Abstract:
A dual ducted fan arrangement in which the duct components, engine, and avionics/payload pods are capable of being quickly disassembled to fit within common backpacking systems. Each duct is identical in fan, stator, and control vane design. Assembly connections between ducted fans and electronic modules are also identical. An engine or APU drives the dual ducted fans through a splined shaft to a differential or through electric motors. Energy is transferred to the ducted fans by a single gear mounted to the stator hub. Relative speeds of the individual ducted fans are controlled through separate frictional or generator load control braking mechanisms on each of the splined shafts between the differential and ducted fans. In the electric motor case relative speed is through electronic speed control. The fans are counter rotating for torque balancing. The electronic module locations are vertically variable for longitudinal center of gravity for variations in payloads.
Abstract:
A ducted fan air vehicle and method of operation is disclosed for obtaining aerodynamic lift and efficiency in forward flight operation without significantly impacting hover stability. One or more retractable wings are included on the ducted fan air vehicle and are deployed during forward flight to provide aerodynamic lift. The wing or wings are retracted when the vehicle hovers to reduce the impact the wings have on stability in a wind. Each wing may conform to the curvature or profile of the vehicle when retracted, and may be constructed in one or more wing sections. The wing or wings may be deployed and retracted automatically or at the command of an operator. Each wing and related components may be integrated into the vehicle or may be detachable.
Abstract:
An omni-directional aircraft with flight capabilities surpassing those of a regular VTOL or helicopter, being able to take full advantage of the simultaneous six degrees of freedom of motion possible in the atmosphere, undergoing any desired combination of translational and rotational movement, and keeping station in the air in any arbitrary attitude. In the preferred embodiment, the flying object comprises a cubic body on the six faces of which are mounted six propulsion units, such that the propellers on each pair of opposite faces are coplanar with each other and with the main axis passing through the centers of these opposite faces, and their thrusts act along the direction of another main axis, each of the three pairs of propellers acting along a different one of the cube's three main axes. The thrust from each motion-inducing assembly being continuously variable and reversible, the resultant translational and rotational thrust vectors can be positioned arbitrarily within their respective solid envelopes. A control element with equal freedom of motion allows intuitive piloting of the vehicle. In an alternate embodiment, the propulsion units are disposed along the sides of a tetrahedron.
Abstract:
A dual ducted fan arrangement in which the duct components, engine, and avionics/payload pods are capable of being quickly disassembled to fit within common backpacking systems.. Each duct is identical in fan, stator, and control vane design. Assembly connections between ducted fans and electronic modules are also identical. An engine or APU drives the dual ducted fans through a splined shaft to a differential or through electric motors. Energy is transferred to the ducted fans by a single gear mounted to the stator hub. Relative speeds of the individual ducted fans are controlled through separate frictional or generator load control braking mechanisms on each of the splined shafts between the differential and ducted fans. In the electric motor case relative speed is through electronic speed control. The fans are counter rotating for torque balancing. The electronic module locations are vertically variable for longitudinal center of gravity for variations in payloads.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a remote-controlled flying machine, in particular for surveillance and inspection, capable of hovering and comprising a spherical open-worked resistant shroud integral with a cylindrical fairing wherein rotates a propeller powered by an engine housed in a fuselage secured to the fairing with radial arms and straightening vanes.
Abstract:
An aircraft 1 comprising interchangeable wings 5 detachedly connected to a fuselage 3, each wing 5 containing the fuel and flight systems 13, 15 for engines 7 mounted to the wings 5, so that the fuselage 3 need contain no flight systems, simply a nullbusnull 23 for communication and the transfer of data between the wings.
Abstract:
An improved VTOL/STOL free wing aircraft providing damping and absorption of shock landing loads upon landing. A pair of resilient struts is provided, projecting forwardly from the trailing edge of either side of the fuselage when the fuselage is tilted. Preferably, the aircraft includes a pair of articulated tail booms, the strut being a portion of the tail boom extending forward from the pivot axis of the tail boom. Landing wheels are disposed on the strut in tandem spaced relationship. The resiliency of the strut causes the strut to act as a leaf spring and thus dampen shock landing loads. Operatively secured to the bottom surface of the fixed wing portions and the forward portion of the landing gear struts is a pair of dashpots for absorbing the shock landing loads.
Abstract:
A VTOL/STOL free wing aircraft includes a free wing having wings on opposite sides of a fuselage connected to one another respectively for free rotation about a spanwise access. Improved control upon landing of the aircraft is achieved by utilizing a variable pitch propulsion system, enabling the pitch of the propeller to be varied corresponding to the speed of the aircraft and angle of approach upon descent.
Abstract:
A VTOL/STOL free wing aircraft includes a free wing having wings on opposite sides of a fuselage connected to one another respectively adjacent fixed wing inboard or center root sections fixedly attached to the fuselage for free rotation about a spanwise access. Horizontal and vertical tail surfaces are located at the rear end of a boom assembly rotatably connected to the fuselage. A gearing or screw rod arrangement controlled by the pilot or remote control operator selectively relatively pivots the fuselage in relation to the tail boom assembly to enable the fuselage to assume a tilted or nose up configuration to enable VTOL/STOL flight.
Abstract:
A multi-copter lift body aircraft has a push or pull propeller (26) and a lift body (70) that has a first airfoil shape (71) on a front to rear cross-section and a second airfoil shape (72) on a left to right cross-section. The lift body (70) is made from a top shell and a bottom shell. The lift body (70) has a nose (22) and a tail (25). Multi-copter propellers (60) are attached to the lift body. The multi-copter propellers (60) provide a lift at low speeds and the lift body (70) provides a lift at high speeds. Avionics (68) can be stored in a hollow cavity of the lift body. The avionics (68) may include a control circuit (65), batteries (66), and a radio receiver. The multi-copter has a lift body (70) made from an upper shell (36, 38) and a lower shell (37, 39). The lift body (70) has an optimum attack angle (91) at a cruising speed, and the lift body provides a combined lift mode.