Granted Patent B2

US 12,434,822 · App. 17/644,657 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Inventors: Joel Ifill (Los Angeles, CA); Zach Taylor (Redondo Beach, CA); Jason Litzinger (Canyon Lake, CA); Phil Stahlhuth (Pasadena, CA); Marc Berte (Leesburg, VA)

Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.

B64C27/028B64C27/02G05D1/105B64D19/02

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. A method of assembling an air drop device configured to be deployed from an aircraft and travel along a flight path to a predetermined landing destination, the method comprising:

providing a payload configured to be delivered from the aircraft to the predetermined landing destination;

attaching a tail-kit assembly to a first end of the payload thereby defining the air drop device, the tail-kit assembly comprising

a rotor blade assembly comprising

a plurality of rotor blades having a vertical central axis of rotation proximate the first end of the payload, and

a plurality of pitch link control servomotors that are configured to input a collective pitch control and a cyclic pitch control to each of the plurality of rotor blades via a swashplate,

wherein the plurality of rotor blades are configured to passively rotate about the vertical central axis of rotation under power only generated by an airstream parallel to the vertical central axis of rotation impinging upon the plurality of rotor blades, and

a flight control portion controlling the plurality of pitch link control servomotors to input the collective pitch control and the cyclic pitch control to the plurality of rotor blades of the rotor blade assembly; and

controlling, by the flight control portion, the air drop device along the flight path to the predetermined landing destination by

navigating the air drop device via the cyclic pitch control, under control of the flight control portion, by controlling a rotor assembly to rotate a leading-edge of each blade of the plurality of rotor blades of the rotor assembly to a 90-degree negative leading-edge angle relative to a plane of rotation of the rotor assembly and parallel to the vertical central axis of rotation and the airstream, thereby enabling the air drop device to travel at a maximum vertical descent speed along a portion of the flight path, and

producing a vertical thrust force via the collective pitch control of the rotor blade assembly during an end portion of the flight path, wherein the vertical thrust force is produced by rotational energy from the passively rotating plurality of rotor blades; and

removing the tail-kit assembly from the first end of the payload after the payload is delivered to the predetermined landing destination.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprises:

controlling, the flight control portion, an axial thrust force of the rotor blade assembly by further controlling a cyclic pitch angle of each of the plurality of rotor blades of the rotor blade assembly.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprises:

controlling, via the flight control portion, an axial thrust force orientation of the rotor blade assembly with respect to a longitudinal axis of the air drop device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprises:

attaching the tail-kit assembly removed from the payload to a first end of a second payload configured to be delivered to a second landing destination.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprises:

providing a plurality of vertical control surfaces on the tail-kit assembly, the plurality of vertical control surfaces configured to orient the air drop device during a second portion of the flight path of the air drop device from the aircraft to the predetermined landing destination;

controlling, via the flight control portion, the plurality of vertical control surfaces to stabilize and orient the air drop device into a downwardly disposed attitude during a transient phase of the flight path immediately after the delivery payload assembly is deployed from the aircraft; and

navigating the air drop device along the flight path to the predetermined landing destination.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprises:

providing a reinforcing structure to at least one exterior surface of the payload; and

wherein the attaching of the tail-kit assembly to the payload further includes attaching the tail-kit assembly to the reinforcing structure.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (57)

Cited By (1)

US 12,552,558