Aeroscraft Corporation (Aeros) has announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted U.S. patent number 8,864,068 for the Aeroscraft vertical takeoff and landing logistical cargo air vehicle that covers the Aeroscraft's Air Bearing Landing System (ABLS).

The patent covers the ABLS technology, which is an integrated part of the Aeroscraft design. The ABLS is designed for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) versus to prior art air cushion "hover craft" type of landing systems for a rolling takeoff and landing. The Aeroscraft's ABLS supports the aircraft's operational performance by providing energy absorption during vertical landings, taxing and towing capabilities, conforming to terrain, and adjusting the Aeroscraft on unlevel surfaces.

The Aeroscraft has built-in internal ballast control. The distinguishing commercial utility in the Aeroscraft's logistical approach is VTOL and hover at maximum payload, without the use of off-board ballasting or ground infrastructure typically required by airships or hybrid airship, as well as off and on-loading cargo while hovering. Other approaches cannot do this.

This new capability will dramatically decrease the time and cost for delivering cargo to areas with no pre-positioned infrastructure, making the tyranny of logistic in the past. In addition, it features a rigid structural design that maintains the shape of the airship without the need for internal pressure.