STACKED ROTOR VTOL AIRCRAFT

• US 3,584,810 A
• Filed: 05/08/1969
• Issued: 06/15/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edward J. Velton
• Original Assignee: Edward J. Velton
• Inventors: Velton, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US04/822,917
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• US Class Current: 244/23.00C
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/026 for use as personal propulsion unit

Abstract

A stable tail setter VTOL aircraft having forward and aft powered lifting rotors that straddle the airframe center of gravity such that the trim attitude and stability of the aircraft can be regulated by controlling the relative thrusts produced by each of the individual lifting rotors and the aircraft can be maneuvered about the established trim attitude by use of control surfaces located in the downwash of the lifting rotors.

Claims

1. A VTOL aircraft comprising, an airframe, upper and lower rotor lifting elements journaled on said airframe adapted to be rotated in opposite directions in substantially parallel planes at substantially equal speeds, substantially equal sized upper and lower annular shrouds spaced along a common axis on said airframe fixed to said airframe, said upper rotor lifting element rotatable within said upper shroud, said lower rotor lifting element rotatable within said lower shroud, a pilots'"'"''"'"'enclosure mounted on said airframe intermediate said upper and lower rotor lifting elements substantially on said axis, engine means for rotating each of said rotor lifting elements, said engine means located in the space between said upper and lower shrouds and having upper and lower power output means extending into the space surrounded by said upper and lower shrouds and spaced from said axis, drive means operatively connecting said upper and lower power output means to said upper and lower lifting rotor elements, and control means operable to selectively vary the thrust of said rotor lifting elements relative to each other.

2. A VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 1 in which, said rotor lifting elements have fixed, nonmovable positions on said airframe.

3. A VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 1 in which, the axis of rotation of each of said rotor lifting elements are on the same axis, and each rotor lifting elements is fixed to provide thrust in the same direction.

4. A VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 1 in which, said airframe has a width that is only slightly larger than the diameter of said rotor lifting elements.

5. A VTOL Aircraft as claimed in claim 1 in which, said control means has first means for selectively setting the sum of the thrust of said rotor lifting elements and second means for differentially varying the thrust of each of said rotor lifting elements.

6. A VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 1 in which, said rotor lifting elements are fixedly secured to said airframe in in-line positions, said engine means rotates each of said rotor lifting elements in a rotational direction to provide thrust along a common axis, one of said rotor lifting elements receives the downwash from the other rotor lifting elements, and said airframe is open to pass relative wind to said one of said rotor lifting elements.

7. A VTOL aircraft as claimEd in claim 6 including, air vanes positioned in the thrust generated by said rotor lifting elements, and means for selectively positioning said vanes to provide pitch, roll and yaw control of said aircraft.

8. A VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 7 in which, said vanes for providing pitch and roll control are positioned in the downwash of said one of said rotor lifting elements.