Aeromarine's Distributed Electric Propulsion on Demand

Aeromarine has received two patents on our DEPOD design that contributes to extreme short take-off and landing performance in 3 ways:

1.????TAKE-OFF THRUST: The wing-imbedded motors can double the take-off thrust. This results in the aircraft attaining take-off speed significantly quicker which shortens take-off distance considerably and climb over obstacles much shorter and faster.

2.????ROLL CONTROL: Naturally, aircraft will take-off and land in shorter distances if their minimum flying speed is reduced. However, besides the stall speed, a limiting factor is low speed control authority. Less airflow over the wing is also less airflow over the ailerons. Furthermore, the airflow at high angles of attack has greater separation from the wing/aileron surface resulting in less roll control authority. The physics:

a.?????The aircraft must accelerate to greater speeds before rotating to ensure flight control particularly in gusty and turbulent conditions. This means longer take-off distances of course. DEPOD thrust over the ailerons enhances roll control mitigating this constraint.

b.????An aircraft will land shorter if its landing speed is lower. There is less inertia to dispel. But it is not a safe practice to approach to land close to the stall speed of an aircraft. General practice is to approach at 10 to 20 percent above the stall speed depending on conditions. And as kinetic energy is a squared function this extra speed translates to longer landing distances. One of the main reasons for this extra speed is to avoid loss of control which, at low altitudes, may not be recoverable. One such phenomena is ‘reversed ailerons’ where a response to an asymmetric gust for example with aileron input can increase the angle of attack on one wing above the critical angle of attack resulting in a stall/spin. With our DEPOD set at only 15% power our aircraft has roll authority at all airspeeds. Approach speed is safely reduced resulting in shorter landing distances.

3.????REVERSE THRUST: On touch down our DEPOD motors can be spun in the opposite direction providing nearly the same take-off thrust but in the opposite direction even before there is enough weight on the wheels for effective braking. Reverse thrust is common on airliners but not so common in STOL aircraft. Yet it is not overly complicated to reverse the direction of an electric motor. It is much simpler and significantly lighter and cheaper than the mechanism of a reversing propeller.

Significant Considerations:

·??????Our DEPOD is used at full power for only 10-15 seconds on take-off. And only at 15% power for up to 30 seconds on approach to landing, and 5 seconds or less on landing. This totals under 1 minute total running time. Our battery packs so small that they have minimal impact on payload and aircraft performance.

·??????Our battery packs can be located inside each wing next to the motors or in our patented slipper pods. This reduces wing spar load and minimizes the length of the heavy gauge battery cables. It also provides quick access for recharging or even a complete battery pod exchange. Furthermore, in the remote event of a battery fire our slipper pods are jettisonable and contain a small parachute to reduce any risk to objects or people on the ground.

·??????When not engaged the 2-blade propellers on each motor are fixed horizontally inside the wing so drag is eliminated. A unique magnet system secures the propellers horizontally. When our DEPOD is not engaged the aircraft flies normally without any significant loss of performance due to the DEPOD installation.

Aeromarine is redefining the definition of Distributed Electric Propulsion with our innovative and proprietary design incorporating the motors inside the wing and in a pusher configuration. With this configuration we:

• Retain the clean airflow over the wing.
• Eliminate the added drag of the exposed motor and propeller which allows us to shut down the DEPOD when not needed.
• ?Add airflow when needed over the ailerons to enhance roll control.
• Design reverse thrust into this system.

Furthermore, DEPOD can be programmed to counter any inadvertent yaw. This feature can prevent spins such as the base-to-final spin which is nearly always fatal.

Plus, DEPOD can provide enough power to enable a pilot to complete a pattern and return to land in the event of a main engine failure on take-off. This eliminates the often impossible and often fatal 180-degree turn.