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

Claim 21:
22. An air vehicle, comprising:
a main aerodynamic lift generating wing arrangement comprising a port wing and a starboard wing, empennage and main propulsion system, and further comprising a distributed electrical propulsion (DEP) system, wherein the DEP system is different from the main propulsion system, the DEP system comprising a first plurality of secondary electrical propulsion units coupled to each one of said port wing and said starboard wing,
wherein the main propulsion system is configured for providing sufficient thrust such as to enable powered aerodynamic flight of the air vehicle including at least:
(a) powered aerodynamic take off absent operation of the DEP system; and
(b) powered aerodynamic landing absent operation of the DEP system; and
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; and
wherein each secondary electrical propulsion unit is externally mounted in a single external fixed position with respect to the respective one of said port wing and said starboard wing.