Articulated tiltrotor
There is disclosed in one example a tiltrotor system for a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, including: a rotor pylon, wherein the rotor pylon is rotatable, via a rotation maneuver, between a substantially horizontal orientation and a substantially vertical orientation; a linear actuator disposed to actuate the rotation maneuver; and a mechanical guide disposed to maintain a center of gravity along a substantially linear axis throughout the rotation maneuver.
1. A tiltrotor system for a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, comprising:
a rotor pylon, wherein the rotor pylon is rotatable, via a rotation maneuver, between a substantially horizontal orientation and a substantially vertical orientation;
a linear actuator disposed to actuate the rotation maneuver; and
a mechanical guide disposed to maintain a center of gravity along a substantially linear axis throughout the rotation maneuver.
2. The tiltrotor system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical guide comprises a link strut.
3. The tiltrotor system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical guide comprises a cam slot and cam pin.
4. The tiltrotor system of claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator comprises a telescoping member.
5. The tiltrotor system of claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator comprises dual linear actuator rods.
6. The tiltrotor system of claim 1 , where in the linear actuator comprises a screw.
7. The tiltrotor system of claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator comprises a pneumatic actuator.
8. The tiltrotor system of claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator comprises a hydraulic actuator.
9. A tiltrotor aircraft, comprising:
an airframe;
a power plant; and
a tiltrotor drive system comprising two or more rotors, the rotors configured to rotate from a substantially vertical orientation for vertical lift to a substantially horizontal orientation for cruise, the tiltrotor drive system comprising means to maintain respective centers of gravity of the two or more rotors along a substantially vertical axis during a rotation of the rotors.
10. The tiltrotor aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the means comprises a linear actuator and a link strut.
11. The tiltrotor aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the means comprise a linear actuator, a cam slot, and a cam pin.
12. The tiltrotor aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the means comprise dual linear actuator rods.
13. The tiltrotor aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the tiltrotor aircraft is unmanned or semiautonomous.
14. The tiltrotor aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the tiltrotor aircraft is manned.
15. A tiltrotor assembly for a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, comprising:
a rotor assembly;
a pivotable attachment point to attach the rotor assembly to a wing of the VTOL aircraft;
a linear actuator rotatably coupled at or near an aft end of a gear box of the rotor assembly;
a slot pin to engage a substantially linear guide slot of the wing and disposed to align motion of the rotor assembly along a horizontal axis; and
a first link strut affixed to an upper surface of the rotor assembly forward of the aft end of the gear box.
16. The tiltrotor assembly of claim 15 , wherein the linear actuator comprises dual linear actuator rods.
17. The tiltrotor assembly of claim 15 , where in the linear actuator comprises a screw, a pneumatic actuator, or a hydraulic actuator.