Vertical takeoff and landing aircraft

• US 3,966,142 A
• Filed: 03/06/1975
• Issued: 06/29/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Grumman Aerospace Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Grumman Aerospace Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Kress, Robert W., Corbett, Marshall J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen L.
• Application Number:
  US05/556,095
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 244/120, 244/7 A, 244/7 B, 244/7 C, 244/7 R, 244/6, 244/12 A, 244/12 R, 244/13, 244/15, 244/87, 244/91
• US Class Current: 244/12.4
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/30 Parts of fuselage relatively movable to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0075 the motors being tiltable relative to the fuselage

Abstract

A Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft that has a small stowage envelope made possible by articulation of the aircraft empennage and fuselage, the aircraft having propulsion units capable of providing in all attitudes of the empennage with respect to said fuselage engine wash of the empennage thereby insuring aircraft control without additional reaction stabilizing units.

Claims

1. An aircraft having a fuselage, wings, empennage and propulsion means,

said wings being attached to said fuselage,

said propulsion means producing a thrust,

means for rotating said thrust with respect to said wings and said fuselage,

said empennage being rotatable as a unit with respect to said fuselage,

wherein said empennage rotates in concert with the rotation of said thrust whereby the efflux of said propulsion means is directed at and impinges on said empennage.

2. The aircraft as described in claim 1 in which said means for rotating said thrust includes means for rotating said propulsion means.

3. The aircraft as described in claim 1 wherein said empennage is rotatable about an axis remote from said empennage.

4. The aircraft as described in claim 1 wherein said thrust and said empennage are rotated about the same axis.

5. An aircraft having a fuselage, wings, empennage and propulsion means,

said wings being attached to said fuselage,

said empennage being rotatably attached to said fuselage,

said propulsion means being productive of a thrust and including means for rotating the thrust relative to said wings and said fuselage, and

menas for rotating said empennage with respect to said fuselage whereby said empennage is washed by the efflux created by said propulsion means regardless of the direction of said thrust relative to the wings.

6. The aircraft as described in claim 5 in which said means for rotating said thrust includes means for rotating said propulsion means.

7. The aircraft is described in claim 5 wherein said thrust and said empennage are rotatable about separate axes.

8. The aircraft as described in claim 5 wherein said empennage is rotatable about an axis remote from said empennage.

9. The aircraft as described in claim 5 wherein said thrust and said empennage are rotatable about the same axis.

10. The aircraft as described in claim 7 wherein said empennage rotates about its said axis in concert with the rotation of said thrust whereby the efflux of said propulsion means is directed at and impinges on said empennage.

11. The aircraft as described in claim 9 wherein said empennage rotates about its said axis in concert with the rotation of said thrust whereby the efflux of said propulsion means is directed at and impinges on said empennage.

12. The aircraft as described in claim 5 wherein said fuselage is divided into a forward section and a rear section, and wherein said wings are attached to said forward section and said empennage is attached to said rear section, said rear section being hinged to said forward fuselage section for rotation.

13. The aircraft as described in claim 12 including means for mounting siad propulsion means on said rear fuselage section.

14. The aircraft as described in claim 13 wherein said propulsion mounting means provides for limited rotation of the thrust of said propulsion means with respect to said rear section.

15. The aircraft as described in claim 12 including means for mounting said propulsion means on the forward fuselage section.

16. The aircraft as described in claim 12 including means for mounting said propulsion means on said wings.

17. A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft having wings, fuselage, empennage and propulsion means, means for rotating the thrust delivered by said propulsion means,

said empennage and said thrust being rotatable with respect to said wings about first and second transverse axis respectively between predetermined limits of rotation,

said aircraft being in a VTOL takeoff/landing configuration at one rotational limit of said empennage and thrust wherein said empennage is below said wings and the thrust of said propulsion means is directed perpendicular to said wings,

said aircraft being in the normal flight configuration at the other rotational limit of said empennage and thrust wherein said empennage is behind said wings and the thrust of said propulsion means is directed parallel to said wings,

the efflux of said propulsion means being directed over said empennage by said thrust rotating means in all rotational positions of said empennage.

18. An aircraft comprising in combination:

a fuselage having a forward section and a tail section joined together so as to be relatively movable;

wings faired to and radiating from said forward section;

a horizontal stabilizer of lesser span than said wings attached to said tail section;

rudder means associated with said tail section;

propulsion means for said aircraft mounted so as to be movable relative to said forward section of said fuselage in concert with movement of said tail section relative to said forward section, said propulsion means being located to direct its efflux about said horizontal stabilizer and said rudder means whereby control of said aircraft may be effected in all positions of said tail section.

19. The aircraft of claim 18 wherein said rudder means includes two vertical fins, one at each tip of said horizontal stabilizer, within the area of the efflux of the propulsion means such that, as with the horizontal stabilizer, they are completely washed by the efflux.

20. In an aircraft having a fuselage with an empennage and wings which are capable of reduced span for storage, a means to reduce fuselage and empennage length, said means comprising:

an articulation of said empennage to said fuselage; and

actuator means between said fuselage and said empennage to cause the latter to move under the former, and

propulsion means having means to provide an efflux that will wash said empennage in all its attitudes relative to said fuselage.

21. The structure of claim 20 and further comprising landing gear means adapted to support said fuselage with empennage in whatever attitude the latter has with the former.