Patents by Inventor David Allen Hickman

David Allen Hickman 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: 8226026
    Abstract: A single place helicopter comprising a lower airframe and an upper airframe, having a rotor shaft attached thereto, rotor blades, and a hub on said rotor shaft with means to change blade pitch for vertical flight. The upper airframe comprising a rotor system, engine, tail boom and tail rotor tilt as one unit with the pilot forward, rearward and in a lateral attitude for directional flight control by means of a hinged gimbal joint or block fastened between the two airframes. By allowing the pilot to move with the rotor system this configuration combines physical human interface and mechanical airframe manipulation to change the plane of rotation controlling the thrust vector and flight direction of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Inventor: David Allen Hickman
  • Publication number: 20110031345
    Abstract: A single place helicopter comprising a lower airframe and an upper airframe, having a rotor shaft attached thereto, rotor blades, and a hub on said rotor shaft with means to change blade pitch for vertical flight. The upper airframe comprising a rotor system, engine, tail boom and tail rotor tilt as one unit with the pilot forward, rearward and in a lateral attitude for directional flight control by means of a hinged gimbal joint or block fastened between the vertical tubes on the lower airframe that connect the upper and lower airframes. By allowing the pilot to move with the rotor system, this configuration combines weight and CG manipulation in a tilt rotor design that eliminates the angular differences between advancing and retreating rotor blades during lateral flight and allows for a simplified human interface flight control system in a single-main-tilt rotor helicopter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventor: David Allen Hickman