Airplane configured with a moveable disk structure

• US 4,662,588 A
• Filed: 03/05/1984
• Issued: 05/05/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles Henderson
• Original Assignee: Charles Henderson
• Inventors: Henderson, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corl, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US06/584,310
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 244/36, 244/49, 244/13, 244/118.1, 244/118.2, 244/12.4, 244/12.5, 244/12.2, 244/23 C, 343/705, 343/708, D12/333, D12/334, D12/338, D12/341, D12/342
• US Class Current: 244/118.2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/36 adapted to receive antennas or radomes

Abstract

A delta-wing and a tapered-wing planform are combined and result in an airplane which does not require a tail assembly or a fuselage and which provides a means to resolve the conflicting requirements for large circular aperture payload space and low drag, high endurance flight. The invention consists of a flying machine with a moveable disk structure which enables a suitable circular aperture phased array antenna system to be operated either within the wing envelope or in a vertical position so that multiple narrow pencil beams can be electronically steered in opposite directions from the airplane. The location of the antenna with respect to the wing structure is such that it can operate with a corporate-fed array in the horizontal position and/or a space-fed array in the vertical position.

Claims

1. In an aircraft comprised of a wing whose central wing section encompassing the aircraft'"'"'s longitudinal centerline is not obstructed by a fuselage, a large replaceable disk structure mounted in a circular cavity which is vertically orientated and extends completely through said wing section;

an inner, structure-mounted moveable disk-shaped radome housing which contains a circular aperture antenna system, said housing being rotatable from a position inside the wing envelope to a vertical position outside, with only the radome'"'"'s edge being presented to the wind stream, thereby permitting said antenna system to direct beams to both sides of the flight path, with a minimum of obstruction in either direction.

2. In an aircraft comprised of a wing whose central wing section encompassing the aircraft'"'"'s longitudinal centerline is not obstructed by a fuselage, a large replaceable disk structure mounted in a circular cavity which is vertically orientated and extends completely through said wing section;

an inner, structure-mounted moveable disk-shaped radome housing which contains a circular aperture antenna system, said housing being rotatable from a position inside the wing envelope to a vertical position outside, with only the radome'"'"'s edge being presented to the wind stream, thereby permitting said antenna system comprised of suitable back-to-back antennas to be operated in a space-fed reflector configuration, with the feed points transversely located in the wing so that the beams emanating from each antenna are directed, with a minimum of obstruction, to the same side as their respective feed.

3. In an aircraft comprised of a wing whose central wing section encompassing the aircraft'"'"'s longitudinal centerline is not obstructed by a fuselage, a large replaceable disk structure mounted in a circular cavity which is vertically orientated and extends completely through said wing section;

an inner, structure-mounted moveable disk-shaped radome housing which contains a circular aperture antenna system, said housing being rotatable from a position inside the wing envelope to a vertical position outside, with only the radome'"'"'s edge being presented to the wind stream, thereby permitting said antenna system comprised of suitable back-to-back antennas to be operated in a space-fed lens configuration, with the feed points transversely located in the wing so that the beams emanating form each antenna are alternately directed, with a minimum of obstruction, to the side opposite their respective feed.

4. An aircraft comprising:

a delta-wing central section which is unobstructed by a fuselage on the aircraft longitudinal centerline;

a pair of tapered outer wing sections, each tapered section extending outwardly from said central section;

a pair of powerplants, each laterally disposed and imbedded in the wing at the transition between the steeply sloping leading edge of said delta-wing section and the gradually sloping leading edge of said tapered wing section;

a large circular cavity, vertically orientated and extending completely through said delta-wing section;

a moveable inner disk structure which fills said cavity, forms a substantially continuous surface with said delta-wing section and is rotatable about the aircraft longitudinal axis between a horizontal position within the wing envelope and a vertical position outside the envelope; and

said disk structure, being rotated vertically, is positioned so that the narrow edge of said disk structure faces the wind stream.

5. In an aircraft of the type comprised of a central wing section without a fuselage on the aircraft longitudinal centerline, a large circular cavity, vertically orientated and extending completely through said wing section;

a releasably mounted disk structure which fills said cavity, forms a substantially continuous surface with said wing section and which is removable on the ground such that said disk structure is readily replaced by a different disk structure; and

said disk structure, being mounted substantially within the wing envelope, provides a reduced aircraft drag profile and, concurrently, is provided with unobstructed access to the external environment above and below the aircraft.

6. In an aircraft of the type comprised of a central wing section without a fuselage on the aircraft longitudinal centerline, a large circular cavity, vertically orientated and extending completely through said wing section;

a disk structure mounted in said cavity so as to form a substantially continuous surface with said wing section; and

said disk structure, being comprised of a large circular aperture antenna housing, is positioned horizontally so as to remain within the wing envelope and so that the circular aperture sides of said antenna housing face outwardly, above and below the aircraft.