Textron Innovations Inc. won a patent for a tiltrotor aircraft that carries its rotor assemblies at the front and back of the fuselage rather than on the wingtips. All six listed inventors work in North Texas.
Tiltrotors swivel their rotors between a vertical position for takeoff and landing and a horizontal position for forward flight, so the aircraft can lift off like a helicopter and cruise like an airplane. This patent covers a tandem layout, with rotor assemblies at the forward and aft ends of the fuselage, built in modules that can be swapped to configure the aircraft for a particular job rather than for general use.
The filing says the arrangement is more structurally efficient and creates less drag than a conventional tiltrotor. It also says it delivers more control authority and lifting capacity than hybrid-quad and tail-sitter designs, and travels farther than a helicopter or multirotor. The aircraft can circle and search over a broad area or hover for long stretches, according to the patent…