Aerial recovery of small and micro air vehicles

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and computer system to facilitate aerial recovery of an air vehicle are disclosed. In various embodiments, a drogue is established in a drogue recovery orbit and an air vehicle is recovered with the drogue. Establishment of the drogue in a drogue recovery orbit may include establishment of a mothership in a mothership recovery orbit or actuating control surfaces on the drogue. Recovering the air vehicle may include maneuvering the drogue and the air vehicle in a cooperative manner to facilitate recovery of the air vehicle or utilizing a homing device on the drogue to guide the air vehicle. The various techniques disclosed may be modified to compensate for wind.

1 . A method comprising:
 establishing a drogue in a drogue recovery orbit; and   recovering an air vehicle with the drogue.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein establishing the drogue in a drogue recovery orbit comprises:
 establishing a mothership in a mothership recovery orbit.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein establishing the drogue in a drogue recovery orbit comprises:
 actuating one or more control surfaces of the drogue.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the drogue recovery orbit has a radius greater than a minimum turning radius of the air vehicle, and wherein the drogue has an airspeed that is less than an airspeed of the air vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein recovering the air vehicle comprises:
 maneuvering the drogue and the air vehicle in a cooperative manner to facilitate recovery of the air vehicle.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein recovering the air vehicle comprises:
 utilizing a homing device on the drogue to guide the air vehicle.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 compensating for wind.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus to recover an air vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
 an aerodynamic main body portion;   at least one control surface located on the main body portion;   a catch mechanism coupled to the main body portion, the catch mechanism to facilitate recovery of an air vehicle; and   a homing device coupled to the main body portion to guide the air vehicle during recovery.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the aerodynamic main body portion comprises:
 one or more wings.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the catch mechanism is active. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the catch mechanism is passive. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the catch mechanism comprises:
 at least one of an open cavity located within an interior of the main body portion, a closeable cavity located within the interior of the main body portion, and a dragnet coupled to the main body portion.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the homing device comprises:
 at least one of a color marker, an infrared marker, an acoustic beacon, and an electromagnetic beacon.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an attachment mechanism to attach the main body portion to a mothership with a tow cable.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a mothership; and   a drogue coupled to the mothership by a tow cable, the drogue comprising:
 an aerodynamic main body portion; 
 at least one control surface located on the main body portion; 
 a catch mechanism coupled to the main body portion, the catch mechanism to facilitate recovery of an air vehicle; and 
 a homing device coupled to the main body portion to guide the air vehicle during recovery. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the aerodynamic main body portion comprises:
 one or more wings.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the catch mechanism comprises:
 at least one of an open cavity located within an interior of the main body portion, a closeable cavity located within the interior of the main body portion, and a dragnet coupled to the main body portion.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the homing device comprises:
 at least one of a color marker, an infrared marker, an acoustic beacon, and an electromagnetic beacon.