Patents by Inventor Frank N. Piasecki

Frank N. Piasecki has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8463465
    Abstract: The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of operational objectives each of which is designed to achieve any particular command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Frank N. Piasecki, Andrew S. Greenjack, Joseph F. Horn
  • Patent number: 7908044
    Abstract: The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of operational objectives each of which is designed to achieve any particular command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Frank N. Piasecki, Andrew S. Greenjack, Joseph F. Horn
  • Publication number: 20100324758
    Abstract: The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of operational objectives each of which is designed to achieve any particular command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Frank N. Piasecki, Andrew S. Greenjack, Joseph F. Horn
  • Patent number: 7823827
    Abstract: The Invention is a rotary-wing aircraft having at least two vectored thrusters that may be tilted from a horizontal to a vertical position and to positions intermediate between the horizontal and vertical positions. The two vectored thrusters are equipped with propellers having separately variable pitch. The two vectored thrusters also are equipped with vanes having selectable vane angles to direct separately the air flow from the two vectored thrusters. A control system detects the flight condition of the aircraft and selects vectored thruster control settings corresponding to the detected flight condition and consistent with predetermined control rules to provide lift, thrust, yaw moments and roll moments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Inventors: Frederick W. Piasecki, Frank N. Piasecki
  • Publication number: 20090216392
    Abstract: The Invention is a rotary-wing aircraft having at least two vectored thrusters that may be tilted from a horizontal to a vertical position and to positions intermediate between the horizontal and vertical positions. The two vectored thrusters are equipped with propellers having separately variable pitch. The two vectored thrusters also are equipped with vanes having selectable vane angles to direct separately the air flow from the two vectored thrusters. A control system detects the flight condition of the aircraft and selects vectored thruster control settings corresponding to the detected flight condition and consistent with predetermined control rules to provide lift, thrust, yaw moments and roll moments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick W. Piasecki, Frank N. Piasecki
  • Publication number: 20090048722
    Abstract: The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of operational objectives each of which is designed to achieve any particular command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Frank N. Piasecki, Andrew S. Greenjack, Joseph F. Horn
  • Publication number: 20090014580
    Abstract: The Invention is a rotary-wing aircraft having at least two vectored thrusters that may be tilted from a horizontal to a vertical position and to positions intermediate between the horizontal and vertical positions. The two vectored thrusters are equipped with propellers having separately variable pitch. The two vectored thrusters also are equipped with vanes having selectable vane angles to direct separately the air flow from the two vectored thrusters. A control system detects the flight condition of the aircraft and selects vectored thruster control settings corresponding to the detected flight condition and consistent with predetermined control rules to provide lift, thrust, yaw moments and roll moments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick W. Piasecki, Frank N. Piasecki
  • Patent number: 7438259
    Abstract: The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of control biases each which is designed to achieve an overall operational objective. The control system applies the selected control bias in allocating the control function among the redundant control options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Frank N. Piasecki, Andrew S. Greenjack, Joseph F. Horn
  • Publication number: 20080237392
    Abstract: The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of control biases each which is designed to achieve an overall operational objective. The control system applies the selected control bias in allocating the control function among the redundant control options.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Frank N. Piasecki, Andrew S. Greenjack, Joseph F. Horn
  • Publication number: 20040005929
    Abstract: A flexible coupling for coupling together a pair of axially misaligned shafts of which the respective ends of the shafts retainably fit within a hub within the interior of which the longitudinal axes of the shafts meet at a common point. A plurality of arms extend radially outwardly along the hub and a portion of the hub adjacent each and extend toward each other into the interior of the hub into contact with a bearing contained within the hub of the common point, whereby ends of each respective shaft and hub retaining portion are movable relative to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Inventors: Frank N. Piasecki, Frederick W. Piasecki, Dezi Folenta
  • Patent number: 6098921
    Abstract: A supplementary power drive system for providing additional power to the drive system of rotary wing aircraft that powers the aircraft main lifting rotor and tail mounted torque compensating rotor or propeller in a manner as avoids overloading the power capacity of the main rotor transmission. The supplementary power system, utilizing the power of a usually installed auxiliary power plant as a source of additional power, bypasses the main engine powered main rotor transmission in providing power to the tail mounted rotor or propeller and main rotor if the main transmission cannot absorb it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corp.
    Inventor: Frank N. Piasecki
  • Patent number: 5393015
    Abstract: An elongated, rigid boom for the in-flight refueling of rotary wing aircraft in which a forward end of the boom is adapted for attachment to the fuselage of a rotary wing tanker aircraft and is of sufficient length to extend rearwardly of the tanker aircraft for the rear end of the boom to be clear of the tanker aircraft rotor path. The forward end of a funnel refueling drogue configured to receive the fueling probe of an aircraft to be refueled is swivelly attached to the rear end of the rigid boom and a fuel line supported by the boom extends from a connection into the tanker aircraft refueling tanks to a female refueling aircraft probe connection in the drogue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Frank N. Piasecki
  • Patent number: 5188313
    Abstract: The towed glider flight control system of the invention has a towing frame interconnecting and pivotally connected at each end to the towed glider and the towing aircraft. Sensors measuring the angular relationships between the towing frame and the towed glider and the rage of change in these relationships and sensors measuring flight conditions of the glider and towing aircraft are connected to the input of a computer of which the output connects to the glider aerodynamic control surface. The computer determines differences between sensor sensed parameter values existing when a selected spatial geometric relationship exists between the glider and towing aircraft and sensor parameter values received by the computer from the sensors and from these differences the computer calculates motions required of the glider aerodynamic flight path control surfaces to establish a glider flight which establish and maintain the selected spatial geometric relationship of the glider and towing aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1993
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Frank N. Piasecki
  • Patent number: 5123613
    Abstract: An improved control system for a rotary wing aircraft having a tail assembly comprising an annular duct within the interior of which a variable pitch propeller is concentrically mounted for rotation forwardly of movable surfaces for deflecting the slip stream generated by the propeller transversely of the duct as will provide transversely directed thrust forces for amounts required to counteract rotor torque and provide directional control of the aircraft in azimuth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1992
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Frank N. Piasecki
  • Patent number: 4995572
    Abstract: A multi stage high-altitude data acquisition system comprising a first stage manned lighter-than-air, engine propelled aircraft and a second stage air-buoyant vehicle of stratospheric altitude attaining capability statically sustainable aloft by a sufficient quantity of lighter-than-air gas contained within an expandable envelope balloon to carry the vehicle to a stratospheric float altitude and transportable from ground level to a tropospheric launching altitude by the first stage aircraft from which the air buoyant vehicle and its partially expanded gas containing envelope is releasable at the launching level while the first stage aircraft is established in a flight condition of substantially zero airspeed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1991
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Frank N. Piasecki
  • Patent number: 4905932
    Abstract: An improved structure for the shrouded propeller tail duct or "ring tail" of a rotary wing aircraft providing rotor torque counteracting and aircraft yaw control forces in all flight conditions of hovering and high speed cruising flight. The rear portion of one lateral side of the shrouded propeller duct comprises a plurality of overlying arcuate segments that are pivotally supported for rotation relative to each other about a vertical axis between a retracted position for high speed flight in which the segments are in a mutually overlying position constituting one side of the duct and an extended position in which the segments are in a mutually adjoining relationship with their edges only overlapping and extending obliquely transversely of the duct interior in the form of a continuous, rearwardly projecting and transversely extending arcuate extension of the interior wall of one side of the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Frank N. Piasecki
  • Patent number: 4624599
    Abstract: A structural joint and method of making the joint wherein an end portion of each of a plurality of tubes is partially flattened into an elongated, oval annular shape of a cross sectional contour that the flattened ends of the tubes can be telescopically nested within one another, the tubes are arranged to have their axes coplanar to intersect at the joint node with the tube flattened ends in a telescopically, mutually nesting relationship to each other, a splice plate extending into the interior of the nested array of flattened tube ends and having upper and lower surfaces in an underlying, closely adjoining relation to interior surfaces of each of the tube flattened end portions, and fastening means tightly clamping together the nesting, flattened tube ends and splice plate contained therewithin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corp.
    Inventor: Frank N. Piasecki
  • Patent number: 4591112
    Abstract: An airship with provisions for vectored thrust provided by a plurality of controllable pitch rotor thrust producing units attached to the elongated aerostat hull spaced from and on opposite sides of the center of overall mass of the airship. The pitch control systems for the rotors of all thrust units include collective and cyclic pitch controls of the main, horizontally rotating lifting rotors and the control systems are interconnected to be operable by a master control which establishes both similar and differential pitch settings of the rotors of selected thrust units in a manner to establish vectored thrust in directions which establish the required amounts of vertical lift, propulsion thrust, trim and control forces to control all flight aspects of the airship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1986
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Frank N. Piasecki, Donald N. Meyers
  • Patent number: 4071207
    Abstract: A wingless vertical take-off aircraft having multiple ducted propeller rotors with controllable pitch blades symmetrically mounted in the forward and the rear portions and on both sides of the aircraft with the ducts angled downwardly at an acute angle to the aircraft longitudinal axis, transversely extending deflector vanes pivotable vertically within the exit portion of the ducts, and a rudder for yaw control mounted in the exit portion of each rearwardly located duct. Control in altitude and in attitude about the pitch and roll axes is achieved by controlling the collective pitch of the propellers in selected ducts with the roll control being interconnected to the yaw control to counteract roll/yaw coupling effects and control in trim and forward flight thrust being provided by setting the position of the deflector vane to divert the air flow from the ducts in variable directions with respect to the aircraft axis and the vertical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1978
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Frank N. Piasecki, Donald N. Meyers