direct the carried UAV in a nose-down attitude during launch of the carried UAV from the carrier UAV.
9. The UAV system of claim 8 , wherein the carried UAV is a fixed-wing aircraft.
10. The UAV system of claim 8 , wherein the carrier UAV is a quad-rotor aircraft.
11. The UAV system of claim 8 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to launch the carried UAV from the carrier UAV in a downward direction relative to the airframe.
12. The UAV system of claim 8 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to receive an attachment fixture of the carried UAV.
13. The UAV system of claim 12 , wherein the launch fixture further includes a release mechanism configured to prevent motion of the attachment fixture within the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot in a direction toward an open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot prior to launch of the carried UAV from the carrier UAV.
14. The UAV system of claim 13 , wherein the release mechanism is movable between a first position that prevents the attachment fixture from exiting the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot and a second position that enables the attachment fixture to exit the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot.
15. A carrier unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
an airframe;
a plurality of rotors coupled to the airframe and configured to support the carrier UAV in hover; and
a launch fixture coupled to the airframe and configured to releasably attach to a carried UAV, the launch fixture including a non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot configured to launch the carried UAV from the carrier UAV in a downward direction relative to the airframe.
16. The carrier UAV of claim 15 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to direct the carried UAV in a nose-down attitude during launch of the carried UAV from the carrier UAV.
17. The carrier UAV of claim 15 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to receive an attachment fixture of the carried UAV.
18. The carrier UAV of claim 17 , wherein the launch fixture further includes a release mechanism configured to prevent motion of the attachment fixture within the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot in a direction toward an open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot prior to launch of the carried UAV from the carrier UAV.
19. The carrier UAV of claim 18 , wherein the release mechanism is movable between a first position that prevents the attachment fixture from exiting the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot and a second position that enables the attachment fixture to exit the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot.
20. A carrier unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
an airframe;
a plurality of rotors coupled to the airframe and configured to support the carrier UAV in hover; and
a launch fixture coupled to the airframe and configured to releasably attach to a carried UAV, the launch fixture including a non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot configured to direct the carried UAV in a nose-down attitude during launch of the carried UAV from the carrier UAV.
21. The carrier UAV of claim 20 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to launch the carried UAV from the carrier UAV in a downward direction relative to the airframe.
22. The carrier UAV of claim 20 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to receive an attachment fixture of the carried UAV.
23. The carrier UAV of claim 22 , wherein the launch fixture further includes a release mechanism configured to prevent motion of the attachment fixture within the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot in a direction toward an open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot prior to launch of the carried UAV from the carrier UAV.
24. The carrier UAV of claim 23 , wherein the release mechanism is movable between a first position that prevents the attachment fixture from exiting the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot and a second position that enables the attachment fixture to exit the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot.
25. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
a quad-rotor carrier UAV including:
an airframe;
a plurality of rotors coupled to the airframe and configured to support the quad-rotor carrier UAV in hover; and
a launch fixture coupled to the airframe, the launch fixture including a non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot; and
a fixed-wing carried UAV releasably attached to the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot, the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot configured to launch the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV in a downward direction relative to the airframe.
26. The UAV system of claim 25 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to direct the fixed-wing carried UAV in a nose-down attitude during launch of the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV.
27. The UAV system of claim 25 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to receive an attachment fixture of the fixed-wing carried UAV.
28. The UAV system of claim 27 , wherein the launch fixture further includes a release mechanism configured to prevent motion of the attachment fixture within the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot in a direction toward an open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot prior to launch of the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV.
29. The UAV system of claim 28 , wherein the release mechanism is movable between a first position that prevents the attachment fixture from exiting the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot and a second position that enables the attachment fixture to exit the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot.
30. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising:
a quad-rotor carrier UAV including:
an airframe;
a plurality of rotors coupled to the airframe and configured to support the quad-rotor carrier UAV in hover; and
a launch fixture coupled to the airframe, the launch fixture including a non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot; and
a fixed-wing carried UAV releasably attached to the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot, the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot configured to direct the fixed-wing carried UAV in a nose-down attitude during launch of the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV.
31. The UAV system of claim 30 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to launch the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV in a downward direction relative to the airframe.
32. The UAV system of claim 30 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to receive an attachment fixture of the fixed-wing carried UAV.
33. The UAV system of claim 32 , wherein the launch fixture further includes a release mechanism configured to prevent motion of the attachment fixture within the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot in a direction toward an open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot prior to launch of the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV.
34. The UAV system of claim 33 , wherein the release mechanism is movable between a first position that prevents the attachment fixture from exiting the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot and a second position that enables the attachment fixture to exit the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot.
35. A quad-rotor carrier unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
an airframe; and
a launch fixture coupled to the airframe and configured to releasably attach to a fixed-wing carried UAV, the launch fixture including a non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot configured to launch the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV in a downward direction relative to the airframe.
36. The quad-rotor carrier UAV of claim 35 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to direct the fixed-wing carried UAV in a nose-down attitude during launch of the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV.
37. The quad-rotor carrier UAV of claim 35 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to receive an attachment fixture of the fixed-wing carried UAV.
38. The quad-rotor carrier UAV of claim 37 , wherein the launch fixture further includes a release mechanism configured to prevent motion of the attachment fixture within the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot in a direction toward an open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot prior to launch of the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV.
39. The quad-rotor carrier UAV of claim 38 , wherein the release mechanism is movable between a first position that prevents the attachment fixture from exiting the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot and a second position that enables the attachment fixture to exit the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot.
40. A quad-rotor carrier unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
an airframe; and
a launch fixture coupled to the airframe and configured to releasably attach to a fixed-wing carried UAV, the launch fixture including a non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot configured to direct the fixed-wing carried UAV in a nose-down attitude during launch of the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV.
41. The quad-rotor carrier UAV of claim 40 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to launch the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV in a downward direction relative to the airframe.
42. The quad-rotor carrier UAV of claim 40 , wherein the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot is configured to receive an attachment fixture of the fixed-wing carried UAV.
43. The quad-rotor carrier UAV of claim 42 , wherein the launch fixture further includes a release mechanism configured to prevent motion of the attachment fixture within the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot in a direction toward an open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot prior to launch of the fixed-wing carried UAV from the quad-rotor carrier UAV.
44. The quad-rotor carrier UAV of claim 43 , wherein the release mechanism is movable between a first position that prevents the attachment fixture from exiting the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot and a second position that enables the attachment fixture to exit the open end of the non-vertical downwardly-sloped slot.