Patents Assigned to VTOL, LLC
  • Patent number: 8800912
    Abstract: A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having at least three wings and at least six propulsion units, each of which are located radially from two adjacent propulsion units, by equal or substantially equal angles. The at least six propulsion units together being located symmetrically, or at substantially symmetric positions, about the approximate center of gravity of the aircraft, when viewed from above. A vertical stabilizer may or may not be employed. If no vertical stabilizer is employed, yaw control during horizontal flight may be achieved through differential thrust using the at least six propulsion units. Yaw control during vertical flight may be provided by a plurality of yaw control panels. Absent yaw control panels, yaw control during vertical flight may be provided using differential propulsion unit tilt angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Oliver VTOL, LLC
    Inventor: Richard David Oliver
  • Patent number: 8708273
    Abstract: A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having a fuselage with, preferably, three wings and six synchronously tilt-able propulsion units, each one mounted above, below, or on each half of the aforementioned three wings. The propulsion units are oriented vertically for vertical flight and horizontally for forward flight. Each propulsion unit comprises a propeller having a plurality of blades, where the pitch angle associated with the distal end of each blade and the proximal end of each blade are independently adjustable. As such, each of the propellers can be adjusted to exhibit a first blade pitch angle distribution optimized for vertical flight and a second blade pitch angle distribution optimized for forward flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Oliver Vtol, LLC
    Inventor: Richard David Oliver
  • Patent number: 8616492
    Abstract: A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having a fuselage with three wings and six synchronously tilt-able propulsion units, each one mounted above, below, or on each half of the aforementioned three wings. The propulsion units are vertical for vertical flight, and horizontal for forward flight. The aircraft wings are placed such that the rear wing is above the middle wing which is placed above the front wing. The placement of each of the propulsion units relative to the center of gravity of the aircraft about the vertical axis inherently assures continued stability in vertical flight mode, following the loss of thrust from any one propulsion unit. The placement of the propulsion units, viewing the aircraft from the front, is such that each propulsion units' thrust wake does not materially disturb the propulsion unit to its rear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Oliver VTOL, LLC
    Inventor: Richard David Oliver
  • Patent number: 8322775
    Abstract: A transparent laminated structure having multiple peel-away laminated film layers for protecting windscreens, particularly windscreens of rotary aircraft, from environmental conditions. The laminated structure includes at least one laminated layer wherein each layer includes a film, a bonding layer on a first major side of the film for releaseably attaching the film to either the windscreen or to an adjacent laminated film layer, a conductive material on a second major side of the film for dissipating electrostatic charging in the laminated structure that may occur due to accumulated precipitation static during aircraft fight, and a hard coat layer for protecting the relatively softer film against abrasion. As the outermost film layer becomes degraded below acceptable levels, that film may be easily removed, exposing a subsequent unblemished film layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: VTOL, LLC
    Inventors: Brent W. Barbee, E. Andrew Hough
  • Patent number: 8292347
    Abstract: A transparent laminated structure having multiple peel-away laminated film layers for protecting windscreens, particularly windscreens of rotary aircraft, from environmental conditions. The laminated structure includes at least one laminated layer wherein each layer includes a film, a bonding layer on a first major side of the film for releaseably attaching the film to either the windscreen or to an adjacent laminated film layer, optionally a conductive material on a second major side of the film for dissipating electrostatic charging in the laminated structure that may occur due to accumulated precipitation static during aircraft fight, and a hard coat layer for protecting the relatively softer film against abrasion. A keyed removal system is provided simplify determining the number of film layers remaining on the windscreen and to aid in the sequential removal of film layers which become degraded below acceptable levels, thereby exposing a subsequent unblemished film layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: VTOL, LLC
    Inventors: Reginald J. Drake, Brent W. Barbee