Patent ID: 8733695

Claim:
A method for launching an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a UAV launch assembly of the type comprising a frame and a launch driver supported by the frame, the launch driver being capable of generating a launching force along a launch path relative to the frame, the method comprising: mounting a vertically retractable UAV attachment assembly to the launch assembly, the UAV attachment assembly comprising a base operably coupled to the launch driver and a vertically retractable UAV support mounted to the base and placeable in a vertically collapsed orientation towards the base and a vertically extended orientation extending away from the base, and a biasing element coupled to the UAV support and biasing the UAV support towards the collapsed orientation; mounting a UAV to the UAV support with the UAV support in the extended orientation so that the UAV support extends downwardly away from the UAV; maintaining the UAV support in the extended orientation prior to launch; launching, by the launch driver, the UAV attachment assembly and the UAV therewith along the launch path away from the frame; and at launch: disengaging the UAV support from the UAV; and moving the UAV attachment assembly vertically downwardly away from the UAV from the from the vertically extended orientation towards the vertically collapsed orientation.