Winged ground effect machines

• US 3,244,246 A
• Filed: 07/12/1963
• Issued: 04/05/1966
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walter Weiland Carl
• Original Assignee: Walter Weiland Carl
• Inventors: WALTER WEILAND CARL
• Application Number:
  US04/294,489
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• US Class Current: 180/120
• CPC Class Codes: B60V 1/22 provided with hydrofoils hydrofoils per se B63B1/24
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 1/322 using aerodynamic elements, e.g. aerofoils producing a lifting force flying boats B64C35/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/10 Measures concerning design or construction of watercraft hulls

Claims

1. A FIXED WING GROUND EFFECT VEHICLE OF THE CHARACTER TO TRAVEL CONTIGUOUSLY OVER TERRAIN SURFACES COMPRISING:

A PAIR OF DISCRETE SPACED, SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL STREAMLINED HULLS HAVING OPPOSED, INWARDLY DISPOSED SIDE SURFACES;

A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED HOLLOW WINGS SPACED FORE AND AFT OF THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID VEHICLE AFFIXED TO SAID HULLS THEREBETWEEN AND HAVING APPROXIMATELY PLANAR UNDER SURFACES WITH LEADING EDGE AND TRAILING EDGE REGIONS EXTENDING ALONG A MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF EACH SAID WING;

POWER DRIVEN FAN MEANS DISPOSED IN AIR COMMUNICATION RELATIONSHIP WITH THE INTERIOR OF EACH OF SAID HOLLOW RINGS;

FIRST AIR PLENUM FORMING VANE HAVING HINGED CONNECTING MEANS THEREFORE AFFIXED TO EACH OF SAID WINGS CONTIGUOUSLY TO SAID LEADING EDGE REGION;

SECOND AIR PLENUM FORMING VANE HAVING HINGED CONNECTING MEANS THEREFOR AFFIXED TO EACH OF SAID WINGS CONTIGUOUSLY TO SAID TRAILING EDGE REGION THEREOF, EACH OF SAID VANES HAVING PASSAGEWAYS IN COMMUNICATION WITH ITS RESPECTIVE HOLLOW WING AND BEING PORTED TO FORM PORTS ALONG ITS EDGE REMOTE FROM ITS RESPECTIVE HINGED CONNECTING MEANS;

MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH OF THE WINGS FOR EXTENDING AND RETRACTING ITS RESPECTIVE SAID FIRST AND SECOND VANES IN A MANNER TO DEFINE, WHEN EXTENDED, DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED AIR PASSAGEWAY MEANS WHICH, COOPERATIVELY WITH SAID POWER DRIVEN FAN MEANS AND WITH THE TERRAIN SURFACE BELOW SAID VEHICLE, FORM, BY CONDUCTING AIR FROM THE INTERIOR OF EACH OF SAID HOLLOW WINGS THROUGH ITS AFORESAID RESPECTIVE PASSAGEWAYS AND PORTS TO THE SPACE THEREBELOW, AN AIR CUSHION FOR LIFTING SAID VEHICLE;

EACH SAID WING BEING EFFECTIVELY PORTED TO EACH OF ITS RESPECTIVE FIRST AND SECOND AIR PLENUM FORMING VANES.