US Patent 11091257 Autonomous package delivery aircraft

An autonomous package delivery aircraft is operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a forward flight orientation. The aircraft includes an airframe with a distributed thrust array coupled thereto. A flight control system is operably associated with the distributed thrust array and is configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies of the distributed thrust array. A package delivery module is coupled to the airframe. In the VTOL orientation, a first pair of propulsion assemblies is forward of the package delivery module while a second pair of propulsion assemblies is aft of the package delivery module. In a forward flight orientation, the first pair of propulsion assemblies is below the package delivery module and the second pair of propulsion assemblies is above the package delivery module.