JPH04262995A - Unmanned flying body provided with pulse jet engine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to meteorological observation, aerial photography,
Alternatively, it relates to an unmanned flying vehicle used to collect various information and data on behalf of humans, such as in investigations of volcanic activity that humans cannot access.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, unmanned flying vehicles of this type have been able to fly using propellers or rotary wings rotated by gasoline engines. Moreover, unmanned flying vehicles are designed to fly by remote control using a radio guidance system.

0003

However, since such unmanned flying vehicles fly using propellers or rotary wings, they have the problem of slow flight speed. Furthermore, since it flies by remote control, it also has the problem of not being able to fly autonomously.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a main wing that is deployably housed in an aircraft body, a tiltable horizontal stabilizer, a pulse jet engine, and a tiltable horizontal stabilizer that tilts the aircraft to a set altitude and direction. The above-mentioned problem has been solved by an unmanned flying vehicle equipped with a flight control mechanism that controls the flight of the aircraft.

[0005]

[Operation] The flight control mechanism stores the flight direction, flight altitude, etc. in advance. The main wings are typically retracted into the fuselage. An unmanned aerial vehicle is launched by a pulse jet engine and flies by deploying its main wings at approximately the same time as launch. The flight control mechanism detects the flight direction, flight altitude, etc., and tilts the horizontal stabilizer so that the aircraft can fly in a predetermined direction while maintaining a predetermined stored altitude.

[0006]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings. The payload storage chamber 11 (see FIG. 1) is formed in the head of the fuselage 12 of the unmanned flying vehicle 10, and stores payloads (equipment) used for weather observation and aerial photography. Note that observation information is transmitted to the ground. Behind the payload storage chamber 11 is a flight control mechanism 15 including a direction sensor 151 and an altitude sensor 152.
(Details will be described later) are installed. Orientation sensor 1
51 is a sensor that detects the flight direction of the unmanned flying vehicle 10. Further, the altitude sensor 152 is a sensor that measures the flight altitude. The battery 16 includes a flight control mechanism battery 161 (see FIG. 4) and a motor drive battery 162. The fuel tank 17 is filled with propane gas.

The main wings 18, 18 are provided approximately at the center of the aircraft body 12 by rotating shafts 181, 181.
This is the part that obtains the lift necessary for flight at zero. The main wing 18 is
It is normally stored in the fuselage 12, and is expanded by the main wing expansion mechanism 19 during flight. The main wing deployment mechanism 19 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) includes a known gas spring 191 and a pair of operating links 192, 192. The gas spring 191 has a piston shaft 193 that is always biased in the protrusion direction. The operating links 192, 192 are connected to the piston shaft 193, the main wing 18,
18 and integral rotating pieces 194, 194 are connected. The piston shaft 193 is inserted into the hole 196 of the fuselage 12 (see FIG. 6).
The pin 195 (see FIG. 5), which is inserted into the pin 195 (see FIG. 5), is inserted through the pin 195 and is normally held in the pushed-in state. Therefore, when the pin 195 is removed, the main wing expansion mechanism 19 moves to the piston shaft 1.
93 automatically protrudes, spreads the main wings 18, 18, and fixes them in the spread position with links.

Pulse jet engine 20 (FIGS. 1 and 2)
Reference) is an engine that is ignited by an engine ignition device 21 and burns propane gas to obtain the thrust of the unmanned flying vehicle 10, and has a structure without moving parts. The tailron (horizontal stabilizer) 22, 22 is attached to the rotation axis 2 at the rear of the fuselage 12.
21 and 221 so as to be tiltable, and has the functions of both an aileron (auxiliary wing) and an elevator (elevating rudder), which are the control surfaces of the unmanned flying vehicle 10. The tailron actuators 23, 23 tilt the tailron 22 in response to a control signal from the servo control device 157 (see FIG. 4) of the flight control mechanism 15, and include a motor 231 (see FIG. 7) and a known ball screw 232. and a connecting link 234 that connects the nut 233 of the ball screw and the tail ron 22. The vertical stabilizer 24 is
The unmanned flying vehicle 10 is installed vertically at the rear of the aircraft body 12.
This is the tail for stabilizing the flight direction of the aircraft.

The flight control mechanism 15 (see FIG. 4) is connected to a control panel 30 of the ground launcher or carrier aircraft. This connection is released at the same time as the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 takes off. The flight control mechanism 15 includes a direction sensor 151 and an altitude sensor 15.
2, power supply control circuit 153, tone receiver 154, initial setting panel 155, control device 156, servo control device 15
7, an engine controller 158, etc.

The tone receiver 154 is used to receive an emergency avoidance signal from the ground or the mother aircraft when the unmanned aircraft 10 is at risk of deviating from its course and colliding with an obstacle due to crosswinds, sudden changes in airflow, etc. It is a receiver. The power supply control circuit 153 controls on/off and voltage of the flight control mechanism battery 161 and the motor drive battery 162 of the tailron actuator 23. The initial setting panel 155 is a panel for setting the altitude and descent rate to be maintained by the unmanned flying object 10, and includes an altitude setting button 159 and a descent rate setting button 160. The control device 156 stores the flying direction and altitude of the unmanned flying vehicle 10, and controls the altitude sensor 152 and the direction sensor 15.
It has the role of calculating the deviation from the planned flight course based on the signal from 1, and sending a trajectory correction signal to the servo control device 157 to correct the trajectory. The control device 156 also has the role of controlling an engine controller 158. The servo control device 157 controls the taillon actuator 23 based on the trajectory correction signal from the control device 156.
It has the role of operating the motor 231 of.

Next, the operation will be explained. The unmanned aerial vehicle 10 is
Ground launcher (not shown) or carrier aircraft (not shown)
However, it is assumed that multiple units are installed under the main wing of the carrier aircraft. Before the loaded mother aircraft takes off from the ground, the values of the altitude and descent rate set by the altitude setting button 159 and descent rate setting button 160 of the initial setting panel 155 are stored in the control device 156.

When the loaded mother aircraft reaches the observation point, the operator turns on the power switch 3 on the control panel 30 of the loaded mother aircraft.
01 and supplies power to the control device 156 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10. If there is no abnormality in the unmanned aerial vehicle 10, the standby indicator light 302 lights up. Next, the user selects the unmanned aerial vehicle to be launched from among the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and presses the selection switch 303. The selected unmanned aerial vehicle has an engine ignition system 21
As a result, the pulse jet engine 20 is ignited and enters a start standby state. After determining the firing direction, the operator presses the firing button 304. Then, a lock (not shown) in the launcher 31 is released, and the gunpowder in the cartridge (not shown) is ignited, launching the unmanned flying vehicle. At this time, the pin 195 of the main wing deployment mechanism 19 is also pulled out, and the main wings 18 are in the deployed state. Simultaneously with the launch of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10, a mother aircraft azimuth signal is automatically input to the control device 156 from the mother aircraft.

The unmanned flying object 10 flies while comparing the direction and altitude stored in the control device 156 with the current altitude and azimuth detected by the altitude sensor 152 and the azimuth sensor 151. If there is a difference, the controller 156 sends a trajectory correction signal to the servo controller 157 to correct the difference. The servo control device 157 operates the motor 231 of the tailron actuator 23 to tilt the tailron 22. When both tailrons 22, 22 are tilted in the direction of arrow A in FIGS. 1 and 7, the head of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 is directed upward, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 rises. Further, when the unmanned flying object 10 is tilted in the direction of arrow B, the head is directed downward and the unmanned flying object 10 descends. Furthermore, move one tail long 22 in the direction of arrow A,
When the other tail ron 22 is tilted in the direction of arrow B, the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 turns toward the tail ron tilted in the direction of arrow A. In this way, the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 sends information and data obtained by the payload (not shown) stored in the payload storage chamber 11 to the carrying aircraft, while
Fly while maintaining the set altitude and flight direction. Note that the unmanned aerial vehicle may be either a recoverable type or a non-recoverable type.

[0014]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the unmanned flying vehicle of the present invention, the main wings can be stored in the aircraft body in a deployable manner, making it easy to transport. In particular, multiple units can be hung side by side under the main wing of the carrier aircraft. Furthermore, since a pulse jet engine is used as the flight thrust source, the structure is simple, maintenance and inspection are easy, and the aircraft can fly at high speed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view along the longitudinal direction of an unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a left side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a flight control mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the main wing deployment mechanism, showing the main wing in a retracted state.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the main wing deployment mechanism, showing a state in which the main wing is deployed.

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of the tailron actuator.

[Explanation of symbols]

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] A main wing that is deployably stored in the fuselage;
An unmanned flying vehicle comprising a tiltable horizontal stabilizer, a pulse jet engine, and a flight control mechanism that tilts the horizontal stabilizer to control the flight of the aircraft to a set altitude and direction.