Aircraft capable of vertical and short take-off and landing

• US 20060192046A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gilbert, Ronald E., Hansen, Terrell W., Heath, Gregory F., Slaughter, Stephen C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,267,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 15/14 the jets being other than main propulsion jets jet flaps B64C9/38
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/04 characterised by the transmission driving a plurality of propellers or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/222 with non-parallel axes

Abstract

Aircraft comprising an airframe having a forward end, an aft end opposite the forward end, a top extending between the forward end and the aft end, and a bottom opposite the top side. The aircraft further includes a power plant mounted on the airframe. In addition, the aircraft includes at least two propellers rotatably mounted on the airframe and powered by the power plant for moving the aircraft in a generally forward direction during operation of the propellers. Also, the aircraft includes at least two counter-rotatable fan sets mounted on the airframe and powered by the power plant for providing upward lift to the aircraft during operation of the fan sets.

Claims

1. Aircraft comprising:

an airframe having a forward end, an aft end opposite said forward end, a top extending between said forward end and said aft end, and a bottom opposite said top;

a power plant mounted on the airframe;

at least two propellers rotatably mounted on the airframe and powered by the power plant for moving the aircraft in a generally forward direction during operation of said propellers; and

at least two counter-rotatable fan sets mounted on the airframe and powered by the power plant for providing upward lift to the aircraft during operation of said fan sets.

2. Aircraft as set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least one of avionic equipment, navigational equipment, ordinance, and observation equipment mounted on the airframe, and wherein the aircraft is adapted for unmanned flight.

3. Aircraft as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the airframe comprises a fuselage and at least two wings extending laterally from the fuselage;

a nose is positioned at the forward end of the airframe;

at least one of said propellers is positioned on each of said wings;

at least one of said counter-rotatable lift fan sets is positioned on each of said wings;

at least one of said counter-rotatable lift fan sets is disposed in the nose;

each of said propellers has a plurality of propeller blades; and

each of said fan sets has a plurality of fan blades.

4. Aircraft as set forth in claim 3 further comprising:

a transfer gear box mounted on the airframe;

a main torque shaft operatively connecting the transfer gear box to the power plant for delivering torque to the gear box from the power plant;

a wing torque shaft operatively connecting the transfer gear box to each of said lift fan sets mounted on the wings for delivering torque to the respective lift fan set from the gear box;

a nose torque shaft operatively connecting the transfer gear box to said lift fan set mounted in the nose for delivering torque to the respective lift fan set from the gear box; and

a propeller shaft operatively connecting each of said lift fan sets mounted on the wings to the corresponding propeller for delivering torque to the respective propeller.

5. Aircraft as set forth in claim 3 further comprising at least one idler operatively connected to one of the lift fan sets for controlling torque distribution amongst the fan sets and propellers during operation.

6. Aircraft as set forth in claim 5 wherein the power plant is of a type selected from the group consisting of:

an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a hybrid motor.

7. Aircraft as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said fan blades has an adjustable pitch angle, each of said propeller blades has an adjustable pitch angle, and said aircraft further comprises a control system for controlling the pitch angles of the fan blades and the pitch angles of the propeller blades during operation.

8. Aircraft as set forth in claim 7 wherein the pitch angles of the propeller blades and the fan blades are adjustable between an angle of about 0°

and about 45°

during operation.

9. Aircraft as set forth in claim 8 wherein the propeller blades and fan blades each comprise a shape memory alloy and are swept to an inherent pitch angle of between about 21°

and 24°

.

10. Aircraft as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of the propeller blades and each of the fan blades comprises a composite matrix having embedded piezoelectric smart actuator fibers.

11. An aircraft flight control system comprising:

at least three counter-rotatable fan sets, each fan set including an upper ring face gear, a lower ring face gear, a central hub, and a plurality of blades extending inward from each upper ring face gear and lower ring face gear to the respective central hub;

a first input shaft operatively connected to the upper and lower face gears of a first fan set of said fan sets for driving said face gears in opposite directions;

a second input shaft operatively connected to the upper and lower face gears of a second fan set of said fan sets for driving said face gears in opposite directions; and

a third input shaft operatively connected to the upper and lower face gears of a third fan set of said fan sets for driving said face gears in opposite directions.

12. An aircraft flight control system as set forth in claim 11 in combination with aircraft comprising:

a fuselage having a forward end;

first and second wings extending laterally from the fuselage and having an aft edge, wherein the first fan set is a first wing fan set positioned in the first aircraft wing and the second fan set is a second wing fan set positioned in the second aircraft wing; and

a nose positioned at the forward end of the fuselage, wherein the third fan set is a nose fan set positioned in the nose of the aircraft.

13. An aircraft flight control system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

a first propeller and a second propeller positioned adjacent the rearward edges of the first and second wings, respectively;

a fourth input shaft operatively connected to the upper and lower face gears of the first fan set and to the first propeller for driving the first propeller; and

a fifth input shaft operatively connected to the upper and lower face gears of the second fan set and to the second propeller for driving the second propeller.

14. Aircraft comprising:

an airframe having a forward end, an aft end opposite the forward end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the forward end and the aft end;

a power plant mounted on the airframe;

a ducted ring fan mounted on the airframe between the forward end and the aft end for providing lift to the aircraft;

a fan shaft connecting the power plant to the ring fan for powering the ring fan to provide lift during use;

a propeller mounted on the airframe for providing forward thrust to the aircraft; and

a propeller shaft connecting the power plant to the propeller for powering the propeller to provide thrust during use.

15. A method for controlling aircraft flight including:

selectively adjusting fan blade pitch of a plurality of counter-rotating ducted wing fan sets mounted on a fuselage of the aircraft between about 0° and

about 45°

from a plane about which the wing fans rotate by actuating piezoelectric fibers embedded in a composite matrix that the wing fan blades are made of to control aircraft roll and vertical thrust;

selectively adjusting fan blade pitch of at least one counter-rotating ducted nose fan set mounted on the fuselage between about 0° and

about 45°

from a plane about which the at least one nose fan rotates by actuating piezoelectric fibers embedded in a composite matrix that the nose fan blades are made of to control aircraft pitch and vertical thrust; and

selectively adjusting propeller blade pitch of a plurality of rotating propellers mounted on the fuselage between about 45° and

about 0°

from a plane about which the propellers rotate by actuating piezoelectric fibers embedded in a composite matrix that the propeller blades are made of to control aircraft yaw and horizontal thrust.

16. A method for controlling aircraft flight as set forth in claim 15 wherein the aircraft is unmanned during operation.

17. A method for controlling aircraft flight including:

providing a transfer gear box operatively connecting a power plant to a plurality of counter-rotating wing fan sets, which are operatively connected to a plurality of corresponding propellers, and to at least one counter-rotating nose fan set; and

collectively controlling the pitch of blades of the wing fan sets, the at least one nose fan set, and the propellers.

18. A method for controlling aircraft flight including:

selectively adjusting blade pitch of a counter-rotatable ducted fan set mounted on a fuselage of the aircraft between about 0° and

about 45°

from a plane about which the fan set rotates by actuating piezoelectric fibers embedded in a composite matrix that the fan blades are made of; and

selectively adjusting blade pitch of a propeller mounted on the fuselage between about 45° and

about 0°

from a plane about which the propeller rotates by actuating piezoelectric fibers embedded in a composite matrix that the propeller blades are made of.