Aurora Flight Sciences has been assigned a patent for a “system and method for the retrieval of a smaller unmanned aerial vehicle by a larger unmanned aerial vehicle.”
The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A system and method are provided for using a first aircraft to retrieve a second aircraft. The first aircraft is typically larger than the second aircraft. A minimum airspeed of the first aircraft is typically greater than a maximum airspeed of the second aircraft. The first aircraft flies in a substantially circular pattern and extends a tow line, such that the tow line forms a substantially helical shape behind and below the first aircraft. Due to the helical shape, there is at least one point along the extended tow line at which the speed of the tow line is substantially equal to the speed of the second aircraft. The second aircraft can readily latch onto the tow line at that point, thereby minimizing potential damage otherwise caused by differential airspeeds.”
The patent application was filed on March 19, 2009 (12/407,231). The assigned patent is number 8,038,090 and the system was developed by Richard Wilson, Beverly, Mass., and Adam Woodworth, Melrose, Mass.,
The full-text of the patent can be found here.
Source: Avionics Intelligence