Extended endurance air vehicle

Abstract

An air vehicle comprises a vehicle body and a propulsion assembly. The vehicle body has the shape of a wing airfoil so that the vehicle body generates lift when air flows over the vehicle body. The vehicle body has a body longitudinal axis, and includes a first hull and a second hull that are secured together side-by-side, the hulls having longitudinal axes that are substantially parallel to the body longitudinal axis. Each hull defines a separate fluid chamber that is filled with a fluid that is at least partially buoyant. The propulsion assembly is secured to the vehicle body. The propulsion assembly generates thrust and includes a port front engine, a port rear engine, a starboard front engine, and a starboard rear engine, wherein at least two of the engines have independently controlled thrust vectors.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An air vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle body having the shape of a wing airfoil so that the vehicle body generates lift when air flows over the vehicle body;   a propulsion assembly that is secured to the vehicle body, the propulsion assembly generating thrust and including a port front engine, a port rear engine, a starboard front engine, and a starboard rear engine, wherein each engine includes a pitch actuator that adjusts an angle of thrust about a first axis, and wherein at least two of the engines include a yaw actuator that adjusts the angle of thrust about a second axis that is different from the first axis; and   a control assembly that is electrically connected to the propulsion assembly to independently control operation of each of the engines, the control assembly adjusting one of the pitch actuator and the yaw actuator for each of the engines to adjust the angle of thrust about one of the first axis and the second axis for each of the engines.   
     
     
         22 . The air vehicle of  claim 21  wherein each engine includes a yaw actuator that adjusts the angle of thrust about the second axis, and wherein the control assembly adjusts both of the pitch actuator and the yaw actuator for each of the engines to adjust the angle of thrust about both of the first axis and the second axis for each of the engines. 
     
     
         23 . The air vehicle of  claim 21  wherein the vehicle body has a body longitudinal axis, wherein the port front engine and the port rear engine are aligned relative to one another in a manner that is substantially parallel to the body longitudinal axis, and wherein the starboard front engine and the starboard rear engine are aligned relative to one another in a manner that is substantially parallel to the body longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         24 . The air vehicle of  claim 21  wherein the vehicle body has a body longitudinal axis; the vehicle body including a first hull having a first hull longitudinal axis, a second hull having a second hull longitudinal axis, and a third hull having a third hull longitudinal axis, the hulls being positioned adjacent to one another and secured to one another in a side-by-side manner with the first hull longitudinal axis, the second hull longitudinal axis, and the third hull longitudinal axis being substantially parallel to the body longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         25 . The air vehicle of  claim 24  wherein each hull defines a separate fluid chamber that is filled with a fluid that is at least partially buoyant. 
     
     
         26 . The air vehicle of  claim 25  wherein the control assembly independently controls operation of each of the engines to enable vertical takeoff and landing of the air vehicle. 
     
     
         27 . The air vehicle of  claim 25  wherein each hull is non-rigid, wherein the separate fluid chamber defined by each hull is filled with a lighter-than-air gas, and wherein the pressure of the lighter-than-air gas in each hull maintains the shape of the respective hull. 
     
     
         28 . The air vehicle of  claim 24  further comprising a secondary bladder that is positioned within each hull of the vehicle body and substantially adjacent to the vehicle body, wherein each secondary bladder can be selectively inflated to maintain the shape of the respective hull. 
     
     
         29 . The air vehicle of  claim 21  wherein the vehicle body includes a port side, a starboard side, a body front, a body rear, a body longitudinal axis, and a body transverse axis positioned halfway between the body front and the body rear; and wherein the port front engine is secured to the port side of the vehicle body between the body front and the body transverse axis, the port rear engine is secured to the port side of the vehicle body between the body transverse axis and the body rear, the starboard front engine is secured to the starboard side of the vehicle body between the body front and the body transverse axis, and the starboard rear engine is secured to the starboard side of the vehicle body between the body transverse axis and the body rear. 
     
     
         30 . The air vehicle of  claim 21  wherein each engine includes a fan blade assembly, a fan motor that provides a force to rotate the fan blade assembly to generate thrust, and a fan positioner that selectively moves the fan blade assembly and the fan motor relative to the vehicle body, the fan positioner including the pitch actuator that adjusts the angle of thrust about the first axis and the yaw actuator that adjusts the angle of thrust about the second axis. 
     
     
         31 . The air vehicle of  claim 21  wherein the control assembly independently controls operation of each of the engines to move and control movement of the vehicle body during takeoff, in-flight operations and recovery. 
     
     
         32 . The air vehicle of  claim 21  wherein the control assembly includes a vehicle control system that is electrically connected to the propulsion assembly and that is secured to the vehicle body, and a remote control system that sends signals to the vehicle control system to control the propulsion assembly, wherein the remote control system is adapted to be controlled by a user who is positioned remotely from the air vehicle. 
     
     
         33 . The air vehicle of  claim 21  further comprising a battery assembly that provides power to the propulsion assembly, the battery assembly being secured to the vehicle body. 
     
     
         34 . The air vehicle of  claim 33  further comprising a solar-collector that is formed on an upper surface of the vehicle body, the solar-collector being usable to recharge the battery assembly. 
     
     
         35 . The air vehicle of  claim 21  wherein the vehicle body has a rounded leading edge, a sharp trailing edge, and an upper surface and a lower surface each having asymmetric curvature so that the vehicle body generates lift when air flows over the vehicle body. 
     
     
         36 . An air vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle body having the shape of a wing airfoil with a rounded leading edge, a sharp trailing edge, and an upper surface and a lower surface each having asymmetric curvature so that the vehicle body generates lift when air flows over the vehicle body, the vehicle body including (i) a port side, (ii) a starboard side, (iii) a body front, (iv) a body rear, (v) a body longitudinal axis, (vi) a body transverse axis positioned halfway between the body front and the body rear, (vii) a first hull having a first hull longitudinal axis, (viii) a second hull having a second hull longitudinal axis, and (ix) a third hull having a third hull longitudinal axis, the hulls being positioned adjacent to one another and secured to one another in a side-by-side manner with the first hull longitudinal axis, the second hull longitudinal axis, and the third hull longitudinal axis being substantially parallel to the body longitudinal axis, wherein each hull defines a separate fluid chamber that is filled with a lighter-than-air gas, and wherein the pressure of the lighter-than-air gas in each hull maintains the shape of the respective hull;   a propulsion assembly that is secured to the vehicle body, the propulsion assembly generating thrust and including (i) a port front engine that is secured to the port side of the vehicle body between the body front and the body transverse axis, (ii) a port rear engine that is secured to the port side of the vehicle body between the body transverse axis and the body rear, (iii) a starboard front engine that is secured to the starboard side of the vehicle body between the body front and the body transverse axis, and (iv) a starboard rear engine that is secured to the starboard side of the vehicle body between the body transverse axis and the body rear; wherein the port front engine and the port rear engine are aligned relative to one another in a manner that is substantially parallel to the body longitudinal axis; wherein the starboard front engine and the starboard rear engine are aligned relative to one another in a manner that is substantially parallel to the body longitudinal axis; and wherein each engine is independently movable in two degrees of freedom, each engine including a fan blade assembly, a fan motor that provides a force to rotate the fan blade assembly to generate thrust, and a fan positioner that selectively moves the fan blade assembly and the fan motor relative to the vehicle body, the fan positioner including a pitch actuator that adjusts the angle of thrust about a first axis and a yaw actuator that adjusts the angle of thrust about a second axis that is different from the first axis; and   a control assembly that is electrically connected to the propulsion assembly to control operation of each of the engines, the control assembly adjusting both of the pitch actuator and the yaw actuator for each of the engines to adjust the angle of thrust about both of the first axis and the second axis for each of the engines.   
     
     
         37 . The air vehicle of  claim 36  further comprising a secondary bladder that is positioned within each hull of the vehicle body and substantially adjacent to the vehicle body, wherein each secondary bladder can be selectively inflated to maintain the shape of the respective hull. 
     
     
         38 . The air vehicle of  claim 36  wherein the control assembly includes a vehicle control system that is electrically connected to the propulsion assembly and that is secured to the vehicle body, and a remote control system that sends signals to the vehicle control system to control the propulsion assembly, wherein the remote control system is adapted to be controlled by a user who is positioned remotely from the air vehicle. 
     
     
         39 . The air vehicle of  claim 36  wherein the control assembly independently controls operation of each of the engines to enable vertical takeoff and landing of the air vehicle. 
     
     
         40 . The air vehicle of  claim 36  wherein the control assembly independently controls operation of each of the engines to move and control movement of the vehicle body during takeoff, in-flight operations and recovery.