Ducted fan VTOL vehicles
First Claim
1. A ducted fan air flow vehicle comprising:
- a fuselage and associated air flow control surfaces;
at least one air flow duct having a peripheral wall, an upper inlet end and a lower outlet end, said at least one air flow duct located along said fuselage and enclosing a fan arranged to force surrounding ambient air to flow through said at least one air flow duct from said upper inlet end to said lower outlet end, thereby creating force directed along a duct flow axis which provides vertical lift force and which, when the duct axis is tilted with respect to vertical, also provides a force component in the direction of tilt; and
at least one opening in said peripheral wall of said at least one air flow duct between said upper inlet end and said lower outlet end, providing an additional path for ambient air to flow into or out of said at least one air flow duct thereby reducing resistance of surrounding air to vehicle motion.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle including a fuselage having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, two Ducted Fan lift-producing propellers carried by the fuselage on each side of the transverse axis, a pilot'"'"'s compartment formed in the fuselage between the lift-producing propellers and substantially aligned with one side of the fuselage, a payload bay formed in the fuselage between the lift-producing propellers and opposite the pilot'"'"'s compartment, and two pusher fans located at the rear of the vehicle. Many variations are described enabling the vehicle to be used not only as a VTOL vehicle, but also as a multi-function utility vehicle for performing many diverse functions including hovercraft and ATV functions. Also described is an Unmanned version of the vehicle. Also described are unique features applicable in any single or multiple ducted fans and VTOL vehicles.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A ducted fan air flow vehicle comprising:
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a fuselage and associated air flow control surfaces; at least one air flow duct having a peripheral wall, an upper inlet end and a lower outlet end, said at least one air flow duct located along said fuselage and enclosing a fan arranged to force surrounding ambient air to flow through said at least one air flow duct from said upper inlet end to said lower outlet end, thereby creating force directed along a duct flow axis which provides vertical lift force and which, when the duct axis is tilted with respect to vertical, also provides a force component in the direction of tilt; and at least one opening in said peripheral wall of said at least one air flow duct between said upper inlet end and said lower outlet end, providing an additional path for ambient air to flow into or out of said at least one air flow duct thereby reducing resistance of surrounding air to vehicle motion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A ducted fan air flow vehicle comprising:
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a fuselage and associated air flow control surfaces; at least one air flow duct having a peripheral wall, an upper inlet end and a lower outlet end, said duct mounted along a fuselage and enclosing a fan arranged to force surrounding ambient air to flow through said duct in a direction from said upper inlet end to said lower outlet end, thereby creating force directed along a duct flow axis which provides vertical lift force; at least one adjustable opening in said peripheral wall of said duct facing forward relative to a forward flight direction, thereby permitting additional ambient air to penetrate said peripheral wall and to join with ambient air entering said duct from said upper inlet end and exiting through said lower outlet end. thereby enhancing forward vehicle motion by reducing the drag contribution of said peripheral wall and providing a more direct flow of air into said at least one air flow duct during forward vehicle motion. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A ducted fan air flow vehicle comprising:
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a fuselage and associated air flow control surfaces; a first duct disposed forward of a cabin payload area of said fuselage and a second duct disposed aft of said cabin payload area, each of said first and second ducts having a peripheral wall, an upper inlet end and a lower outlet end, and each enclosing a fan arranged to force surrounding ambient air to flow therethrough in a direction from said upper inlet end to said lower outlet end of said first and second ducts, respectively, thereby creating a vertical lift force directed along respective duct flow axes; at least one adjustable opening in a forward-facing side of the peripheral wall of said first duct and at least one adjustable opening in a rearward facing side of the peripheral wall of said second duct; wherein said fuselage between said first and second ducts is aerodynamically shaped to produce additional lift force during forward vehicle motion, said fuselage tilted upwardly and said lower outlet end of said first duct configured such that a lower surface of said fuselage is substantially aligned with flow exiting said first duct. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification