DE102021123165B3 - Aircraft and method of operating an aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an aircraft, having a fuselage, at least four arms and/or wings, each arranged at one end on the fuselage and extending away from the fuselage with a respective free end, drive means, comprising a main rotor which can only be driven actively in a first operating state and in a second operating state can be driven exclusively passively by means of an auto-rotation, an actively driven tail rotor to compensate for the torque generated by the active drive of the main rotor in the first operating state on the fuselage, at least four actively driven multicopter rotors, with one multicopter rotor on each free end of an arm or a wing is arranged, an actively drivable propeller for generating propulsion and at least one drive unit for actively driving the rotors and the propeller, also having sensors for detecting flight parameters and drive means-related parameters, at least one manually operated control device, by means of which user-side control instructions can be entered, and a computer-aided flight controller, which is designed to select, depending on the user-side control instruction, one or more drive means for implementing the control instruction, taking into account at least some of the parameters detected by sensors and in accordance with this selection for the purpose of setting the operating status and/or the drive power.

Description

The invention relates to an aircraft and a method for operating an aircraft.

The present invention relates in particular to an aircraft which combines the functional principle of a helicopter, an autogyro and a quadrocopter or multicopter.

The beginnings of the autogyro, which is also called gyrocopter or autogyro, go back to the 1920s and are therefore known in aviation and are therefore state of the art.

From the DE 693 15 427 T2 such a gyroplane is known. A propeller is arranged at a rear end of the fuselage, which generates propulsion of the autogyro.

A tail unit is arranged behind the propeller, which serves for stabilization, but also has an elevator and/or rudder, with which the autogyro is controlled. The empennage is attached to the fuselage by a strut.

The disadvantage is that the autogyro requires a runway for take-off and landing.

Quadcopters or multicopters eliminate the disadvantage of hydrofoils, including autogyros, by allowing vertical takeoff and landing. On the other hand, the disadvantage of quadrocopters or multicopters is that they have an increased energy requirement in level flight. This results in lower ranges and a low cruising speed.

Out of DE 10 2012 104 783 A1 a combination of quadro or multicopter and fixed-wing aircraft is known. This leads to a solution to the aforementioned problem by merging the two functional principles. The disadvantage of this solution is that the flight characteristics are more complex, so these aircraft can only be flown by more highly qualified pilots. Another disadvantage is that due to the complexity of switching from quadro or multicopter flight after tilting the quadro or multicopter drives into level flight, considerable additional costs are required for the manufacture and maintenance of such an aircraft. Also, this combination does not offer the safety benefits that autogyro drive brings.

From the AT 510 341 A1 a rotary wing aircraft is known. This has jet engines, each of which is followed by a guide device for an engine jet. A guide device has a nozzle needle, by means of which the engine jet can be switched to one of two flow channels. One of the flow channels interacts with a rotor shaft of a support rotor, so that when this flow channel is acted upon by the engine jet, the support rotor is actively driven.

the CH 711 671 A2 discloses a multicopter aircraft. A total of four driven rotors and one non-driven gyrocopter rotor are provided. The gyrocopter rotor serves as a fall protection. In practice, however, this embodiment has proven to be only airworthy to a limited extent.

Furthermore, from the DE 10 2016 002 231 A1 known as a combination of quadro or multicopter and autogyro. The active rotors are connected to the fuselage and can be pivoted. A disadvantage is that the angle of inclination of the axis of the passive rotor changes during the transition from quadro or multicopter flight to horizontal gyro flight. This is a disadvantage because the angle of attack must have a certain value for stable and energy-efficient level flight. However, this value is not guaranteed with a rigid arrangement, since in the initial phase of the transition from vertical flight to quadro or multicopter flight, the aircraft must be tilted forward in the direction of flight, which is achieved by supplying more energy to the rear rotors. Only when the passive rotor reaches a minimum speed due to the effect of the airstream and the resulting lift, the active rotors are no longer required for lift and are gradually used for propulsion through repositioning, which in turn allows the aircraft to be tilted backwards again. The active rotors must be swiveled around a rigid axis, whereby the distance from the fuselage was only chosen far enough that the rotors should not touch the fuselage. Since the passive rotor has a radius significantly larger than the fuselage, the arrangement close to the fuselage results in instability due to the leverage forces applied to the axis of the passive rotor. It is also required that the active rotors be pivotable to achieve additional propulsion in level flight.

From the DE 10 2018 109 813 A1 Furthermore, an autogyro is known which has a main rotor which can be rotated by autorotation and at least four driven and tiltable drive rotors. Of the The autogyro can be taken off and landed vertically using the tilting drive motors.

The aircraft known from the prior art have disadvantages with regard to energy efficiency, flight safety and flight behavior.

It is therefore the object of the invention to specify an aircraft on the one hand and a method for operating an aircraft in which the disadvantages known from the prior art are avoided.

• - einen Rumpf,
• - wenigstens vier am Rumpf jeweils einendseitig angeordnete und sich mit einem jeweiligen freien Ende vom Rumpf weg erstreckende Arme und/oder Tragflächen,
• - Antriebsmittel, umfassend
  • • einen Hauptrotor, welcher in einem ersten Betriebszustand ausschließlich aktiv antreibbar ist und in einem zweiten Betriebszustand ausschließlich passiv im Wege einer Autorotation antreibbar ist,
  • • einen aktiv antreibbaren Heckrotor zur Kompensation des durch den aktiven Antrieb des Hauptrotors im ersten Betriebszustand am Rumpf erzeugten Drehmoments,
  • • wenigstens vier aktiv antreibbare Multicopter-Rotoren, wobei jeweils ein Multicopter-Rotor am jeweiligen freien Ende eines Arms oder einer Tragfläche angeordnet ist,
  • • einen aktiv antreibbaren Propeller zur Erzeugung von Vortrieb und
  • • wenigstens eine Antriebseinheit zum aktiven Antrieb der Rotoren und des Propellers,
• - Sensoren zur Erfassung von Flugparametern und antriebsmittelbezogenen Parameter,
• - wenigstens eine manuell handhabbare Steuereinrichtung, mittels welcher benutzerseitige Steueranweisungen eingebbar sind,
• - und einen computergestützten Flugcontroller, welcher dazu ausgebildet ist, in Abhängigkeit der benutzerseitigen Steueranweisung ein oder mehrere Antriebsmittel zur Umsetzung der Steueranweisung unter Berücksichtigung wenigstens eines Teils der sensorisch erfassten Parameter auszuwählen und gemäß dieser Auswahl zum Zwecke der Einstellung des Betriebszustandes und/oder der Antriebsleistung anzusteuern.

In order to achieve the object, the invention proposes an aircraft on the device side, having

• - a hull,
• - at least four arms and/or wings arranged at one end on the fuselage and extending away from the fuselage with a respective free end,
• - drive means comprising
  • • a main rotor, which can only be driven actively in a first operating state and can only be driven passively in a second operating state by means of an autorotation,
  • • an actively drivable tail rotor to compensate for the torque generated by the active drive of the main rotor in the first operating state on the fuselage,
  • • at least four actively drivable multicopter rotors, with one multicopter rotor each being arranged at the respective free end of an arm or a wing,
  • • an actively drivable propeller to generate propulsion and
  • • at least one drive unit for actively driving the rotors and the propeller,
• - Sensors for recording flight parameters and propulsion-related parameters,
• - at least one manually operated control device, by means of which user-side control instructions can be entered,
• - and a computer-assisted flight controller, which is designed to select one or more drive means for implementing the control instruction as a function of the user-side control instruction, taking into account at least some of the parameters detected by sensors, and to control them according to this selection for the purpose of setting the operating state and/or the drive power .

To achieve the object, the invention also proposes a method for operating an aircraft according to the invention, in which flight parameters and drive means-related parameters are detected by sensors and in which drive means are selected and be controlled according to this selection for the purpose of setting the operating state and / or the drive power.

The present invention provides for the first time an unrestrictedly airworthy aircraft which combines the functional principle of a helicopter in tail rotor configuration, an autogyro and a quad or multicopter, thereby solving all the problems of the aircraft known from the prior art. Helicopter and quad or multicopter drives are used for vertical takeoff and landing, while the functional principle of the autogyro enables energy-efficient horizontal flight. In this sense, the combination of a main rotor that is actively driven in the first operating mode and an actively driven tail rotor correspond to the functioning of a helicopter in tail rotor configuration, the combination of a main rotor that is passively driven by autorotation in the second operating mode and an actively driven propeller correspond to the functioning of an autogyro and the combination from at least four multicopter rotors the functionality of a quad or multicopter. However, the invention goes beyond a mere aggregation of these functionalities in that only the flight controller according to the invention enables a synergetic interaction of the individual functionalities and combines them into an unrestrictedly airworthy aircraft for the first time.

For the purposes of the invention, the term "to be controlled for the purpose of setting the operating state and/or the drive power" also includes the initial activation, complete deactivation and reactivation of the drive means, in particular the drive of the rotors and the propeller. In the context of the invention, the term “rotor” designates a part that rotates relative to the fuselage and has an aerodynamic effect. In the context of the invention, the term “rotors” includes the main rotor, tail rotor and multicopter rotors. In the context of the invention, the term “propeller” designates a rotor rotating about a horizontal axis in order to generate propulsion. It can be a traction propeller or a pusher propeller. A pusher propeller is preferred.

According to the invention, a manually operable control device is provided, by means of which user-side control instructions can be entered. Accordingly, provision is made for the user, in particular the pilot, to control the aircraft. This means that the user can use the control device to initiate, carry out and abort corresponding flight maneuvers such as “takeoff”, “landing”, “climb”, “descent” and/or “curved flight”. Due to the synergetically combined drive types, however, direct control is not practicable. Rather, the control takes place in combination with the flight controller according to the invention, which implements the user's control instructions by selecting drive means according to predefinable criteria and controlling them accordingly in order to carry out the desired flight maneuver.

According to the invention, sensors are provided which record flight parameters and/or propulsion-related parameters. These parameters are preferably transmitted to the flight controller and compared with setpoint values that can be stored and specified in the data memory of the flight controller and are ready to be called up. Depending on the respective user-side control instruction, the drive means, in particular the rotors and the propeller, are controlled, taking into account at least some of the parameters. According to a preferred feature of the invention, it is provided that the sensors are designed to detect flight parameters in the form of flight altitude, flight speed, rate of climb, rate of descent and/or attitude. All of these parameters are preferably detected by sensors. These can be detected by a single sensor. Alternatively, it is provided that each parameter is recorded by a separate sensor. According to a preferred feature of the invention, it is further provided that the sensors are designed to detect parameters related to the drive means in the form of rotational speeds, angular velocities, switching states and/or directions of rotation, in particular of the drive unit, the rotors and/or the propeller. A sensor is particularly preferably provided which detects the rotational speed of the main rotor. The flight controller can preferably use this to determine the torque applied to the fuselage for controlling the speed of the tail rotor. All of these parameters are preferably detected by sensors. These can be detected by a single sensor. Alternatively, it is provided that each parameter is recorded by a separate sensor. Advantageously, as the number of parameters detected increases, the flight controller is able to control the rotors and the propeller with increased precision and to cope with more complex control patterns.

According to the invention, at least one drive is provided, with which the rotors and the propeller are actively driven. In principle, all rotors and the propeller can be driven by a single drive unit. However, this is not energy efficient. In addition, in the event of a malfunction of the propulsion unit, all rotors and propellers failed. Instead, it is preferred to provide at least two drive units, with the first drive unit serving to actively drive the main rotor, the tail rotor and/or the propeller and the second drive unit serving to actively drive the multicopter rotors. In this way, even if a drive unit fails, a rotor serving to generate lift is still available. Provision is preferably made for a fully automated emergency landing to be initiated by means of the flight controller in the event of an emergency. In this respect, it is advantageous to use the multicopter drive concept that has been optimized for this purpose, as it ensures comparatively high positional stability even under adverse conditions. In this sense, it is preferred that the second drive unit has a redundant energy source, in particular in the form of a battery. This ensures that the multicopter drive always has sufficient energy to carry out an emergency landing. A separate drive unit of its own can particularly preferably be provided for each rotor and the propeller. This is particularly advantageous in the field of RC aircraft due to their small size and the low power requirement of the drive units. A drive unit in the form of an electric motor can therefore be assigned to each rotor and the propeller in a simple manner. It is preferably provided that each drive unit can be controlled individually by the flight controller via corresponding electronic connections. Each drive unit can also be equipped with sensors for detecting drive-related parameters, such as rotational speeds and the like, which are transmitted to the flight controller in addition to the other parameters and compared with setpoint values that can be stored and specified in the data memory of the flight controller. The flight controller can then also control the rotors, the propeller and the drive units as a function of these parameters.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, it is provided that the main rotor has a flapping joint which allows the rotor blades to pivot upwards and/or downwards relative to the plane of the rotor circle, with the main rotor being designed without swashplates. The main rotor thus corresponds to the construction of a main rotor of an autogyro. He's with it simplified compared to the main rotor of a helicopter and less error-prone. The additional maneuverability of a main rotor equipped with a swash plate is unnecessary according to the invention, since the full maneuverability of the aircraft according to the invention is already achieved by pivoting the rotor blades of the main rotor and by a corresponding active drive of the multicopter rotors and/or the tail rotor.

In addition or as an alternative to this, elevators and/or rudders can preferably be provided. In this way, flight maneuvers can be initiated in an energy-efficient manner, particularly in level flight, in which the aircraft is preferably driven exclusively via the passively driven main rotor and the actively driven propeller in the manner of an autogyro.

According to the invention, the main rotor can be driven actively in a first operating state and can be driven passively in a second operating state by means of autorotation. There are basically two different concepts available for this. The states are created either by using a gearbox with different gear positions or by simply activating/deactivating the drive unit associated with the main rotor. According to a first embodiment of the invention, a transmission is provided via which the main rotor and the drive unit are kinematically coupled in the first operating state of the main rotor. In contrast, in the second operating state of the main rotor, the transmission is in the neutral position, as a result of which the drive unit is kinematically decoupled from the main rotor and allows autorotation. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, an overrunning clutch is provided for the kinematic connection of the drive unit to the main rotor. The drive unit is activated in the first operating state of the main rotor and the drive unit is deactivated in the second operating state of the main rotor. The freewheel allows the main rotor to autorotate when the drive unit is deactivated.

In terms of the method, it is provided according to the invention that, following a manual user input in the form of a control instruction, the drive means, in particular the rotors and the propeller, are individually switched between operating states in defined flight phases, activated, deactivated and/or controlled with regard to their drive power or operating states by means of the flight controller. This improves response, maneuverability and energy efficiency.

• - in einer Startphase, in welcher eine vorgebbare Mindestflughöhe und eine vorgebbare Mindestfluggeschwindigkeit noch nicht erreicht sind, gleichzeitig der Hauptrotor in seinem ersten Betriebszustand aktiv angetrieben wird, der Heckrotor zur Kompensation des durch den Hauptrotor am Rumpf erzeugten Drehmoments aktiv angetrieben wird, alle Multicopter-Rotoren aktiv angetrieben werden und der Propeller nicht angetrieben wird, wobei die Antriebsleistungen von Hauptrotor und Multicopter-Rotoren derart gesteuert werden, dass ein Steigflug bewirkt wird;
• - in einer Horizontalflugphase, in welcher die Mindestflughöhe und die Mindestfluggeschwindigkeit erreicht sind, gleichzeitig der Hauptrotor im zweiten Betriebszustand ausschließlich passiv angetrieben wird, der Propeller zur Erzeugung von Vortrieb aktiv angetrieben wird, der Heckrotor nicht aktiv angetrieben wird oder mit einer gegenüber der Startphase reduzierten Antriebsleistung ausschließlich zur Steuerung der Flugrichtung aktiv angetrieben wird, und die Multicopter-Rotoren nicht aktiv angetrieben werden oder mit einer gegenüber der Startphase reduzierten Antriebsleistung ausschließlich zur Lagestabilisierung aktiv angetrieben werden;
• - in einer Übergangsphase zwischen Start- und Horizontalflugphase, in welcher die Mindestflughöhe erreicht ist und die Mindestfluggeschwindigkeit noch nicht erreicht ist, der Hauptrotor vom ersten Betriebszustand in den zweiten Betriebszustand überführt wird, der aktive Antrieb des Heckrotors deaktiviert oder dessen Antriebsleistung reduziert wird, der aktive Antrieb der Multicopter-Rotoren deaktiviert wird oder deren Antriebsleistung reduziert wird.

Provision is also preferably made for the drive means to be controlled by the flight controller in such a way that

• - in a take-off phase in which a predeterminable minimum flight altitude and a predeterminable minimum flight speed have not yet been reached, at the same time the main rotor is actively driven in its first operating state, the tail rotor is actively driven to compensate for the torque generated by the main rotor on the fuselage, all multicopter rotors are actively powered and the propeller is not powered, with the propulsion powers of the main rotor and multicopter rotors being controlled in such a way that a climb is effected;
• - in a level flight phase in which the minimum flight altitude and the minimum flight speed are reached, at the same time the main rotor is only passively driven in the second operating state, the propeller is actively driven to generate propulsion, the tail rotor is not actively driven or with a reduced drive power compared to the take-off phase is actively driven solely to control the flight direction, and the multicopter rotors are not actively driven or are actively driven with a reduced drive power compared to the take-off phase solely for position stabilization;
• - in a transitional phase between takeoff and level flight phase, in which the minimum flight altitude has been reached and the minimum flight speed has not yet been reached, the main rotor is transferred from the first operating state to the second operating state, the active drive of the tail rotor is deactivated or its drive power is reduced, the active one drive of the multicopter rotors is deactivated or their drive power is reduced.

This makes it possible to use the flight controller to compare the manual control instruction with parameters detected by sensors and to make an optimized selection of the drive means available for specific maneuvers in specific flight phases. In this way, the control instruction can be translated to the driving means in an optimized manner. The criteria according to which a selection is made and the way in which it is optimized can basically be predetermined. A selection can be made, for example, with regard to energy consumption, speed, flight safety, etc., and optimized accordingly. Appropriate control protocols for the flight controller can be stored ready for retrieval. The resulting flight phase dependent sequences improve Furthermore, the flight behavior and the energy efficiency of the aircraft according to the invention within the individual flight phases compared to aircraft known from the prior art to a considerable extent. In particular, the highly problematic transition between vertical takeoff and level flight and vice versa is mastered in a particularly safe and flight-stable manner through the targeted control.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, it is provided that, depending on at least some of the parameters detected by sensors, the rotors and the propeller are controlled by the flight controller in such a way that in the transition phase the main rotor only switches from the first operating state to the second operating state is transferred and / or the drive of the multicopter rotors is deactivated or their drive power is reduced. Both measures, independently of one another or in combination with one another, can advantageously prevent an undesired “sag” in the sense of a sudden reduction in the flight altitude of the aircraft when the main rotor is switched over.

• - in einer regulären Landephase, in welcher eine vorgebbare Maximalflughöhe und eine vorgebbare Maximalfluggeschwindigkeit erreicht sind, gleichzeitig der Hauptrotor in seinem ersten Betriebszustand aktiv angetrieben wird, der Heckrotor zur Kompensation des durch den Hauptrotor erzeugten Drehmoments aktiv angetrieben wird, alle Multicopter-Rotoren aktiv angetrieben werden und der Propeller nicht angetrieben wird, wobei die Antriebsleistungen von Hauptrotor und Multicopter-Rotoren derart gesteuert werden, dass ein Sinkflug bewirkt wird.
• - in einer Übergangsphase zwischen Horizontalflugphase und regulärer Landephase, in welcher die vorgebbare Maximalflughöhe erreicht ist und die vorgebbare Maximalfluggeschwindigkeit nicht erreicht ist, zunächst der Propeller deaktiviert wird und bei Erreichen der Maximalgeschwindigkeit gleichzeitig der Hauptrotor vom zweiten Betriebszustand in den zweiten Betriebszustand überführt wird, der Heckrotor aktiviert wird und die Multicopter-Rotoren aktiviert werden,
• - in einer Notlandephase, in welcher die Durchführung einer regulären Landephase aufgrund des Über- und/oder Unterschreitens vorgebbarer Sollwerte nicht gewünscht oder nicht möglich ist und welche in jeder Phase des Flugs eingeleitet werden kann, ausschließlich die Multicopter-Rotoren aktiv angetrieben werden und alle anderen Rotoren und der Propeller nicht aktiv angetrieben werden.

According to a further preferred feature of the invention, it is provided that, depending on at least some of the parameters detected by sensors, the rotors and the propeller are controlled by the flight controller in such a way that

• - in a regular landing phase, in which a predeterminable maximum flight altitude and a predeterminable maximum flight speed are reached, at the same time the main rotor is actively driven in its first operating state, the tail rotor is actively driven to compensate for the torque generated by the main rotor, all multicopter rotors are actively driven and the propeller is not driven, whereby the drive powers of the main rotor and multicopter rotors are controlled in such a way that a descent is effected.
• - In a transitional phase between the level flight phase and the regular landing phase, in which the predeterminable maximum flight altitude has been reached and the predeterminable maximum flight speed has not been reached, the propeller is first deactivated and, when the maximum speed is reached, the main rotor is simultaneously transferred from the second operating state to the second operating state, the tail rotor is activated and the multicopter rotors are activated,
• - in an emergency landing phase, in which the execution of a regular landing phase is not desired or not possible due to exceeding and/or falling below specified target values and which can be initiated in any phase of the flight, only the multicopter rotors are actively driven and all others Rotors and the propeller are not actively driven.

The regular landing phase corresponds essentially to the reversal of the take-off phase, while the transition phase from level flight phase to regular landing phase corresponds essentially to a reversal of the transition phase from take-off phase to level flight phase. During these phases, too, the flight controller ensures a safe and stable transition between horizontal flight and vertical landing.

In addition, an emergency landing mode is provided by the flight controller, which allows an emergency landing from any flight phase. An emergency landing may be indicated in particular in the event of a drive unit failure and/or adverse weather conditions. Target values that can be specified in this regard are stored ready for retrieval in the data memory of the flight controller. If at least one target value or a plurality of specified target values is exceeded or fallen below, the flight controller immediately executes the emergency landing sequence exclusively with active drive of the particularly manoeuvrable and stable multicopter rotors. If the conditions for initiating an emergency landing are met, this is carried out with an "overwrite" priority. This means that the initiation of an emergency landing is processed by the flight controller with priority over other control protocols, for example the protocol of the take-off phase.

• 1 eine erste Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Luftfahrzeugs in schematischer Aufsicht;
• 2 eine zweite Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Luftfahrzeugs in schematischer Aufsicht;
• 3 die zweite Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Luftfahrzeugs in schematischer Seitenansicht;
• 4 eine dritte Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Luftfahrzeugs in perspektivischer Ansicht;
• 5 Darstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens in Form eines Flussdiagrams.

The invention is explained in detail below using exemplary embodiments. The exemplary embodiments only serve to illustrate particular aspects of the invention and are not to be understood as limiting for the person skilled in the art. show it

• 1 a first embodiment of the aircraft according to the invention in a schematic plan view;
• 2 a second embodiment of the aircraft according to the invention in a schematic plan view;
• 3 the second embodiment of the aircraft according to the invention in a schematic side view;
• 4 a third embodiment of the aircraft according to the invention in a perspective view;
• 5 Representation of a method according to the invention in the form of a flow chart.

According to the invention, the active multicopter rotors 2 of the quadro or multicopter drive are not tilted, but are used for additional stability of the aircraft in horizontal flight. In an emergency, gusts or a failure of the main rotor 1 can thus be efficiently compensated for. In this case, the active multicopter rotors 2 must be placed at a greater distance from the fuselage 7, which means that the aircraft does not become unbalanced due to the weight of the passive main rotor 1.

In the 2 Arms shown optionally also have telescopic extensions 10, so that in principle any position can be reached.

The advantage of this configuration is that the effort and complexity are further reduced compared to the known configurations. The four operated multicopter rotors 2 do not have to be positioned by tilting/pivoting during the take-off phase when transitioning to level flight and when transitioning from level flight to the landing phase. With a telescopic extension of the arms 10, they are extended during the takeoff and landing phase. This advantageously increases the stability of the flight device during takeoff and landing. During the flight phase, these arms 10 are preferably completely retracted, so that the efficiency of the aircraft is advantageously achieved through less air resistance. Furthermore, the active multicopter rotors 2 serve as additional security. Should the aircraft become unstable due to extreme weather conditions or pilot error, the active multicopter rotors 2 can execute the emergency landing program that is customary for quadrocopters or multicopters. This is more advantageous than a swiveling/tilting configuration, since the active multicopter rotors 2 are supported in a horizontal position without any time delay. Thus, an almost crash-proof aircraft can be achieved.

It is state of the art for gyrocopters that the passive rotor is actively driven before take-off, so that the runway required is shortened. The active drive is interrupted before take-off, as otherwise the aircraft would be set in a circling motion, which would lead to instability or crash of the aircraft would result. This is also a source of accidents that should not be underestimated.

In this configuration of the device according to the invention, the main rotor 1, which is passive in the second operating state, is oscillated after a minimum height has been reached by the active multicopter rotors 2 of the quadro or multicopter drive with the aid of a clutch, preferably an overrunning clutch, in the air. In this configuration, an active tail rotor 9 is attached to the side perpendicular to the direction of flight, analogous to a tail rotor of a helicopter. When the main rotor begins to swing, a gyrating movement of the aircraft can be advantageously counteracted by a compensating air flow. When a predefinable flow rate is reached at the main rotor, the drive is disengaged so that the main rotor 1 functions as an autorotation rotor in the second operating state. When configured with telescoping arms 10, they are fully deployed in the air to increase stability and safety. By driving the rear active propeller 3, the aircraft is accelerated in a horizontal flight direction, so that the auto-rotation is maintained by the relative wind during the horizontal flight phase. A further advantage of this device is that, in the event of malfunctions when coupling and decoupling in the air, a previously faulty gyroscopic movement is automatically calmed down again by the air friction simply by switching off the drive for pushing the passively operated main rotor 1.

4 shows a third embodiment of the aircraft according to the invention.

The aircraft has a fuselage 7 and four wings in the form of two front wings 14 and two rear wings 15, each arranged at one end on the fuselage 7 and extending away from the fuselage 7 with a respective free end.

The fuselage 7 carries a cockpit 17 in the area between the two front wings 14. The cockpit 17 is used to accommodate the pilot and possibly other passengers and/or co-pilots.

The aircraft has propulsion means, of which the main rotor 1, the multicopter rotors 2, the tail rotor 9 and the propeller 3 can be seen.

The main rotor 1 and the propeller 3 are articulated on the cockpit 17 . The main rotor 1 is connected to the cockpit 17 with the interposition of a rotor support 25 provided with a stiffening surface 19 .

The cockpit 17 has a curved stiffening rib 20 which is connected to the rotor support 25 at one end and to the fuselage 7 at the other end. Stiffening rib 20 and stiffening surface 19 serve the purpose of Cock to stiffen pit 17 and the rotor carrier 25 against the forces generated by the main rotor 1 and the propeller 3 and to stabilize them mechanically in this way.

The four multicopter rotors 2 are arranged in such a way that one multicopter rotor 2 is arranged at the respective free end of one of the four wings 14, 15. To protect the comparatively fragile rotor blades and to reduce noise, the multicopter rotors 2 are surrounded in the radial direction by an annular rotor mount 18

The rear wings 15 are connected by means of wing enlargements 16 arranged on the fuselage. The rear wings 15 form a delta wing with the wing enlargements 16 . This improves buoyancy and control characteristics.

The tail rotor 9 is arranged at the tail of the aircraft. In the present case, the tail rotor 9 is encapsulated in the manner of a fenestron.

Elevator 12 and rudder 13 can also be seen. Elevator 12 extends away from fuselage 7 on both sides. The elevator is arranged above the tail rotor 9 .

5 shows schematically the sequence of the control process according to the invention.

First, the user issues a control instruction or control command via the control device 21, which is aimed at initiating a flight maneuver. In the present case, for example, a "start". The control instruction is transmitted to the flight controller 22 in terms of data technology.

In terms of data technology, the flight controller 22 is also connected to the sensors 23, which record flight parameters and propulsion-related parameters. Depending on the control instruction, the flight controller makes a selection from the available propulsion means, taking into account the parameters present.

In the "Start" flight sequence, the main rotor 1 in the first operating state, the multicopter rotors 2 and the tail rotor 9 are now selected for initiating a vertical climb. Correspondingly, the drive means 24 are now controlled by the flight controller 22 in such a way that the main rotor 1—if necessary—is transferred to the first operating state and is actively driven. Furthermore, the activation of the drive means 23 has the effect that the multicopter rotors 2 and the tail rotor 9 are actively driven.

Reference List

1

main rotor

2

Multicopter rotors

3

propeller

4

rotor head

5

aircraft

6

joint

7

hull

8th

flight tail

9

tail rotor

10

poor

11

main rotor rail

12

elevator

13

rudder

14

front wings

15

rear wings

16

wing enlargement

17

cockpit

18

rotor mount

19

stiffening surface

20

stiffening rib

21

control device

22

flight controller

23

sensors

24

drive means

25

rotor carrier

Claims (11)

Aircraft, having - a fuselage (7), - at least four arms (10) and/or wings (14, 15), each arranged at one end on the fuselage (7) and extending away from the fuselage with a respective free end, - drive means comprising • a main rotor (1), which in a first operating state can only be actively driven and in a second operating state can only be driven passively by means of an autorotation, • an actively driven tail rotor (9) to compensate for the active drive of the main rotor (1) torque generated in the first operating state on the fuselage, • at least four actively drivable multicopter rotors (2), each with a multicopter rotor (2) on respective free end of an arm (10) or a wing (14, 15), • an actively drivable propeller (3) for generating propulsion and • at least one drive unit for actively driving the rotors (2, 9) and the propeller ( 3), - sensors (23) for detecting flight parameters and parameters related to the propulsion means, - at least one manually operated control device (21), by means of which user-side control instructions can be entered, - and a computer-assisted flight controller (22), which is designed to do this depending on the user-side control instruction to select one or more drive means (24) for implementing the control instruction, taking into account at least some of the parameters detected by sensors, and to control them according to this selection for the purpose of setting the operating state and/or the drive power. aircraft after claim 1 , characterized in that the sensors (23) for detecting flight parameters are designed to detect at least flight altitude, flight speed, rate of climb, rate of descent and/or attitude. aircraft after claim 2 , characterized in that the sensors (23) for detecting parameters related to the drive means are designed to detect rotational speeds, angular velocities, switching states and/or directions of rotation. Aircraft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by at least two drive units, the first drive unit being used to actively drive the main rotor (1), the tail rotor (9) and/or the propeller (3) and the second drive unit being used to actively drive the multicopter Rotors (2) is used, wherein the second drive unit has a redundant energy source, in particular in the form of a battery. Aircraft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main rotor (1) has a flapping joint which allows the rotor blades to pivot upwards and/or downwards relative to the plane of the rotor circle, the main rotor (1) being designed without swashplates. Aircraft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a gearbox via which the main rotor (1) and the drive unit are kinematically coupled in the first operating state of the main rotor (1), the gearbox being in the idle position in the second operating state of the main rotor (1), whereby the drive unit is kinematically decoupled from the main rotor (1). Aircraft according to any of Claims 1 until 5 characterized by an overrunning clutch for the kinematic connection of the drive unit to the main rotor (1), the drive unit being activated in the first operating state of the main rotor (1) and the drive unit being deactivated in the second operating state of the main rotor (1). Method for operating an aircraft according to one of Claims 1 until 7 , in which flight parameters and propulsion-related parameters are detected by sensors and in which, depending on a user-side control instruction by means of the flight controller (22), taking into account at least some of the parameters detected by sensors, propulsion means (24) are selected and, according to this selection, for the purpose of setting the operating state and/or or the drive power can be controlled. procedure after claim 8 , characterized in that the drive means (24) are controlled by the flight controller (22) in such a way that - in a take-off phase in which a predeterminable minimum flight altitude and a predeterminable minimum flight speed have not yet been reached, the main rotor (1) is simultaneously in its first operating state is actively driven, the tail rotor (9) is actively driven to compensate for the torque generated by the main rotor (1) on the fuselage (7), all multicopter rotors (2) are actively driven and the propeller (3) is not driven, whereby the drive power of the main rotor (1) and multicopter rotors (2) are controlled in such a way that a climb is effected, - in a level flight phase in which the minimum flight altitude and the minimum flight speed are reached, the main rotor (1) is simultaneously exclusively passive in the second operating state is driven, the propeller (3) is actively driven to generate propulsion, the tail rotor ( 9) is not actively driven or is actively driven with a reduced drive power compared to the take-off phase exclusively to control the flight direction, and the multicopter rotors (2) are not actively driven or are actively driven with a reduced drive power compared to the take-off phase exclusively for position stabilization, - in a transitional phase between takeoff and level flight phase, in which the minimum flight altitude has been reached and the minimum flight speed has not yet been reached, the main rotor (1) is transferred from the first operating state to the second operating state, the active drive of the tail rotor (9) is deactivated or its drive power reduction the active drive of the multicopter rotors (2) is deactivated or their drive power is reduced. procedure after claim 9 , characterized in that the drive means (24) are controlled by the flight controller (22) in such a way that in the transition phase the main rotor (1) is only transferred from the first operating state to the second operating state and/or the drive when at least one predefinable flight speed is reached the multicopter rotors (2) are deactivated or their drive power is reduced. Procedure according to one of claims 9 or 10 , characterized in that the drive means (24) are controlled by the flight controller (22) in such a way that - in a regular landing phase, in which a predefinable flight altitude and a predefinable flight speed are reached, the main rotor (1) is active in its first operating state at the same time is driven, the tail rotor (9) is actively driven to compensate for the torque generated by the main rotor (1), all multicopter rotors (2) are actively driven and the propeller (3) is not driven, with the drive power of the main rotor (1st ) and multicopter rotors (2) are controlled in such a way that a descent is effected. - in a transitional phase between the level flight phase and the regular landing phase, in which the predefinable flight altitude has been reached and the predefinable flight speed has not been reached, the propeller (3) is first deactivated and, when the maximum speed is reached, the main rotor (1) is deactivated at the same time from the first operating state to the second operating state is transferred, the tail rotor (9) is activated and the multicopter rotors (2) are activated, - in an emergency landing phase in which the implementation of a regular landing phase is not desired or not possible due to exceeding and/or falling below specified target values and which can be initiated at any stage of flight, only the multicopter rotors (2) are actively driven and all other rotors (1, 9) and the propeller (3) are not actively driven.

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