Vertical take-off and landing vehicle configured as a compound autogyro
First Claim
1. A compound autogyro having built in redundancy for safety purposes, comprising:
- a fuselage devoid of any tail rotors having an upper surface for supporting at least one rotor blade;
a number of fixed wings supported by said fuselage, said fixed wings having control surfaces and high lift means;
at least one rotor blade rotatively supported upon said upper surface of said fuselage; and
a plurality of jet propulsion engines supported by said fuselage for generating thrust to achieve flight and lift, and operatively connected to said at least one rotor blade for rotatively moving said at least one rotor blade, whereby redundancy is built in to the compound autogyro for safety.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compound autogyro has a unique system of rotor blade retraction and vectored thrust. Redundant thrust systems provide for emergency conditions. Located in the upper mast are twin gas lines leading to a hub section of the rotor. In the hub, they divide the mass flow into two additional gas lines reaching to the tip ends of rigid rotor blades. A revolving, upper section of the rotor mast is attached to a lower, non-rotating section by a spherical bearing. Directly beneath this attach bearing is a distribution plenum, which receives the mass flow from each of three or four turbofan engines. To achieve high levels of propulsion, the turbofans are equipped with vectoring vanes that direct the mass flow to a plenum or, in the alternative, out a jet pipe for conventional flight. Another set of vectoring vanes can direct the mass flow downwardly, in case of a serious failure upon takeoff.
62 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A compound autogyro having built in redundancy for safety purposes, comprising:
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a fuselage devoid of any tail rotors having an upper surface for supporting at least one rotor blade;
a number of fixed wings supported by said fuselage, said fixed wings having control surfaces and high lift means;
at least one rotor blade rotatively supported upon said upper surface of said fuselage; and
a plurality of jet propulsion engines supported by said fuselage for generating thrust to achieve flight and lift, and operatively connected to said at least one rotor blade for rotatively moving said at least one rotor blade, whereby redundancy is built in to the compound autogyro for safety. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A compound autogyro having built in redundancy for safety purposes, comprising:
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a fuselage devoid of any tail rotors having an upper surface for rotatively supporting at least one rotor blade;
a number of fixed wings supported by said fuselage, said fixed wings having control surfaces and high lift means;
at least one rotatively fixed rotor blade that is rotatively supported upon said upper surface of said fuselage; and
a plurality of jet propulsion engines supported by said fuselage for generating thrust to achieve flight and lift, and operatively connected to said at least one rotor blade for rotatively moving said at least one rotor blade, whereby redundancy is built in to the compound autogyro for safety. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A compound autogyro having built in redundancy for safety purposes, comprising:
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a fuselage devoid of any tail rotors having an upper surface for rotatively supporting at least one rotor blade;
a number of fixed wings supported by said fuselage, said fixed wings having control surfaces and high lift means;
at least one rotor blade rotatively supported upon said upper surface of said fuselage;
a plurality of jet propulsion engines supported by said fuselage for generating thrust to achieve flight and lift, and operatively connected to said at least one rotor blade for rotatively moving said at least one rotor blade, whereby redundancy is built in to the compound autogyro for safety; and
thrust means supported by said fuselage and operatively connected to said plurality of jet propulsion engines for directing a vectored thrust from said compound autogyro. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification