Patent ID: 11932387
Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G  H | IPC B  G  H

Claim 9:
10. A method for managing a transition of a tailsitter aircraft from a forward flight orientation having a horizontal attitude to a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) orientation having a vertical attitude at a conversion rate for an approach to a target ground location in a forward flight-to-VTOL transition phase, the method comprising:
monitoring a plurality of parameters associated with the transition from the forward flight orientation to the VTOL orientation; and
adjusting the conversion rate of the tailsitter aircraft in the forward flight-to-VTOL transition phase based on at least some of the parameters of the plurality of parameters such that the tailsitter aircraft is substantially vertically aligned with the target ground location in the VTOL orientation of the forward flight-to-VTOL transition phase;
wherein, the parameters used to adjust the conversion rate of the tailsitter aircraft consist of a ground speed and a distance to the target ground location.