Gyro stabilized triple mode aircraft
First Claim
1. In a helicopter main rotor of the type producing lift when rotated about a rotor axis, the rotor including a hub and a plurality of rotor blades radiating from the hub, each rotor blade having an airfoil cross-section for generating lift in response to rotation of the rotor, the improvement comprising:
- a circular airfoil comprising an annular element with an airfoil cross section mounted on outer ends of the rotor blades, coaxially with the hub for generating lift in response to movement of the rotor in a forward direction transverse to the rotor axis, whereby on rotation of the rotor, the rotor blades produce a lift generating flow of air across the circular airfoil.
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Abstract
A triple mode aircraft which can take off as a helicopter, or in gyrocopter mode with no power to the rotors or as a conventional aircraft obtaining lift from a circular wing and in another embodiment from short stub wings; a canard wing and high lift tailplane. So it combines the flexibility of a helicopter with the same efficiency and safety of a gyrocopter and a fixed wing aircraft, also has the same simplicity and efficiency of flying a helicopter that doesn'"'"'t have a tail rotor to worry about. The rotor craft includes two counter-rotating rotors with weighted tips on one set of rotors or a circular airfoil (CA) attached to at least one set of rotors. This CA gives the lift to function as a conventional aircraft, it also weights the tips of the rotor to give a gyro-stabilizing effect to the whole aircraft. Also there is a down draft rudder that functions as a rudder in horizontal flight or catches the down draft from the rotors for directional control. There is a conventional horizontal tail with elevator controls which can be differentially operated for additional control.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. In a helicopter main rotor of the type producing lift when rotated about a rotor axis, the rotor including a hub and a plurality of rotor blades radiating from the hub, each rotor blade having an airfoil cross-section for generating lift in response to rotation of the rotor, the improvement comprising:
a circular airfoil comprising an annular element with an airfoil cross section mounted on outer ends of the rotor blades, coaxially with the hub for generating lift in response to movement of the rotor in a forward direction transverse to the rotor axis, whereby on rotation of the rotor, the rotor blades produce a lift generating flow of air across the circular airfoil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An aircraft comprising:
a first rotor of the type producing lift when rotated about a rotor axis, the first rotor including; a first rotor hub; a plurality of first rotor blades radiating from the hub, each first rotor blade having an airfoil cross-section for generating lift in response to rotation of the rotor; and a circular airfoil comprising an annular element with an airfoil cross section mounted on outer ends of the rotor blades, coaxially with the hub for generating lift in response to movement of the rotor in a forward direction transverse to the rotor axis; a second rotor coaxial with and axially spaced from the first rotor, and of the type producing lift when rotated about the rotor axis, the second rotor including; a second rotor hub; a plurality of second rotor blades radiating from the second rotor hub, each second rotor blade having an airfoil cross-section for generating lift in response to rotation of the rotor; a second circular airfoil comprising an annular element with an airfoil cross section mounted on outer ends of the plurality of second blades, coaxially with the hub for generating lift in response to movement of the rotor in a forward direction transverse to the rotor axis; and drive means for rotating the first and second rotors in opposite directions about the rotor axis, whereby on rotation of the rotors, the rotor blades produce a lift generating flow of air across each of the circular airfoils.
Specification