Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft structure – Fuel supply
Reexamination Certificate
2010-08-10
2011-11-15
Dinh, Tien (Department: 3644)
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft structure
Fuel supply
C244S13500B, C244S0010TD
Reexamination Certificate
active
08056860
ABSTRACT:
A system and method for refueling unmanned aerial vehicles. The system is adapted to refuel a first unmanned aerial vehicle from a second unmanned aerial vehicle and includes an arrangement for flying the first and second vehicles to proximity within a predetermined range and for connecting an umbilical from the second vehicle to the first vehicle in flight. In the illustrative embodiment, the arrangement for connecting includes a targeting system for electromagnetically detecting a refueling receptacle on the first vehicle. The targeting system includes a first coil around a refueling receptacle on the first vehicle. A seeker is disposed at a first end of said umbilical on the second vehicle. The seeker includes three detector coils adapted to detect a magnetic signal from the first coil around the receptacle on the first vehicle. The coils are mounted such that the detector coils point in different directions. The outputs of the coils are processed to determine the direction and range to the UAV from the tanker UAV.
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Davidson Frederick
Garcia Carlos
Small James
Benedik Justin
Dinh Tien
Gorrie Gregory J.
Raytheon Company
Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.
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