Patent ID: 11970275
Assignee: ISRAEL AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES LTD.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 15:
16. A method for converting a conventional take off and landing (CTOL) air vehicle to a short take off and landing (STOL) air vehicle or to a super short take off and landing (SSTOL) air vehicle, the method comprising:
(A) providing the CTOL air vehicle, the CTOL air vehicle comprising a main aerodynamic lift generating wing arrangement comprising a port wing and a starboard wing, empennage and main propulsion system, the main propulsion system configured for enabling powered aerodynamic flight of the air vehicle within a flight envelope including at least conventional landing and take off;
(B) providing a distributed electrical propulsion system (DEP system), wherein the DEP system is different from the main propulsion system, the DEP system comprising a two first pluralities of secondary electrical propulsion units, wherein the DEP system is configured for selectively providing at least augmented lift to the main aerodynamic lift generating wing arrangement in at least landing to thereby increase a maximum lift coefficient of the air vehicle from a nominal maximum lift coefficient to a modified maximum lift coefficient;
(C) coupling one of said two first plurality of secondary electrical propulsion units to said port wing, and coupling the other one of said two first plurality of secondary electrical propulsion units to said starboard wing, wherein each secondary electrical propulsion unit is configured for being externally mounted in a single fixed position with respect to the respective one of said port wing and said starboard wing.