Aircraft

• US 20090084890A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gaby Traute Reinhardt
• Original Assignee: Gaby Traute Reinhardt
• Inventors: Reinhardt, Gert Joachim
• Application Number:
  US12/226,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20090084890A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/12.400
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage

Abstract

An aircraft, in particular a VTOL craft, comprises a fuselage supporting at least a pair of wings. According to the disclosure, several propeller devices are connected to the fuselage and optionally to the pair of wings. The propeller devices may be pivoted about pivot axes independently of each other. The pivot axes are at an angle ≠0° to each other.

Claims

1. An aircraft, in particular a vertical take-off aircraft, comprising:

at least one wing element carrying a fuselage, and

at least two drive means connected with the fuselage (10) and/or the wing element, wherein at least two of the drive means are pivotable about a respective pivot axis and the pivot axes are arranged under an angle not equal to 0°

with respect to each other,

wherein each drive means comprises at least two thrust means connected with a control means for a separate adjustment of the respective thrust force in order to effect a pivoting of the drive means.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said at least one of the drive means is pivotable about two pivot axes.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the two pivot axes are arranged perpendicular to each other.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the two pivot axes are arranged perpendicular to the thrust direction of the drive means, respectively.

5. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein at least one drive means comprises at least three thrust means.

6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the thrust directions of the individual thrust means of at least one per drive means is parallel to each other.

7. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a control means for pivoting the drive means such that all flight maneuvers are executable only by means of the propeller means.

8. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the drive means are located laterally beside the fuselage, especially at a distance from the pair of wings.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each drive means is connected with the fuselage and/or the pairs of wings through a support rack.

10. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein at least two drive means are connected with the fuselage and/or the pairs of wings through a common support rack.

11. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein the support rack comprises longitudinal beams respectively connected with a pair of wings.

12. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein the support rack has a pivot shaft as a load-bearing component to form one of the two pivot axes.

13. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first pivot axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fuselage and is oriented substantially horizontally during flight.

14. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the first pivot axis carries the second pivot axis.

15. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising additional drive means for take-off and landing in a vertical direction.

16. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the additional drive means are not pivotable.

17. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the additional drive means are arranged close to the fuselage, or are partly integrated in the fuselage.