FLYING-WING AIRCRAFT

• US 20110001001A1
• Filed: 02/02/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ashley Christopher Bryant
• Original Assignee: Ashley Christopher Bryant
• Inventors: Bryant, Ashley Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,602,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/12.5
• 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 39/10 All-wing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• 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 take-off and landing (VTOL) flying-wing aircraft has a pair of thrust-vectoring propulsion units (2, 3; 4, 5) mounted fore and aft of the aircraft pitch axis (PA) on strakes (6, 7) at opposite extremities of the wing-structure (1), with the fore unit (2; 4) below, and the aft unit (3; 5) above, the wing-structure (1). The propulsion units (2-5) are pivoted to the strakes (6, 7), either directly or via arms (56), for individual angular displacement for thrust-vectored maneuvering of the aircraft in yaw, pitch and roll and for hover and forward and backward flight. When arms (56) are employed, the arms (56) of fore and aft propulsion units (52,54; 53,55) are intercoupled via chain drives (57-60) or linkages (61). The wing-structure (1; 51 ; 78) may have fins (47;84), slats (81) and flaps (82) and other aerodynamic control-surfaces, and enlarged strakes (84) may incorporate rudder surfaces (80). Only one propulsion unit (21) may be mounted at each extremity and additional fan units (48,83) may be used.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft having a wing-structure and a fore-aft axis,

wherein thrust-vectoring propulsion units are mounted at opposite extremities of the wing-structure laterally on either side of the fore-aft axis of the aircraft, and

each thrust-vectoring propulsion unit is operable to vector thrust produced by it selectively and variably between downwards for lift and rearwards for forward flight.

26. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 25, wherein each of the thrust-vectoring propulsion units is also operable to vector thrust produced by it selectively and variably forwards for one of rearward manoeuvre and rearward flight of the aircraft.

27. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 25, wherein two or more mutually-spaced thrust-vectoring propulsion units are mounted at each of opposite extremities of the wing-structure, and each being operable to vector its thrust angularly about an axis parallel to a pitch axis of the aircraft.

28. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 27, wherein at least one pair of the thrust vectoring propulsion units is located at each of the opposite extremities of the wing-structure.

29. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 28, wherein the two propulsion units of each pair are spaced equidistant forward and aft respectively of a center of gravity of the aircraft.

30. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 28, wherein the axes about which the thrusts of the two propulsion units of each pair are vectored are located, respectively, above and below a central plane of the wing-structure.

31. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 28, wherein the axes about which the thrusts of the two propulsion units of each pair are vectored are axes fixed with respect to the wing-structure.

32. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 28, wherein the axes about which the thrusts of the two propulsion units of each pair are vectored are displaceable with respect to the wing-structure.

33. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 25, wherein only one thrust-vectoring propulsion unit is mounted at each of the opposite extremities of the wing-structure.

34. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 33, wherein each of the propulsion units is operable to vector its thrust angularly about both an axis parallel to a roll axis of the aircraft and one of a pitch axis of the aircraft and an axis parallel to the pitch axis.

35. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 33, wherein each thrust-vectoring propulsion unit is mounted forward of an aerodynamic center of lift of the wing-structure.

36. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 25, wherein a center of gravity of the aircraft is located forward of an aerodynamic center of lift of the wing-structure within a range of 0 to 15% of a maximum wing chord of the aircraft.

37. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 25, wherein each propulsion unit is mounted on a member that is pivotable about an axis which is fixed relative to the wing-structure.

38. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 37, wherein the fixed axis is one of a pitch axis of the aircraft and an axis parallel to the pitch axis.

39. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 37, wherein the propulsion unit is mounted on the pivotable member for angular displacement about that member such that orientation of the propulsion unit is variable in two axes relative to the wing-structure.

40. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 39 wherein the two axes are both parallel to a pitch axis of the aircraft.

41. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 37, wherein drive for pivotal movement of the pivotable member is via one of a gear, a chain and a lever mechanism.

42. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 37, including pairs of propulsion units wherein the two propulsion units of each pair are mounted for angular displacement for vectoring on respective pivotable members, and control means is operable to control the pivotable members of each pair of propulsion units selectively for forward flight and hover of the aircraft, the control means is operative for forward flight of the aircraft to locate the two propulsion units of the pair one above the other relative to the wing-structure, and is operative for hover of the aircraft to locate the two propulsion units of the pair in horizontal alignment with one another.

43. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 42, wherein the pivotable members of the two propulsion units of the pair are pivoted away from one another for hover of the aircraft.

44. The vertical take-off and landing flying-wing aircraft according to claim 25, wherein the wing-structure has one of a V-tail and at least one central, stabilizer tail-fin.