Aircraft Design for Sustained High-G Turns with Low Thrust
This patent describes an aircraft designed with unique wings, body, and engine placement to make tight, sustained turns with less engine power than traditional planes.
Original patent title: “Aircraft design and technology”
This patent describes an aircraft designed with unique wings, body, and engine placement to make tight, sustained turns with less engine power than traditional planes. Granted in 2026.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
Based on the abstractabstractA short summary at the front of the patent describing the invention. Not legally binding.Read more →, this patent describes an aircraft designed for sustained high-G forces and high turn rates using less engine power. It achieves this by carefully balancing thrust and drag through a combination of "dual low thrust engines" and unique aerodynamic features. These features include a wing positioned laterally, horizontal and vertical tail surfaces, and engines mounted vertically below the fixed wing. Additionally, it incorporates "leading edge root extensions" (LERX) where the wing meets the fuselage, "dynamic slats" on the wing's front edge, and a "chine" along the fuselage nose. For example, the dynamic slats can extend to increase lift during a sharp turn, helping the aircraft maintain control and maneuverability at high angles of attack.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover aircraft primarily designed for high-speed straight-line flight without an emphasis on sustained high-G turns.
- Does not cover aircraft that lack specific aerodynamic features like leading edge root extensions or dynamic slats.
- Does not cover aircraft where the engines are mounted in different configurations, such as above the wing or within the fuselage.
- Does not cover aircraft without a chine formed in the fuselage along its lateral sides at the nose.
- Does not cover aircraft relying solely on high-thrust engines to achieve maneuverability, rather than balancing thrust and drag with low-thrust engines.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The cleverness lies in combining specific aerodynamic features like leading edge root extensions, dynamic slats, and a fuselage chine with dual low-thrust engines, strategically placed below the wing, to sustain high-G turns efficiently. This allows for extreme maneuverability without needing massive engine power by balancing thrust and drag.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Advanced fighter jet prototypes
Experimental research aircraft
Future unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This design could be important for aircraft requiring extreme agility, such as advanced fighter jets or specialized research planes. By allowing sustained high-G turns with less engine power, it could lead to more fuel-efficient or longer-duration high-performance flight. It aims to improve maneuverability beyond what traditional designs offer, potentially impacting future military aviation or specialized aerial platforms.
Filed
December 17, 2018
Granted
September 15, 2026
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies and government research labs focused on advanced aerospace design, such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, or defense research agencies, would be interested in the underlying principles of high-maneuverability aircraft. These entities continuously explore novel aerodynamic configurations for next-generation fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Market impact
As this patent was recently filed in 2018 and granted in 2026 with no forward citationsforward citationsLater patents that cite this one as prior art. High counts signal foundational influence.Read more →, it has not yet had a discernible market impact. However, if successfully implemented, its principles could influence the design of future highly maneuverable aircraft, potentially leading to more efficient or agile platforms in specialized aviation sectors.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
Based on the abstract, this patent describes an aircraft designed for sustained high-G forces and high turn rates using less engine power. It achieves this by carefully balancing thrust and drag through a combination of "dual low thrust engines" and unique aerodynamic features. These features include a wing positioned laterally, horizontal and vertical tail surfaces, and engines mounted vertically below the fixed wing. Additionally, it incorporates "leading edge root extensions" (LERX) where the wing meets the fuselage, "dynamic slats" on the wing's front edge, and a "chine" along the fuselage nose. For example, the dynamic slats can extend to increase lift during a sharp turn, helping the aircraft maintain control and maneuverability at high angles of attack.
The clever bit
The cleverness lies in combining specific aerodynamic features like leading edge root extensions, dynamic slats, and a fuselage chine with dual low-thrust engines, strategically placed below the wing, to sustain high-G turns efficiently. This allows for extreme maneuverability without needing massive engine power by balancing thrust and drag.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover aircraft primarily designed for high-speed straight-line flight without an emphasis on sustained high-G turns.
- Does not cover aircraft that lack specific aerodynamic features like leading edge root extensions or dynamic slats.
- Does not cover aircraft where the engines are mounted in different configurations, such as above the wing or within the fuselage.
- Does not cover aircraft without a chine formed in the fuselage along its lateral sides at the nose.
- Does not cover aircraft relying solely on high-thrust engines to achieve maneuverability, rather than balancing thrust and drag with low-thrust engines.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$11K – $35K
Midpoint $22K · 12.2 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
(2026). Aircraft Design for Sustained High-G Turns with Low Thrust (U.S. Patent No. 12,735,168). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12735168/aircraft-design-and-technology
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US12735168"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
Semantically similar
You might also find these interesting
US 11827373 · 2023 · Boeing Co
How Boeing Shortens Engine Exhaust Fairings to Save Weight
US 1994488 · 1935 · Sikorsky Aircraft Corp
Igor Sikorsky's Early Design for a Vertical Takeoff Aircraft
US 7614852 · 2009
Wind Turbine Blades with a Deeply Curved Front Surface
US 11267584 · 2022 · Airbus Operations SL
How to Build an Aircraft Tail Using One-Shot Composite Curing
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Aircraft Design for Sustained High-G Turns with Low Thrust cover?
This patent describes an aircraft designed with unique wings, body, and engine placement to make tight, sustained turns with less engine power than traditional planes.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This design could be important for aircraft requiring extreme agility, such as advanced fighter jets or specialized research planes. By allowing sustained high-G turns with less engine power, it could lead to more fuel-efficient or longer-duration high-performance flight. It aims to improve maneuverability beyond what traditional designs offer, potentially impacting future military aviation or specialized aerial platforms.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover aircraft primarily designed for high-speed straight-line flight without an emphasis on sustained high-G turns.
Patent monitoring

