HYBRID VTOL FIXED-WING DRONE HAVING WING-TIP PROPELLERS
A method to control the roll motion of a fixed-wing VTOL drone includes separately controlling and using a smaller propeller located at the distal end of a main wing. There can be one such propeller on more than one side of the drone so that the non-stabilizing effect of air turbulence or wind can be effectively minimized by instantly rotating these smaller propellers to counter the non-stabilizing effects of air turbulence.
1 . A method of controlling a roll motion of a VTOL fixed-wing drone during turbulence while the drone is hovering still or moving at a slow speed in any direction, or during vertically taking off and landing, the method comprising:
providing at least four lifting propellers of substantially the same radius coupled to a main body of the drone to vertically lift the drone;
providing a left main wing and a right main wing;
a first wing-tip propeller disposed near or at a distal end of the left main wing;
a second wing-tip propeller disposed near or at a distal end of the right main wing;
the first wing-tip propeller has a radius equal to or less than 65% of the radius of any of the at least four lifting propellers.
the second wing-tip propeller has a radius equal to or less than 65% of the radius of any of the at least four lifting propellers.
2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first wing-tip propeller is attached to an extender that vertically extends the wing-tip propeller either above or below the left main wing.
3 . The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the extender is a vertical stabilizer disposed on the distal end of the left main wing.
4 . The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the drone is a canard type aircraft and has a left linear support physically connecting the left main wing to a left forewing.
5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first wing-tip propeller is attached to an extender that laterally and distally extends the wing-tip propeller from the distal end of the left main wing.
6 . The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the drone is a canard type aircraft and has a left linear support physically connecting the left main wing to a left forewing.
7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first wing-tip propeller is embedded within the left main wing.
8 . The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the drone is a canard type aircraft and has a left linear support physically connecting the left main wing to a left forewing.
9 . The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising instantly adjusting a speed of the first wing-tip propeller to control the roll motion of the drone.
10 . The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising instantly changing a rotation direction of the first wing-tip propeller to control the roll motion of the drone.
11 . A fixed-wing VTOL aircraft comprising:
a main body;
a left main wing and a right main wing each of which are attached to the main body;
a left forewing attached to the main body and ahead of the left main wing;
a right forewing attached to the main body and ahead of the right main wing;
a left linear support physically connecting the left main wing to the left forewing;
a right linear support physically connecting the right main wing to the right forewing;
at least two lifting propellers disposed on the left linear support;
at least another two lifting propellers disposed on the right linear support; and
a first wing-tip propeller disposed at or near a distal end of the left main wing.
12 . The aircraft as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first wing-tip propeller is attached to a vertical stabilizer which is attached to the distal tip of the left main wing.
13 . The aircraft as recited in claim 12 , wherein the first wing-tip propeller is capable of being locked in a non-spinning position while the aircraft is airborne.
14 . The aircraft as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first wing-tip propeller is attached to an extender which extends the first wing-tip propeller vertically or horizontally away from the distal tip of the left main wing.