Abstract:
A remote-control powered parafoil aircraft has an aircraft body ( 1 ) that is engine powered and hung with lines ( 2 ) from an air-expandable wing ( 3, 30 ). The lines include control lines ( 15 ) with which air flow and aerodynamic shape of the air-expandable wing are variable selectively from a foil controller ( 18, 19, 20 ) on the aircraft body for flight-mode control. Sight from a television camera ( 8 ) on the aircraft body is televised to a control unit ( 9 ) from which control data is transmitted selectively from proximate the control unit to the foil controller ( 14 ) with a multi-axis joystick or similar control, to an engine ( 6 ) on the parafoil body from an engine controller ( 24 ) and to an item servo ( 29 ) for control of optional items ( 45 ) on the aircraft body.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This is application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/261,682, filed Jan. 11, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to a televised remote-control aircraft having a propelled body suspended with lines from an air-expandable wing for un-manned agricultural spraying, dusting or analysis, military observation, photography, police surveillance, sports watching, demographic studies, industrial analysis, fire fighting and other uses with idealized speed, close control, high load capacity and ease of operation conveniently and reliably at low cost without licensing.  
           [0003]    Remote-controlled aircraft are known and now proliferating for various surveillance and conveyance uses. None are known, however, to have televised remote operational control of a propelled body suspended with lines from an air-expandable wing having suspension-line control of aerodynamics for operational modes and on-board equipment control in a manner taught by this invention.  
           [0004]    Examples of most-closely related known but different devices are described in the following patent documents:  
                                                       U.S. Pat. No.   Inventor   Issue Date                           6,119,976   Rogers   Sep. 19, 2000           5,904,724   Margolin   May 18, 1999           5,899,415   Conway, et al.   May 04, 1999           5,884,863   Fisher, et al.   Mar. 23, 1999           5,769,359   Rutan, et al.   Jun. 23, 1998           5,620,153   Ginsberg   Apr. 15, 1997           5,503,350   Foote   Apr. 02, 1996           5,160,100   Snyder   Nov. 03, 1992           4,601,443   Jones, et al.   Jul. 22, 1986           4,175,722   Higgins   Nov. 27, 1979                      
 
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a remote-control powered parafoil aircraft which:  
           [0006]    has flight control remotely with a multi-axis joystick or similar control;  
           [0007]    has remotely televised operational control of onboard equipment selectively;  
           [0008]    can takeoff and land in short distances from ground-like surfaces and from vehicles or even other aircraft during flight;  
           [0009]    has a high load capacity per size, weight, cost and operating range;  
           [0010]    can operate at variably controllable low speeds;  
           [0011]    is highly maneuverable;  
           [0012]    can be produced in a wide range of sizes, operating ranges and load capacities;  
           [0013]    is easy to learn;  
           [0014]    does not require licensing to operate;  
           [0015]    is inexpensive;  
           [0016]    can be fitted with a wide variety of use equipment; and  
           [0017]    can be used for a wide variety of applications that include agricultural spraying, agricultural dusting, agricultural-crop analysis, animal herding, police surveillance, photography, sports surveillance, population studies, advertising, mapping, surveying, border patrol, mineral and oil prospecting, search and rescue, and military surveillance.  
           [0018]    This invention accomplishes these objectives with a remote-control powered parafoil aircraft having an aircraft body that is engine powered and hung with lines from an air-expandable wing. The lines include control lines with which air flow and aerodynamic shape of the air-expandable wing are variable selectively from a foil controller on the aircraft body for flight-mode control. Sight from a television camera on the aircraft body is televised to a control unit from which control data is transmitted selectively from proximate the control unit to the foil controller with a multi-axis joystick or similar control, to an engine on the aircraft body from an engine controller and to equipment controls on the aircraft body from an equipment controller.  
           [0019]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are explained briefly as follows:  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a remote-control powered parafoil aircraft having a propeller thruster on an aircraft body suspended by lines from a parafoil wing that is ram-air inflated and is remotely controlled from a remote-control unit for dispensing crop-protection substance from a tank;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 is a side view of the FIG. 1 illustration;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of a remote-control powered parafoil aircraft having a propeller thruster on an aircraft body suspended by lines from a parafoil wing that is compressed-air inflated and is remotely controlled from a remote-control unit for dispensing crop-protection substance from a tank;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 is a side view of the FIG. 3 illustration;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 is a front view of a shrouded propeller thruster in relationship to an apposed-piston engine for powering the aircraft body;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6 is a top view of the FIG. 5 shrouded propeller thruster in pushing relationship to a tricycle landing gear of the aircraft body on which an engine has an optional streamlined front cowling;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 7 is a front view of a shrouded fan thruster in relationship to an apposed-piston engine for powering the aircraft body;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 8 is a top view of the FIG. 7 shrouded fan thruster in pushing relationship to the tricycle landing gear of the aircraft body on which the engine has an optional streamlined cowling front; and  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 9 is a diagram of the remote-control powered parafoil aircraft having optionally non-interference communication between a remote-control unit and an aircraft body operating a selection of operational items from an airborne platform with remote control.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0030]    Listed numerically below with reference to the drawings are terms used to describe features of this invention. These terms and numbers assigned to them designate the same features throughout this description.  
                                                       1. Aircraft body   24. Engine controller           2. Lines   25. Tank           3. Parafoil   26. Outlets           4. Ram entrances   27. Discharge conduit           5. Ram-air compartments   28. Item controller           6. Engine   29. Item servo           7. Propeller   30. Pumped-air wing           8. Television camera   31. Pumped-air compartment           9. Control unit   32. Leading edge           10. Control communication   33. Peripheral compartments           11. Control transceiver   34. Wheels           12. Craft transceiver   35. Rod frame           13. Television screen   36. Propeller duct           14. Foil controller   37. Pointed nacelle           15. Control lines   38. Turbine-like fan           16. First line reel   39. Fan blades           17. Second line reel   40. Base rim           18. Control foil   41. Output shaft           19. First control foil   42. Outside rim           20. Second control foil   43. Starter           21. First reel servo   44. Throttle           22. Second reel servo   45. Optional items           23. Engine servo   46. Non-interference system                      
 
         [0031]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 2 , an aircraft body  1  is hung with lines  2  from an air-expandable wing that can include a parafoil  3  having ram entrances  4  to one or more ram-air compartments  5  for receiving ram air for expanding the parafoil  3  air-expandable wing.  
         [0032]    There are a wide variety of air-expandable wings with a yet greater variety of detail designs that can be defined broadly as being parafoil for use with this invention. A currently popular parafoil  3  with a plurality of ram-air compartments  5  is popular justifiably not only as a result of its high lift-to-area ratio, but also because of its reliable ram-air inflation when used. Ram air, however, can resist forward movement, whether used for wings or for engines, and, therefore, can increase propulsion-power requirements for forward travel if overused or not utilized effectively. Resistance to forward travel that increases propulsion power is meritorious for carrying people or things downwardly because conversely, it deters and thereby slows forward movement advantageously for softness of landing. For this invention, however, economy of sustained forward travel is also critical. An air-expandable wing, therefore, is intended to include air expansion that is effective and efficient for forward travel in addition to high lift and soft landing. Detail drawings of either are not included.  
         [0033]    The aircraft body  1  is engine-powered with an engine  6  coupled to a thruster that can include a propeller  7 . The engine  6  can be whatever shaft-power engine is found to be most efficient and effective for a particular thruster at speeds and altitudes intended.  
         [0034]    Vision of ground area selectively from the aircraft body  1  for desired remote guidance is provided by a television camera  8  on the aircraft body  1 .  
         [0035]    A control unit  9  is provided for remote control of the parafoil aircraft and equipment thereon selectively. There is control communication  10  intermediate a control transceiver  11  on the control unit  9  and a craft transceiver  12  on the aircraft body  1 . There is television communication intermediate the television camera  8  and a television screen  13  which can be a picture-in-picture screen proximate the control unit  9 .  
         [0036]    A foil controller  14  that is preferably a joystick on the control unit  9 , is in control communication through the control transceiver  11 . The lines  2  include  5  control lines  15  intermediate at least one line reel, preferably a first line reel  16  and a second line reel  17 , on the aircraft body  1  and at least one control foil  18  that can include a first control foil  19  and a second control foil  20  on the air-expandable wing which can include the parafoil  3 .  
         [0037]    The first line reel  16  is in foil-control communication from the foil controller  14  to a first reel servo  21  and the second line reel  17  is in foil-control communication from the foil controller  14  to a second reel servo  22 .  
         [0038]    From the craft transceiver  12 , an engine servo  23  proximate the engine  6  on the aircraft body  1  is in engine-control communication by an engine controller  24  on the control unit  9 .  
         [0039]    At least one operational item, represented by a tank  25  with outlets  26  from a discharge conduit  27 , on the aircraft body is controlled by an item controller  28 , represented by a plurality of optional item controllers  28  on the control unit  9 . An item servo  29  proximate the operational item on the aircraft body  1  is in control communication intermediate the control unit  9  and the item through its item servo  29 .  
         [0040]    The control communication  10  includes television communication, foil-control communication, engine-control communication and at least one item-control communication.  
         [0041]    Referring to FIGS.  3 - 4 , the air-expandable wing can include a pumped-air wing  30  that has at least one pumped-air compartment  31  for containing pumped air. The pumped-air compartment  31  can extend from a leading edge  32  to proximate the control foils  18  or  19  and  20 . Optionally for some uses, the pumped-air compartment  31  can be extended to only a short distance from the leading edge  32 , leaving a lift arc thereafter. Pressure of the pumped air need not be greater than one-to-five psi above ambient air pressure. For air inflation, an inexpensive, high-volume, low-pressure pump can be run with the engine  6  or, with some four-stroke engines, the engine exhaust can be used for inflation. Although requiring a slight time delay for inflation, variations of the pumped-air wing  30  can be made to provide considerable advantages of low propulsion costs, potentially greater carrying capacity, lower speed if desired for some uses, higher speed if desired and constructed aerodynamically for large areas. Emergency or quick-use forms of the pumped-air wing  30  can be cannister-filled if desired. Also, air could be hosed to the pumped-air wing  30  from a pump on the aircraft body  1  as needed while in flight.  
         [0042]    Referring further to FIGS.  1 - 4 , one or more peripheral compartments  33  can be provided for battery, starter, fuel and peripheral requirements for the engine  6  and for operational items. Although a tricycle landing gear with wheels  34  on a rod frame  35  is shown, different shapes and forms of the aircraft body  1  are foreseeable.  
         [0043]    For whichever air-expandable wing is employed for this remote-control powered parafoil aircraft, guidance and control are achieved by selective pull of the first control foil  19  to turn in a first direction and by selective pull of the second control foil  20  to turn in a second direction. Pulling both equally at the same time causes high lift-drag for slow takeoff and landing and for high load capacity at decreased speeds.  
         [0044]    Referring to FIGS.  5 - 6 , a propeller  7  can have a propeller duct  36  either attached to ends of blades for rotation or held steady on framework at ends of the blades for decreasing lateral thrust in proportion to linear thrust. The engine  6  can have a pointed nacelle  37  to house a starter.  
         [0045]    Referring to FIGS.  7 - 8 , the thruster can include a turbine-like fan  38  having a series of fan blades  39  extended radially outward from a base rim  40  that is coupled to an output shaft  41  of the engine  6 . Also, the turbine-like fan  38  can include an outside rim  42  that is duct-like proximate outside ends of the fan blades  39 . Optimum thruster selection depends largely on availability of quality of construction and on features of available engines. For some uses, the turbine-like fan  38  would be best, provided it can be produced at sufficiently low cost.  
         [0046]    Referring to a system diagram of FIG. 9, a control transceiver  11  on the remote-control unit  9  has control communication  10  that preferably includes a non-interference communication system  46  with a craft transceiver  12  on the aircraft body  1 . The non-interference communication system  46  relays control data from the joystick foil controller  14 , from the engine controller  24  and from item controller  28  to the craft transceiver  12 . The craft transceiver  12  relays the control data to the first reel servo  21  for the first line reel  16 , to the second reel servo  22  for the second line reel  17 , to the engine servo  23  for the starter  43  and the throttle  44  and to the item servo  29  for optional items  45  as programmed. Communication can be two-way feed back for any and all servos. The television camera  8  sends live video vision from the aircraft body  1  to the television screen  13  proximate the remote-control unit  9 .  
         [0047]    The control communication  10  and the non-interference communication system  46  include the television communication, foil-control communication, engine-control communication and at least one item-control communication.  
         [0048]    Other control options may be used to govern the operation of the invention, including manual remote control, remote control with optional in-flight autopilot assistance and fully autonomous flight from an optional on-board computer with mission update or override capability from remote-control unit.  
         [0049]    A new and useful remote-control powered parafoil aircraft having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention.