DRONE AIRCRAFT WITH TELESCOPIC FUSELAGE

Drone aircraft with telescopic fuselage

By : Girard Peter F, Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical Co. USPTO

ABSTRACK

A drone type aircraft having a telescopic fuselage and folding aerodynamic surfaces to facilitate installation in a limited capacity bomb bay or storage compartment of a launch aircraft. Prior to launch, the drone is lowered from the aircraft on a supporting frame, the aerodynamic surfaces are extended, and the nose section of the fuselage is extended. The added fuselage capacity is used as fuel tankage, which is filled from the launch aircraft to increase the operating range of the drone.

The streamlined nose is longitudinally slidable in the forward portion of fuselage l0 and is fully extended forwardly in normal flight. Inside the fuselage are a forward bulkhead and two rearwardly spaced bulkheads and enclosed equipment bays. Between bulkhead and a further rear bulkhead is an aft fuel tank. On top of the fuselage is a filler neck leading into tank, the filler neck having an external connector for attachment of a conventional filler head on an umbilical fuel hose.

DESCRIPTION

The drone aircraft shown is an example, the specific configuration and the arrangement of the aerodynamic components being variable to suit particular uses and performance requirements. The drone comprises a generally cylindrical fuselage, in the rear of which is a turbojet propulsion engine with an air intake duct and a rearwardly opening tailpipe. Wings are mounted below the fuselage and swing about hinges to fold under the fuselage in side by side relation. On the rear portion of the fuselage are horizontal stabilizer surfaces, mounted on hinges to fold downwardly at the sides of the fuselage. On top is a fin attached by hinges to.fold downwardly across the top of the fuselage. Any suitable actuating means such as springs or powered devices may be used to extend the aerodynamic components when required. Also, any suitablearrangement of control surfaces and actuating means may be used, various systems being well known.

The streamlined nose is longitudinally slidable in the forward portion of fuselage and is fully extended forwardly in normal flight. Inside the fuselage are a forward bulkhead and two rearwardly spaced bulkheads and enclosed equipment bays and. Between bulkhead and a further rear bulkhead is an aft fuel tank. On top of the fuselage is a filler neck leading into tank, the filler neck having an external connector for attachment of a conventional filler head on an umbilical fuel hose.

The rear end of nose is closed by a bulkhead suitably reinforced to support the nose on an axially rearwardly extending support tube, which is slidable in a sleeve fixed axially through bulkheads. At bulkhead the tube slides in a bearing, the rear end of the tube containing a nut collar which runs on a threaded rod extending axially within the tube. The threaded rod is rotatably driven by a motor, sealed in the rear end of sleeve, to provide a screw jack action for extending the nose longitudinally, as in FIG. 6. In the stowed position, shown in FIG. 5, the nose is completely retracted into forward portion. As the nose is extended, the interior of the forward portion becomes a large compartment, which is made into a forward fuel tank by means of a flexible bladder. The bladder, of suitable fuel impervious material, is a tubular element with the ends secured peripherally to the nose bulkhead and forward bulkhead. In stowed condition the bladder is accordion folded, as in FIG. 5 and is pulled open by motion of the nose. Porous baffles, sliding along tube provide interior support to the extended bladder. The front and rear fuel tanks are connected at their lower portions by a transfer pipe to maintain a balance of fuel, which is supplied through filler neck. Ports in the sleeve in the rear fuel tank section allow fuel to pass along the sleeve and through openings in the bearing to the forward fuel tank, in addition to the transfer pipe, thus accelerating the filling operation. Ports in the tube permit the interior of the tube to be used as additional tank space. To ensure proper filling and subsequent removal of the fuel, a vent pipe extends from forward fuel bank to a suitable high point on the drone, such as at the top of the extended fin.

The drone is normally carried in an aircraft bomb bay, or similar compartment, shown in section in FIG' 4. Lugs are provided on top of fuselage for attachment to a shackle or cradle, in the manner of a conventional bomb or store. The drone is suspended on parallel arms pivotally connected between brackets on the cradle 86 and brackets in the bomb bay. An actuator holds the arms in the upper or folded position with the drone stowed inside the bomb bay, as in the full line position in FIG. 4. lmmediately prior to launch, the actuator lowers the arms to hold the drone below and clear of the aircraft, as in the broken line position. The payload, indicated in nose, can be a warhead or any particular equipment for a required operation.

In a typical mission the drone is carried to the vicinity of its destination in the bomb bay of the launch aircraft. For launching the drone is lowered below the aircraft and the nose is extended. Fuel is then pumped from a source, not shown, in the launch aircraft, through hose and filler head, to fill the drones tanks to the required level, then the filler head is disconnected. The wings and tail surfaces are then extended and engine is started. When all equipment is functioning properly, the drone is released from cradle and begins free flight. Normally some type of conventional guidance or remote control means will be used to guide the drone during flight, over the extended range made possible by the additional fuel.

SUMMARY

The drone aircraft described herein has foldable aerodynamic surfaces to minimize overall size in storage, and the significant feature is a telescopic nose portion incorporated in the fuselage to reduce the length considerably when retracted. With all elements folded or retracted, the drone will fit into a bomb bay or other storage compartment of reasonable size, and is supported by hinged arm structure. For launching, the drone is lowered on the arms to a position below the launch aircraft and the aerodynamic surfaces are extended. The telescopic nose portion is then extended and the vacated portion of the fuselage becomes a fuel tank, with a fuel retaining bladder lining which unfolds as the nose extends. Fuel is pumped into the added tank space from the launch aircraft and the drone is ready for flight, with greatly increased range capability. The added tank space near the nose is connected to aft tank space in the basic drone structure, so that the center of gravity of the drone does not shift appreciably as fuel is consumed. Various types of drones are adaptable to the arrangement, the structure being simple and the as sociated actuating means being contained in the drone.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a new and useful drone aircraft with a telescopic fuselage. Another object of this invention is to provide a drone aircraft having a telescopic nose portion and folding aerodynamic surfaces, enabling the drone to be carried in a small bomb bay or compartment of a launch aircraft. Another object of this invention is to provide a drone aircraft in which the telescopic nose portion extends to form a fuel tank, which is filled from the launch aircraft immediately prior to launching the drone.