Combined flying machine

• US 5,873,545 A
• Filed: 08/17/1995
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tovarischestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostju Kompania "Inalet"
• Original Assignee: Tovarischestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostju Kompania "Inalet"
• Inventors: Subbotin, Viktor Vladimirovich, Maiorov, Oleg Nikolaevich, Ivchin, Valery Andreevich, Pavlenko, Nikolai Serafimovich, Kapin, Viktor Mikhailovich, Pogrebinsky, Eygeny Lyovich
• Primary Examiner(s): MARQUIS, LISSI MOJICA
• Application Number:
  US08/432,148
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 244/7 R, 244/12.2, 244/12.3, 244/12.6, 244/23 C, 244/23 B, 244/34 A, 244/67, 244/107, 244/100 A
• US Class Current: 244/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60V 3/08 Aircraft, e.g. air-cushion alighting-gear therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/22 Compound rotorcraft, i.e. aircraft using in flight the features of both aeroplane and rotorcraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage

Abstract

A combined flying machine comprises a fuselage (1) in the form of a centralhick wing with a vertical open tunnel (2), in which there is mounted a lifting rotor (4). Said machine is also provided with outboard wings and a tail unit (8). The machine is equipped with a landing device on an air cushion (19) that surrounds an outlet from the tunnel. A power plant of said flying machine comprises two engine modules (13), disposed from two sides of the tunnel (2) and connected with the lifting rotor (4) and the propulsion propellers (12). The area of the tunnel cross-section in the plane of the lifting rotor rotation amounts to 0.3 to 0.8 of the area of the landing device air cushion, which ensures a safe landing of the flying machine on an unprepared landing site even with a failure of one of the engine modules.

Claims

1. A flying machine, comprising:

a fuselage having an aerodynamic cross-sectional shape in the form of a thick, central wing having a convex, upper surface and a flattened lower surface, said fuselage having a vertical tunnel extending therethrough with open inlet and outlet openings respectively at said upper and lower surfaces,

a lifting rotor mounted in said tunnel for rotation about a vertical axis, said lifting rotor being confined between said upper and lower surfaces of said fuselage, said lifting rotor including rotor blades disposed in said tunnel,

outboard wings extending laterally from said fuselage,

two propulsion propellers supported from said fuselage for propelling the flying machine in level flight,

a landing device including an air cushion at said lower surface of the fuselage surrounding said outlet opening,

means for varying pitch of the rotor blades in common and individually,

said tunnel having a cross-sectional area in a plane of rotation of the lifting rotor which is equal to 0.3 to 0.8 of the area of the air cushion of the landing device,

said inlet opening of said tunnel being bounded by a smooth, toroidal surface which merges with the upper surface of said central wing,

a power plant for driving said lifting rotor and said propulsion propellers, said power plant including two engine modules disposed on opposite sides of said tunnel, said lifting rotor being connected to both engine modules, each of said propulsion propellers being connected to a respective one of said engine modules, and

means for mounting said propulsion propellers at a level above said upper surface of the fuselage at a stern portion of said fuselage rearwardly of a line of maximum thickness of the aerodynamic shape of the fuselage.

2. A flying machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for mounting said propulsion propellers comprises two pylons connected to said fuselage on opposite sides of said tunnel, said propulsion propellers being mounted on said pylons.

3. A flying machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for mounting said propulsion propellers comprises two longitudinal beams extending rearwardly from said fuselage at a level above the upper surface of the stern portion of said fuselage, said flying machine further comprising a tail assembly including two vertical tail fins mounted on said longitudinal beams and a horizontal stabilizer connected to said tail fins, said propulsion propellers being mounted in front of said tail fins, said tail fins being connected to said horizontal stabilizer inwardly of outward ends of the stabilizer.

4. A flying machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lifting rotor is secured at a fixed position within said tunnel between said upper and lower surfaces of said fuselage.

5. A flying machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wings have swept back leading edges and straight line trailing edges.

6. A flying machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tunnel is fixed in the fuselage and the fuselage is fixed with respect to the propulsion propellers, said propulsion propellers being rotatable about horizontal axes of rotation.