Multicopter with angled rotors
A multicopter with angled rotors includes a fuselage and a plurality of rotors. At least some of the rotors are disposed on opposite sides of the fuselage and each is oriented at a corresponding angle to a substantially horizontal plane of the aircraft, the angle being of a magnitude such that a plane of rotation of the rotor does not intersect at least a critical portion of the fuselage.
1. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage; and
a plurality of rotors disposed on opposite sides of the fuselage, the plurality of rotors including a first subset of rotors disposed on both sides of the fuselage and a second subset of rotors disposed on both sides of the fuselage, and wherein each rotor is oriented at a corresponding angle to a substantially horizontal plane of the aircraft, wherein the angle for the first subset of rotors is such that the first subset of rotors tilt away from the fuselage and the angle for the second subset of rotors is such that the second subset of rotors tilt toward from the fuselage.
2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of rotors are mounted on booms, each boom affixed to a corresponding wing of the aircraft.
3. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein each rotor is oriented at said corresponding angle at least in part by mounting a corresponding boom at said corresponding angle.
4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein a forward subset includes one or more of the plurality of rotors that are mounted forward of a center of gravity of the aircraft and an aft subset includes one or more of the plurality of rotors are mounted aft of the center of gravity.
5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein orientation at respective angles of the rotors results in a lateral force component of the respective lift forces generated and applied to the aircraft by said rotors.
6. The aircraft of claim 5 , further comprising a flight control system that includes a processor configured to use said lateral force components to control yaw about a substantially vertical yaw axis of the aircraft.
7. The aircraft of claim 5 , further comprising a flight control system that includes a processor configured to determine a set of actuators and associated actuator parameters to apply a requested set of forces and moments to the aircraft, the requested set of forces and moments including a moment about a substantially vertical yaw axis of the aircraft, and wherein the processor is configured to take into consideration said lateral force components generated and applied to the aircraft by the plurality of rotors, and the respective contributions of said lateral force components to a net moment about said substantially vertical yaw axis of the aircraft, in determining said set of actuators and associated actuator parameters.
8. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the fuselage comprises a human-occupied portion.
9. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein a respective plane of rotation of the first subset of rotors is oriented outward with respect to the fuselage by the corresponding angle such that the respective plane of rotations of the first subset of rotors do not intersect the fuselage.
10. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein a respective plane of rotation of the second subset of rotors is oriented inward with respect to the fuselage by the corresponding angle such that the respective plane of rotations of the second subset of rotors do not intersect the fuselage.
11. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of rotors are provided further away from the fuselage than the second subset of rotors.
12. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein half of the first subset of rotors rotate in a first direction and are provided on a starboard side of the fuselage, and other half of the first subset of rotors rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction and are provided on a port side of the fuselage.
13. The aircraft of claim 12 , wherein half of the second subset of rotors rotate in the second direction and are provided on the starboard side of the fuselage, and other half of the second subset of rotors rotate in the first direction and are provided on the port side of the fuselage.
14. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotors include at least four rotors on a starboard side of the aircraft and an equal number of rotors on a port side of the aircraft.
15. The aircraft of claim 14 , further comprising a flight control system that includes a processor configured to detect that a first rotor on a first side of the aircraft has failed, and to deactivate a second rotor provided on a second side opposite to the first side of the aircraft corresponding to the first rotor.
16. The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the first rotor rotates in a first direction and the second rotor rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
17. The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of sensors configured to gather data associated with the aircraft, a flight path or environmental conditions; and
a flight control system that includes a processor configured to receive data from the plurality of sensors, and to control the plurality of rotors based on the data received from the plurality of sensors.