Vertical take-off and landing aircraft

• US 6,843,447 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vox LLC
• Original Assignee: Brian H. Morgan
• Inventors: Morgan, Brian H.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US10/746,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20040245374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 244/6, 244/12.3, 244/12.4, 244/17.23, 244/17.25, 244/23.A, 244/23.B
• US Class Current: 244/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/02 Tailplanes

Abstract

A vertical take-off and landing aircraft includes a fuselage, a left wing, a right wing, at least one forward thruster, a horizontal stabilizer and a vertical stabilizer. The left and right wings extend from substantially a middle of the fuselage on left and right sides, respectively. The at least one forward thruster is preferably mounted to the fuselage, substantially behind the left and right wings. The horizontal stabilizer extends from a rear of the fuselage. The vertical stabilizer extends from a top of the fuselage at a rear thereof. At least two left lift rotors are retained in the left wing and at least two right lift rotors are retained in the right wing. A second embodiment of the VTOL aircraft includes a fuselage truncated behind the left and right wings with a twin tail empennage.

Claims

1. A method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising the steps of:

providing a fuselage;

extending a left wing from a left side of said fuselage and extending a right wing from a right side of said fuselage;

retaining a first left lift rotor in said left wing, retaining at least one second left lift rotor in said left wing behind said first left lift rotor;

retaining a first right lift rotor in said right wing, retaining at least one second right lift rotor in said right wing behind said first right lift rotor; and

providing at least one forward thruster.

2. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

retaining a horizontal stabilizer at a rear of said aircraft.

3. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

extending a vertical stabilizer from said horizontal stabilizer.

4. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

rotating at least one of said at least two left lift rotors in a direction opposite that of at least one of said at least two right lift rotors.

5. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

retaining a nose rotor in a nose of said fuselage.

6. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

retaining a left air brake on a left front of said horizontal stabilizer; and

retaining a right air brake on a right front of said horizontal stabilizer.

7. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing said at least two left lift rotors and said at least two right lift rotors with collective pitch.

8. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

tilting one of said at least one second left lift rotors to provide some rearward thrust, tilting one of said at least one second right lift rotors to provide some rearward thrust.

9. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

controlling the attitude of said aircraft while hovering with a central flight computer.

10. A method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising the steps of:

providing a fuselage;

extending a left wing from a left side of said fuselage and extending a right wing from a right side of said fuselage;

retaining a first left lift rotor in said left wing, retaining at least one second left lift rotor in said left wind behind said first left lift rotor;

retaining a first right lift rotor in said right wing, retaining at least one second right lift rotor in said right wing behind said first right lift rotor, providing said at least two left lift rotors and said at least two right lift rotors with collective pitch; and

providing at least one forward thruster.

11. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

retaining a horizontal stabilizer at a rear of said aircraft.

12. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 11, further comprising the step of;

extending a vertical stabilizer from said horizontal stabilizer.

13. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

rotating at least one of said at least two left lift rotors in a direction opposite that of at least one of said at least two right lift rotors.

14. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

retaining a nose rotor in a nose of said fuselage.

15. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

retaining a left air brake on a left front of said horizontal stabilizer; and

retaining a right air brake on a right front of said horizontal stabilizer.

16. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

tilting one of said at least one second left lift rotors to provide some rearward thrust, tilting one of said at least one second right lift rotors to provide some rearward thrust.

17. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

controlling the attitude of said aircraft while hovering with a central flight computer.

18. A method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising the steps of:

providing a fuselage;

extending a left wing from a left side of said fuselage and extending a right wing from a right side of said fuselage;

retaining at least two left lift rotors adjacent a left side of said fuselage, retaining at least two right lift rotors adjacent to a right side of said fuselage;

retaining a first left lift rotor in said left wing, retaining at least one second left lift rotor in said left wing behind said first left lift rotor;

retaining a first right lift rotor in said right wing, retaining at least one second right lift rotor in said right wing behind said first right lift rotor; and

terminating a rear of said aircraft with a twin tail empennage; and

retaining at least one forward thruster at a rear of said fuselage.

19. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

said twin tail empennage including a horizontal stabilizer and a vertical stabilizer from said horizontal stabilizer.

20. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

rotating at least one of said at least two left lift rotors in a direction opposite that of at least one of said at least two right lift rotors.

21. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

providing said at least two left lift rotors and said at least two right lift rotors with collective pitch.

22. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

tilting one of said at least one second left lift rotors to provide some rearward thrust, tilting one of said at least one second right lift rotors to provide some rearward thrust.

23. The method of providing a vertical take-off and landing aircraft of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

controlling the attitude of said aircraft while hovering with a central flight computer.