Vertical tale-off landing hovercraft

• US 20040094662A1
• Filed: 01/07/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arturo Aviles Jr, Arturo F. Aviles, John K. Sanders Jr, Sanders J. Kenneth
• Original Assignee: Arturo Aviles Jr, Arturo F. Aviles, John K. Sanders Jr, Sanders J. Kenneth
• Inventors: Sanders, J. Kenneth, Sanders, John K. Jr., Aviles, Arturo F., Aviles, Arturo Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/666,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20040094662A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/12.5
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms

Abstract

Unusual Flying Object (UFO) with Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) capabilities including foward flight with a quiet electric, battery powered, Linear Induction Magnetic Bearings (LINB) power drive used for, manned or unmanned, small cargo tansport, recreational vehicle or aerial surveillance; aerial reconnaissance, coastal surveillance, law enforcement, traffic management, estate or park patrol, geographical or geological survey, border or pipeline patrol, communications relay platform, search and rescue, media coverage support. The invention is capable of imodifications in various respects, all without departing fron the invention Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

Claims

1. A VTOL UFO comprising:

a fuselage having a partial toroidal body having a top, front, rear and bottom ends and a duct, or ducts, extending between the top and bottom surfaces, the fuselage having a longitudial axis,

a propellerdisk and means, or a series of shrouded impellerdisks and means located in said duct, or ducts, for rotation about its axis, drive means to provide lift for said aircraft the propellerdisk, or impellerdisks, having a plurality of fixed or variable pitch blades eminating from a central hub to an outer discoidal ring

a senes ofthre hollowed support struts eminating from an inner cone out to the inner wall of the toroidal body for supporting a cone shaped cargo area within the duct and house power and communication cables on embodiments having a single propellerdisk,

a vane system located in line with said duct below said propellerdisk, or impellerdisks, for controlling the diection of the developed air flow from said bottom openings,

at least a pair of fixed or rotating wings attached to said fuselage, at least a portion of the wings being pivotable with respect to the fuselage for flight control,

a landing gear, wheels, pontoons or rails attacthed to said fuselage.

2. A VTOL UFO of claim 1, comprising:

an electric power drive, said drive means comprises;

a series of permanant magnets in a bearing system to levitate said propellerdisk, or impellerdisks, at all times and a computer controlled linear induction magnetic bearing located in outter ring of said propellerdisk, or impellerdisks reacting to linear actuators located in said fuselage, used to rotate said propellerdisk, or impellerdisks and provide lift.

3. A VTOL UFO of claim 1 comprising:

vents located at said rear end of embodiunents using a single propellerdisk, with means for opening and closing to provide horizontal thrust for use in moving said aircraft in a forward direction.

4. A VTOL UFO according to claim 1 wherein the wings include a fixed or rotating portion, and wherein the pivotable portion is a flaperon which is hingedly attached to the aft of the fixed portion and is pivotable with respect to it.

5. A VTOL UFO according to claim 4 further comprising a servo actuator mounted within the fixed portion and engaged with the flaperon for controlling its actuation.

6. A VTOL UFO according to claim 1 further comprising at least one directional vane assembly mounted to and within the shroud downstrem from the blades, the directional vane assembly having an outer ring and inner ring bearing being pivotable with respect to the shroud for providing directional control over the flow exiting the duct. At least one adjustable vane with means is connected to the rotatable inner ring for providing additional directional control over the flow exiting the duct.