Explore for yourself the benefits of thrust vectoring.
The Evaluation Kit is the simplest embodiment of TVP technology. The propulsor can generate over 91 kg of thrust (200 lbs-t), and point it +/-20° about a single axis.
The Kit consists of an unshrouded 1.0m (39.4 in) diameter three-blade propeller with ground adjustable blade pitch, a flight-weight hub, carbon fiber strut assembly, and drive shaft assembly. It can be mounted in any orientation and accommodate powerplants spinning in either direction, in a pusher or puller configurations. The drive shaft is sized to mate with an electric motor or petrol engine, or can be supplied with a blank flange for custom configurations.
Control forces are low and constant, which is consistent with pivoting through the center of thrust. (Note the small servo at left, used to redirect 100% of the thrust.) There is little change in the control loads with RPM or thrust – only tilt rate has a measurable affect.
Gyroscopic precession torques are negligible at operational tilt rates, however, if interested in studying or assessing its effects, precession torques can be made apparent with extreme tilt rates at maximum rotational velocities.
Additional details can be found on the Evaluation Kit product page, at the link below.
Most aircraft are inherently under-actuated, operating in six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) with only four inputs. For a pilot this is a benefit, as it would be exceedingly difficult to coordinate six independent controls. Flight controllers do not have the same limitation, however conventional control actuation has not kept pace. TVP is the enabling aero technology that delivers 6DOF control, and the agility required for aerial robotics.
Integrating TVP onto a vehicle, bench or wind tunnel is simple by design. All thrust and flight loads are passed directly into the airframe, not through the powerplant, The three-point interface and the included alignment tool insure that each propulsor is on-boarded simply (checkout the Interface Control Drawing).
Aerofex can help optimize the configuration before and after integration. We employ model-based design tools including SIM and CFD, and fully programmable flight controllers to help develop 6DOF control laws. We can also provide customized propulsors and integration hardware for almost any propeller driven craft.
It begins with a conversation
