COMPOUND HELICOPTER

• US 20140061367A1
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters Deutschland Gmbh (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter Deutschland Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Fink, Axel, Weiss, Ambrosius, Winkworth, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,321,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/6
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/26 characterised by provision of fixed wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/068 having multiple wings joined at the tips

Abstract

The invention relates to a compound helicopter (1) comprising a fuselage (2), at least one engine (14) and a main rotor (11) driven by said at least one engine (14). At least one pair of fixed wings are mounted in an essentially horizontal plane on a left hand and a right hand side of the fuselage (2) and horizontally oriented propulsion devices (12, 13) are mounted to each of said fixed wings, said fixed wings encompassing each a drive shaft (16) from said at least one engine (14). Each fixed wing comprises a lower main wing (18) and an upper secondary wing (19) being connected to each other within an interconnection region (22). The propulsion devices (12, 13) are arranged at said interconnection region (22) and said upper secondary wing (19) houses the drive shaft (16) from said at least one engine (14).

Claims

1. A compound helicopter comprising

a fuselage with an upper side and a lower side opposed to said upper side;

at least one engine;

a main rotor mounted to said upper side of said fuselage, said main rotor being driven by said at least one engine;

at least one pair of fixed wings mounted in an essentially horizontal plane on a left hand and a right hand side of the fuselage; and

longitudinally oriented propulsion devices mounted to each of said fixed wings, said fixed wings encompassing each a drive shaft from said at least one engine,

wherein;

each fixed wing comprises a lower main wing and an upper secondary wing;

said upper secondary wing is anhedral,

said upper secondary wing and said lower main wing are connected to each other within an interconnection region;

the propulsion devices are arranged at said interconnection region; and

and in that said upper secondary wing houses the drive shaft from said at least one engine.

2. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the lower main wing is dihedral.

3. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one engine is arranged on top of the fuselage close to the main rotor and in that the respective drive shafts in the upper secondary wing drive the propulsion devices.

4. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein one engine is arranged at each interconnection region between the upper secondary and the lower main wing and in that the respective drive shafts in the respective upper secondary wings drive the main rotor.

5. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the upper secondary wing is attached to the upper side of the fuselage close to the main rotor and the lower main wing is attached to the lower side of the fuselage.

6. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the lower main wing has a maximum chord 1.2 to 20 times greater than the maximum chord of the upper secondary wing.

7. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the lower main wing comprises ailerons.

8. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the upper secondary wing is straight along its span with a constant chord or tapered.

9. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the propulsion devices are propellers either in pusher configuration with the propellers being arranged behind a trailing edge of its associated lower main wing or in tractor configuration with the propellers being arranged ahead of a leading edge of its associated lower main wing.

10. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein a propulsion device housing is arranged on top of the lower main wing and the first root end of the upper secondary wing is attached to an upper part of the propulsion device housing.

11. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the upper secondary wing is shaped like a streamlined strut.

12. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the lower main wings end at the interconnection regions or the lower main wings extend beyond the interconnection regions.

13. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein an outboard wing is attached to each interconnection region.

14. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the lower main wing has an aspect ratio between 2 and 15.

15. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the upper secondary wing is rearward swept in the range of −

10°

to −

45°

relative to the transverse axis.

16. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the main lower wing has a sweep angle in the range of −

30°

to 30°

.

17. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the interconnection region comprises a pylon, the pylon connecting the lower main wing to either the upper secondary wing or to a housing of the propulsion device.

18. The compound helicopter according to claim 17, wherein the pylon has an angle in a range between +45°

and −

45°

to a vertical axis.

19. The compound helicopter according to claim 1, wherein the lower main wing and/or the upper secondary wing are attached to the fuselage by hinged joints.