Patents by Inventor BRIAN E. DUVALL

BRIAN E. DUVALL 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).

  • VTOL aircraft capable of flying forward and backward
    Patent number: 12612191
    Abstract: An aircraft includes an onboard power supply, an empennage assembly, and a horizontal main wing each connected to a fuselage, and a vertical cross-wing arranged orthogonally with respect to the main wing. Flight control surfaces are arranged on the empennage assembly, vertical cross-wing, and horizontal main wing. A distributed propulsion system includes a first pair of propellers connected to the horizontal main wing and a second pair of propellers connected to the vertical cross-wing. Each of the propellers is connected to and powered by the power supply. Each propeller forms an acute canting angle with respect to an axis of the particular horizontal main wing or the vertical cross-wing to which the propeller is connected. The flight modes may include vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), hover mode, rapid descent, and forward and backward flight modes. The propellers are unpowered during the rapid descent mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2026
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Steven C. Geuther, David D. North, Brian E. Duvall, Jacob R. Schaefer
  • VTOL AIRCRAFT CAPABLE OF FLYING FORWARD AND BACKWARD
    Publication number: 20240375799
    Abstract: An aircraft includes an onboard power supply, an empennage assembly, and a horizontal main wing each connected to a fuselage, and a vertical cross-wing arranged orthogonally with respect to the main wing. Flight control surfaces are arranged on the empennage assembly, vertical cross-wing, and horizontal main wing. A distributed propulsion system includes a first pair of propellers connected to the horizontal main wing and a second pair of propellers connected to the vertical cross-wing. Each of the propellers is connected to and powered by the power supply. Each propeller forms an acute canting angle with respect to an axis of the particular horizontal main wing or the vertical cross-wing to which the propeller is connected. The flight modes may include vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), hover mode, rapid descent, and forward and backward flight modes. The propellers are unpowered during the rapid descent mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2024
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Inventors: STEVEN C. GEUTHER, DAVID D. NORTH, BRIAN E. DUVALL, JACOB R. SCHAEFER