US Patent 11124296 Flying wing aircraft having flight and storage configurations

An unmanned aircraft system includes a flying wing airframe having leading and trailing edges with respective sweep angles. A thrust array is coupled to the airframe and includes first and second motor mounts each rotatably coupled to the leading edge. Each motor mount has first and second propulsion assemblies coupled to respective first and second distal ends thereof. A power system is operably associated with the thrust array and is operable to provide power to each propulsion assembly. A flight control system is operably associated with the thrust array and is operable to independently control the speed of each propulsion assembly. In a flight configuration of the system, each motor mount is substantially perpendicular with the leading edge such that the thrust array forms a two-dimensional thrust array. In a compact storage configuration of the system, each motor mount is substantially parallel with the leading edge.