Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing Aircraft

• US 20090045295A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lapcad Engineering, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lapcad Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Lundgren, Gert
• Granted Patent: US 8,256,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/7.C
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/04 having multiple fuselages or tail booms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/11 using internal combustion piston engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20

Abstract

A vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft with a single proprotor assembly that has a pair of inline counter-rotating rotors. Two inline counter-rotating engines are directly connected to the rotors. One engine is shut down in horizontal flight to improve efficiency. Gimbal mounting the proprotor assembly permits thrust to be directed forward to back and left to right to control pitch and roll when hovering. Varying the relative engine speeds controls yaw. The aircraft is adaptable as an unmanned vehicle.

Claims

1. A vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft capable of in-flight conversion between a vertical hover mode and a horizontal flight mode comprising:

a fuselage having a starboard side and a port side;

a pair of wing sections each extending from each of the port and starboard sides of the fuselage;

a proprotor system attached between the wing sections and further affixed so as to be rotatable about a primarily lateral axis from a vertical position to a horizontal position during conversion between the vertical hover mode and the horizontal flight mode and from a horizontal position to a vertical position during reconversion between the horizontal flight mode and the vertical hover mode, the proprotor system comprising;

a pair of inline counter-rotating rotors, and

a pair of inline counter rotating engines, each engine attached to one of the inline counter-rotating rotors.

2. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, wherein the proprotor system is mounted so as to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft when the proprotor system is in the vertical position such that:

rotation of the proprotor system about the lateral axis provides a change in direction of the thrust to contain a longitudinal component, thereby permitting control of pitch of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft, and;

rotation of the proprotor system about the longitudinal axis provides a change in direction of the thrust to contain a lateral component, thereby permitting control of roll of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft.

3. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 2, wherein the relative speed of the inline counter-rotating engines is controlled such that a difference in speed between the engines creates an imbalance in the torque produced by each engine and rotor, the imbalance in the torque produced by each engine and rotor being operative to control yaw of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft.

4. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, wherein one of the inline counter-rotating engines is turned off in horizontal flight mode.

5. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, further comprising;

flight controls for controlling the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft pitch, roll and yaw, and;

an automatic feedback control mechanism for stabilizing flight characteristics of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft when in vertical hover mode.

6. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, wherein the inline counter-rotating engines are internal combustion engines.

7. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, wherein the inline counter-rotating motors are electric motors.

8. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, wherein the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft further comprises a radio control receiver for receiving control signals from a remote control unit.

9. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, wherein the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft wherein the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft is of a tilt-rotor type.

10. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, wherein the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft wherein the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft is of a tilt-wing type.

11. A vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft capable of in-flight conversion between a vertical hover mode and a horizontal flight mode comprising:

two fuselages, each fuselage having an inboard side and an outboard side;

a wing section extending laterally from the outboard sides of the fuselages;

a proprotor system attached between the inboard sides of the fuselages, the proprotor system being further affixed so as to be rotatable about a lateral axis from a vertical position to a horizontal position during conversion between the vertical hover mode and the horizontal flight mode and from a horizontal position to a vertical position during reconversion between the horizontal flight mode and the vertical hover mode, the proprotor system comprising;

a pair of inline counter-rotating rotors, and

a pair of inline counter rotating motors, each motor attached to one rotor.

12. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 11, wherein the proprotor system is mounted so as to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft when the proprotor system is in the vertical position such that;

rotation of the proprotor system about the lateral axis provides a change in direction of the thrust to contain a forward or backward component, thus permitting control of the pitch of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft, and;

rotation of the proprotor system about the longitudinal axis provides a change in direction of the thrust to contain a left or right component, thus permitting control of the roll of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft.

13. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 12, wherein the relative speed of the inline counter-rotating motors is controlled such that a difference in speed between the motors creates an imbalance in the torque produced by each motor, the imbalance in the torque produced by each motor being operative to control the yaw of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft.

14. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 11, wherein one of the inline counter-rotating motors is turned off in horizontal flight.

15. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 11, further comprising;

flight controls for controlling the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft pitch, roll and yaw, and;

an automatic feedback control mechanism for stabilizing flight characteristics of the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft when in vertical hover mode.

16. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 11, wherein the inline counter-rotating motors are electric motors.

17. The vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft of claim 11, wherein the vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft is a remote controlled aircraft.