VTOL personal aircraft

• US 6,892,979 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karl F. Milde Jr
• Original Assignee: Karl F. Milde Jr
• Inventors: Milde, Karl F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins, Timothy D
• Application Number:
  US10/640,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20040056154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 244/12.3, 244/12.4, 244/23.R, 244/23.D, 244/12.1, 244/23.C, 244/12.5, 244/218, 244/2
• US Class Current: 244/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/56 Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction

Abstract

Personal Aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing (“VTOL”) which comprises:

• • (a) a fuselage having a front end, a rear end and two lateral sides, the fuselage having a central longitudinal axis extending from the front end to the rear end, between the two lateral sides;
  • (b) at least one, and preferably two or more, ducted fans, each arranged in the fuselage between the front end and the rear end and between the two lateral sides, for providing vertical lift; and
  • (c) at least one substantially horizontal wing attached to each side of the fuselage and extending outward with respect to the central longitudinal axis. The wings and fuselage of the aircraft are designed to provide a lift-to-drag (L/D) ratio during flight, when flying at an airspeed in the range of 50 to 100 MPH, of at least 4:1.

According to a preferred feature of the present invention, the width and wingspan of the aircraft wings are adjustable during flight so that the L/D ratio and the footprint of the aircraft may be matched to the needs of the pilot.

Claims

1. A Personal Aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing (“

VTOL”

) and comprising, in combination;

(a) a fuselage with a passenger compartment for at least one person, having a front end, a rear end and two lateral sides, and having a central longitudinal axis extending from said front end to said rear end between said two lateral sides;

(b) at least one ducted fan, fixedly arranged in said fuselage between front end and said rear end and between said two lateral sides, for providing vertical lift at least as great as the weight of the aircraft; and

(c) a substantially horizontal stationary wing attached to each lateral side of said fuselage and extending outward with respect to said central longitudinal axis, wherein said wings are extendable in length during flight and said wings, when extended, form at least one fixed wing for said aircraft,

wherein the fixed wing and the fuselage provide a lift-to-drag (L/D) ratio of the aircraft during flight, resulting from forward motion of the aircraft through the air and excluding vertical lift provided by said ducted fan, of at least 4;

1 when flying at an airspeed in the range of 50 to 100 MPH,

whereby the wingspan of the aircraft may be adjusted during flight.

2. The Personal Aircraft defined in claim 1, wherein each said wing is telescopically extendable and retractable during flight.

3. The Personal Aircraft defined in claim 1, wherein each said wing is extendible in width during flight, thereby to adjust the lift-to-drag ratio of said wing to match the speed of the aircraft.

4. The Personal Aircraft defined in claim 3, wherein each said wing has a trailing edge, and wherein said trailing edge is telescopically extendable and retractable during flight.

5. The Personal Aircraft defined in claim 3, wherein each said wing has a leading edge, and wherein said leading edge is telescopically extendable and retractable during flight.

6. The Personal Aircraft defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one ducted fan includes at least two ducted fans arranged in said fuselage, said ducted fans each having an impeller which is rotatable about a substantially vertical impeller axis;

and wherein the impeller axis of each ducted fan is arranged substantially along said central longitudinal axis.