Hovering gyro aircraft

• US 20020011539A1
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Published: 01/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaunt Air Mobility, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cartercopters LLC
• Inventors: Carter, Jay W. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 6,513,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/6
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/02 Gyroplanes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/025 Rotor drives, in particular for taking off; Combination of autorotation rotors and driven rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/26 characterised by provision of fixed wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/82 characterised by the provision of an auxiliary rotor or fluid-jet device for counter-balancing lifting rotor torque or changing direction of rotorcraft

Abstract

A fixed wing rotorcraft uses differential thrust between wing mounted propellers to provide counter torque when the rotor is being powered by a power source. The rotorcraft is comprised of a fuselage to which fixed wings are attached. A rotor is attached on an upper side of the fuselage and provides lift at low speeds while the wings provide a majority of the lift at high speeds. When at high speeds the rotor may be slowed to reduce advancing tip speed and retreating blade stall. Forward thrust and counter torque is provided by propellers mounted on either side of the fuselage or even on the wings.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a body having a longitudinal axis and a wing extending from opposite sides;

a pair of adjustable pitch propellers, each said propeller positioned on one side of said longitudinal axis for rotation in opposite directions to each other;

a rotor mounted to an upper side of said body to provide downward thrust;

a power source that drives said rotor and said propellers; and

a controller for said propellers to adjust the pitch of said propellers between a forward flight mode wherein both propellers exert a forward thrust on said body and a hovering mode wherein one of said propellers exerts a rearward thrust and the other a forward thrust to counteract torque provided by said rotor when said rotor is driven by said power source.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein:

said wing has an aspect ratio greater than one.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein:

an aileron is attached to said wing.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 further comprising:

a moveable rudder positioned at the rear of said body.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 further comprising:

a moveable generally horizontal airfoil at the rear of said body.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein:

said power source comprises an engine and an overrunning clutch that is located between said engine and said rotor to enable said rotor to rotate faster than an output speed of said engine.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 wherein:

said power source comprises an engine and a multi-speed gearbox located between said engine and said propellers for rotating said propellers are at least two different speeds relative to an output shaft of said engine.

8. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;

wings attached to opposite sides of said fuselage for providing lift during forward flight;

a rotor attached to an upper side of said fuselage;

a power source coupled to said rotor for rotating said rotor; and

torque countering means for counteracting torque produced by said rotor while said rotor is being driven by said power source.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 wherein:

said torque countering means comprises a pair of propellers, each located on an opposite side of said fuselage, said propellers being pitch adjustable from a forward thrust mode to a reverse thrust mode; and

a controller for changing the pitch of one of said propellers to the reverse thrust mode while the other of said propellers is in the forward thrust mode.

10. The aircraft of claim 8 further comprising:

an overrunning clutch located between said power source the rotor for allowing said rotor to free wheel rotate at a speed higher than a speed of rotation of an output shaft of said power source

11. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage having a longitudinal axis and wings extending from opposite sides;

a pair of adjustable pitch propellers, each said propeller positioned on one side of said longitudinal axis for rotation in opposite directions to each other;

a rotor mounted to an upper side of said body to provide downward thrust, said rotor having weights located at each tip;

an engine that drives said rotor and said propellers;

a controller for said propellers to adjust the pitch of said propellers between a forward flight mode wherein both propellers exert a forward thrust on said body and a hovering mode wherein one of said propellers exerts a rearward thrust and the other a forward thrust to counteract torque provided by said rotor when said rotor is driven by said power source;

an overrunning clutch that is located between said engine and said rotor to enable said rotor to rotate faster than an output speed of said engine; and

a multi-speed gearbox located between said propellers and said engine for rotating said propellers at more than one speed relative to an output speed of said engine.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 wherein:

said wing has an aspect ratio greater than one.

13. The aircraft of claim 11 further comprising:

an aileron is attached to said wing.

14. The aircraft of claim 11 further comprising:

a movable horizontal airfoil positioned at a rear portion of said fuselage.

15. A method for operating an aircraft having a body with a wing extending from opposite sides of said body, and a rotor attached to an upper side of said body, and a horizontal thrust source, comprising:

for horizontal flight, providing power to said horizontal thrust source from a power source for causing forward movement of said aircraft, creating lift due to air flowing over said wing, and causing said rotor to auto-rotate without power being supplied to said rotor due to air flowing through said rotor;

then, to hover

providing power to said rotor from said power source for rotating said rotor, and counteracting torque produced by said rotor while said rotor is being driven by said engine.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising mounting a pair of propellers to said body, one on each side of a longitudinal centerline;

and wherein

the step of causing forward movement of said aircraft comprises rotating setting pitches on said propellers to create forward thrust; and

the step of counteracting torque is performed by adjusting a pitch on one of said propellers to create forward thrust and the other of said propellers to create reverse thrust.

17. A method for operating an aircraft having a body, a wing extending from opposite sides of the body, and a rotor having weighted tips, comprising:

mounting a pair of propellers to said body, one each side of a longitudinal centerline of said body;

coupling said rotor to a power source via an overrunning clutch and coupling said propellers to said power source;

while on ground, rotating said rotor and said propellers with said power source;

when said rotor speed reaches a selected level, reducing the speed of said power source and of said propellers, so that said rotor rotates free of said power source due to said weighted tips and said overrunning clutch;

increasing a pitch of said rotors to create lift to elevate said aircraft above ground and causing said aircraft to move forward due to forward thrust created by said propellers;

creating lift by air flowing over said wing and causing said rotor to auto-rotate free of power from said power source;

then, to hover

driving said rotor with said power source and changing a pitch of said propellers individually to create a thrust differential between said propellers to counter torque provided to said rotor

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of coupling said propellers to said power source comprises connecting a multi-speed gearbox between said power source and said propellers, and causing said propellers to rotate at a higher speed relative to an output of said power source for take-off and at a lower speed relative to said output of said power source for horizontal flight.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of creating a thrust differential comprises adjusting the pitch of one of said propellers to produce forward thrust and the pitch of the other of said propellers to produce reverse thrust.